Every team has its unsung heroes: the creative thinkers, media magicians, and snack-stash champions who keep everything running. An employee spotlight gives you the perfect excuse to celebrate them!
If your spotlight is starting to feel like it’s on low-battery, we’ve got you covered. Our 22 creative and quirky spotlight ideas will reinvigorate your staff as they feel more deeply recognised.
Let’s shine the spotlight where it belongs: on your incredible team. You know they deserve it!
What exactly is an “employee spotlight”?
An employee spotlight is the way a company can highlight the excellent work done by individual staff. Yes, you may have your employee recognition system set up, but using an employee spotlight becomes like a standing ovation to a great musician.
The spotlight can showcase the people who keep your company running, not just for their job titles, but for their quirks, talents, and everyday brilliance. You could even consider pairing them with awards for a deeper employee incentive idea. Why not?
Whether you’re highlighting their hidden skills, their go-to lunch order, or that one time they saved the office printer from total meltdown, these activities work wonders for letting them know just how valuable they are!
22 of the best ideas to shine that employee spotlight!
We’ve split our 22 activities into different categories, so you can choose which type of employee recognition you’d like to focus on:
Creative & visual spotlights
Some people express themselves better through sketches, videos, or emojis than a written paragraph. These spotlight ideas are perfect for showcasing personality in fun, visual formats that can easily brighten up your team’s day. Let creativity take the lead!
1. Sketch me if you can
Let your team’s inner doodler shine! In this playful spotlight activity, ask teammates to draw a portrait of a colleague—no tracing, no Googling, just pure artistic flair (or lack thereof). The results are going to be something between abstract genius and glorified stick figures, and that’s fine!
Once the masterpieces are complete, reveal them during your next team meeting alongside the real photo. Pair each sketch with a quick bio or fun fact to keep things light and personal.
This kind of creative shoutout is great for breaking the ice and giving your usual employee shoutouts a quirky twist. It’s less about the likeness and more about strange sketching techniques, because sometimes, the worse the drawing, the brighter the spotlight.
2. Their life in emojis
Are words always needed when we have fabulous emojis? For this spotlight, ask employees to sum up their personality, hobbies, or life story using a string of emojis, with no text allowed. Think 🏕️🎸🧠💻🍜 for someone who camps, plays guitar, loves psychology, works in tech, and eats noodles like it's a sport.
Share the emoji lines with the team and have everyone guess who they belong to. Then reveal the person behind the symbols and let them explain their choices.
It’s a fun, visual way to share bits of personality, perfect for hybrid teams and a fresh alternative to standard introductions. Bonus: It doubles as a team-building activity with a social-media-ready twist.
3. One minute, one take
Give your team a simple challenge: record a one-minute video introducing themselves. Just one unfiltered, unedited take, allowing them to be as open and honest as they wish. They can talk about what they do, something quirky about themselves, or even just their favorite sandwich. The only rule is to keep it real.
These short, personal clips are perfect for internal newsletters, onboarding, or employee shoutouts. They offer a bite-sized way to get to know teammates, especially across departments or time zones.
It’s quick, creative, and a great reminder that every employee has a voice, even if they mumble it through a mouthful of lunch in one take.
4. Two truths and a tale
This twist on the classic icebreaker keeps things playful and intriguing. Each employee shares three “facts” about themselves, two that are true and one that’s totally made up. The rest of the team guesses which one’s the fib.
Display the statements on your company intranet, Slack channel, or even a hallway whiteboard to keep everyone guessing throughout the day. It’s a fun way to spark conversation, laughter, and a few raised eyebrows.
Not only does it help team members discover quirky facts about each other, it also brings a bit of light-hearted mystery into your spotlight routine.
5. 15-second GIF reel
Why not swap lengthy intros for something short, sweet, and scroll-stopping? Invite employees to create a 15-second GIF reel that captures their personality, workday habits, or go-to coffee order, whatever feels most them.
These mini-spotlight videos can be shared on internal channels or even company social media (with permission). It’s a fast, modern way to showcase team spirit and get a quick glimpse into someone’s world, one quirky expression or dance move at a time.
GIF reels are perfect for remote teams, too, offering an easy, visual way to generate positivity through recognition, without needing a big production setup.
Team-driven and collaborative spotlights
These activities invite coworkers to get involved, whether through praise, playful guesses, or collaborative storytelling. They’re ideal for developing deeper team bonds and creating a sense of shared appreciation.
6. Coworker quotes
Want a simple but meaningful way to spotlight someone? Let the team do the talking. Ask a handful of coworkers to describe the spotlighted employee in one short sentence. It could be funny (“The only person who brings snacks and solutions”) or heartfelt (“She’s the calm in every storm”). Then pop all the quotes onto a visual template, slide deck, or Slack post and share it with the whole company.
This activity works beautifully as part of your ongoing employee recognition program and feels more authentic than generic praise. When recognition comes from peers, it hits differently, reminding everyone that great teamwork should never go unnoticed.
7. “If they were a…” game
It’s time to get delightfully hypothetical. In this spotlight, the team answers playful prompts like: If they were a drink, what would they be? A city? A song? You’ll be amazed at how well people know each other, or at least how creatively they think they do.
Compile the responses into a short presentation or graphic and share it with the spotlighted employee (and the wider team). It’s silly, fun, and surprisingly revealing. It also works wonders for making people feel seen in a fresh, imaginative way.
This one works particularly well during employee appreciation days or as a fun way to wrap up all-hands meetings.
8. Mystery spotlight
Dim the lights and get wonderfully mysterious the next time you shine your spotlight. For this activity, gather fun facts, habits, or quirky details about one team member, but don’t reveal who they are right away. Instead, share the mystery profile with the team and let them guess who it is!
Details like “always eats lunch at 11:03 am” or “once sang karaoke with a celebrity” are gold. After the guesses roll in, unveil the spotlighted employee with a photo or short video and let them confirm (or deny!) the rumors.
It’s a fantastic team-building exercise that encourages curiosity, sparks conversations, and celebrates individuality in a low-pressure way.
9. Spotify spotlight
Music is one of the quickest ways to reveal personality and to relight my fire. Ask your spotlighted employee to create a short playlist (5–10 songs) that represents their mood, work style, or life outside the office.
Maybe they have an affinity for lo-fi beats to stay focused, or maybe their playlist jumps from ‘90s pop to Icelandic metal. Post the playlist with a short explanation from the employee, like why a particular song always gets them in the zone or reminds them of a funny team memory.
This light, creative approach helps teams bond over shared tastes and discover a few unexpected bangers along the way.
10. Kudos challenge
Turn your employee spotlight into a celebration of peer recognition. In the days leading up to the spotlight, challenge the team to submit anonymous kudos, shoutouts, or stories about the spotlighted employee. These can be funny, heartfelt, or a mix of both.
Compile them into a whiteboard display or even a short video montage. During the reveal, read some of the best out loud or post them where everyone can enjoy.
Not only does this electrify the office morale, but it also builds a culture of appreciation, making it a great complement to other positive affirmation activities.
11. “Guess who?” timeline
This employee spotlight idea turns your team member’s journey into an engaging guessing game. Create a short timeline of quirky or notable career moments. This could be previous jobs they’ve had, places they’ve worked, big wins, or even odd skills, with a few fun curveballs mixed in.
Post the timeline without their name and let the team guess who it is. Once revealed, have the spotlighted employee walk the team through the real story behind each point.
It’s a great way to highlight growth and experience while sparking laughs and “No way!” moments. Bonus: it’s easy to adapt for remote teams, too.
12. Team time capsule
Want to capture a moment in your team's culture? Create a “time capsule” featuring small contributions from each employee, featuring quotes, mini-bios, personal workplace highlights, or even doodles. Then, spotlight one team member by showcasing their capsule entry in full.
You can go full-digital with a shared doc or Miro board, or use a real box tucked away until a future reveal day.
It’s a fun, reflective way to celebrate team successes while building a sense of collective history. Plus, it ties in naturally with longer-term milestones and employee appreciation moments down the road.
Fun & quirky questionnaires
Not all spotlights need to be serious or sentimental. These activities are great for easing into more regular employee recognition and revealing the delightful quirks that make your team one of a kind.
13. Would THEY rather spotlight
This playful twist on the classic “Would You Rather” game gives team members a humorous way to spotlight their coworkers. Ahead of the activity, collect fun, quirky scenarios tailored to the person being featured. Try silly ones like “Would they rather work from a hammock in Bali or a submarine off the coast of Norway?” Then, let the team vote!
After the votes are in, reveal the employee’s actual preferences—and let them elaborate (or defend themselves!).
This activity mixes humor and insight, helping coworkers learn fun facts about each other while sparking light-hearted discussion. Just be sure to steer clear of anything too personal — the goal is lighthearted fun that celebrates individuality.
14. Job title, if honest
Here’s where brutal honesty meets creative flair. Ask team members to come up with a funny, exaggerated, or painfully accurate version of their job title: the kind they’d give themselves if truth and HR policies weren’t a factor.
For example, “Spreadsheet Sorcerer,” “Slack Channel Archaeologist,” or “Zoom Face Enthusiast.” Post the new titles on a whiteboard, Slack thread, or team newsletter and let others vote on their favorites. You can even make it part of your regular employee recognition efforts by showcasing a different “honest title” each week.
It’s an easy way to encourage humor, self-awareness, and bonding through a shared understanding of everyone’s day-to-day grind, quirks and all.
15. Your job, explained to a toddler
Can your senior UX designer explain what they do without using a single technical term? This spotlight idea challenges employees to describe their job as if they were talking to a five-year-old: simple, silly, and free from jargon.
You’ll get gems like: “I make buttons that people want to click,” or “I help grown-ups not break the website.” These innocent-sounding blurbs are not only hilarious but surprisingly insightful, giving the whole team a clearer sense of what everyone actually does all day.
Share the responses during team meetings or in your internal newsletter for a recurring spotlight moment that’s both fun and informative.
Whiteboard ideas and physical spotlight activities
Sometimes the best way to spotlight your team is by getting hands-on. These ideas use whiteboards, sticky notes, and shared spaces to create visual moments of recognition that the whole office can see.
16. Whiteboard compliment wall
All you need is a whiteboard and some feel-good vibes. Dedicate a section of the office whiteboard to employee appreciation and invite teammates to write shoutouts, compliments, or kudos for a featured colleague throughout the week. It can be anonymous or signed. It’s up to your team's style.
You'll be surprised how even the simplest comments ("always brings snacks," "PowerPoint wizard," or "made Monday better") can brighten someone’s day. It's a wonderful way to build a culture of everyday recognition and gives a visual reminder of how much each person brings to the team.
This idea pairs well with more structured employee recognition programs, but stands on its own as a casual, community-driven feel-good moment.
17. Post-it bombing
Take a humble pack of sticky notes and turn it into an explosion of positivity. Post-it bombing is a fun and fast way for teams to leave messages for a spotlighted colleague, either all over their desk, on a shared wall, or around their favorite workspace.
Everyone gets a stack of notes and a simple prompt: write one kind, funny, or appreciative thing about today’s featured teammate. Whether it’s serious praise (“Always saves the day in meetings”) or light-hearted jabs (“Master of the famous office snooze”), the collection builds up into a collage of team affection.
This spontaneous approach to showing appreciation creates a warm-and-fuzzy moment your team will remember long after the paper’s gone.
18. A few of my favorite things…
Everyone’s got their go-to comforts, quirks, and guilty pleasures. This spotlight invites team members to create a mini showcase of their favorite things in life. That might include snacks, books, gadgets, coffee mugs, or even oddly specific Spotify playlists.
To add extra fun, turn it into a guessing game first: display the items anonymously and have the team guess who’s behind each collection. It’s a great way to start some unexpected conversations and help teammates discover shared interests. Bonus points if someone’s “favorite thing” is your shared group chat meme from 2022.
19. “Day in the life” doodle
No need for artistic skills here—just a marker and a sense of humor. Ask employees to sketch out a typical day in their role using doodles on a whiteboard or shared digital canvas. From the morning coffee rush to that 3 p.m. spreadsheet showdown, each person’s drawing tells a story in squiggles.
After the doodles are revealed, team members can guess whose day it is or narrate their masterpiece. They might find a really funny way to depict work that often goes unnoticed, and opens up conversations about the highs, lows, and hidden parts of different roles. A great activity for spotlighting!
Virtual-friendly and milestone spotlights
Not every spotlight needs to happen in person. This category is perfect for remote or hybrid teams and for celebrating personal milestones from afar. These ideas keep everyone included, no matter where they’re working from, and make big moments feel even more meaningful.
20. Slack spotlight thread
Shine that spotlight where your remote or hybrid team already hangs out: Slack! Create a dedicated thread or channel where, each week, one employee gets the stage. They can share fun facts, a favorite photo, personal milestones, or answer a few lighthearted questions (like their ultimate karaoke song or dream superpower).
Encourage coworkers to chime in with emojis, comments, or even mini shoutouts. This virtual-friendly spotlight works wonders for remote teams and helps build bonds in a space everyone checks daily. You can use it to celebrate employee anniversaries or recent wins!
21. Work from anywhere diary
Want a creative way to highlight flexible working? Invite a team member to share a day-in-the-life diary from wherever they’re working. That could be a cozy home office, bustling café, or beachside spot (we’re not jealous at all, really!). They can snap a few pics, jot down short entries about how they structure their day, and share any quirky local discoveries or work hacks.
Once posted to a shared platform or Slack thread, coworkers can comment, ask questions, or share their own remote routines. It’s a great way to make flexible work feel more connected, and it subtly celebrates the perks of your remote work policy while putting one employee in the well-earned spotlight
22. Celebrate-a-versary
Our final spotlight recommendation reminds you of the importance of celebrating milestones. Work anniversaries often pass with little more than a Slack emoji or a “Congrats!” in the hallway. But this spotlight idea takes it up a notch. Each time someone hits a work milestone (one year, five years, ten years) give them a proper “Celebrate-a-versary” feature.
Use the whiteboard or a digital slideshow to showcase fun facts, favorite moments, team memories, and a few poignant memories that mean a lot to you. Pair this with a reward, treat, or trophy, and you’re in for a treat.
It’s a great way to develop employee recognition and make long-term team members feel genuinely valued. Never overlook the significance of a workplace milestone or anniversary!
Ready to spotlight your team in a whole new light? Use our retreat!
While employee spotlights are a brilliant way to celebrate standout performers, nothing beats stepping away from the office (or screen) and building memories together in real life. That’s where a Surf Office team retreat steals the show.
We take all the hassle out of planning a company retreat, so your team can focus on bonding, not booking.
Here’s what you get when you retreat with us:
- Stress-free transfers? We got you! ✅
- Quality-assured accommodations? Check! ✅
- Engaging team-building activities?Our specialty ✅
- Restaurant reservations? That's on us! ✅
- Expert retreat planning assistance? Of course, we have this covered! ✅
- On-site support, tailored to your needs? Absolutely ✅
Not only this, but we also have access to 160+ locations around Europe, APAC, the US, Latin America, and now Africa, meaning the sky is your limit when it comes to choosing the right location for you and your team.
Whether you’re highlighting your team’s talents or just need some well-earned downtime, a Surf Office retreat brings out the best in everyone. Let’s make your next offsite unforgettable.
Spaces are very limited, so contact us today and secure your spot before dates fill up!
