In 2019, Lynton signed on with HeyTaco!, an app that helps spread appreciation for employees and recognizes them for their hard work. HeyTaco! Founder Doug Dosberg created HeyTaco! after realizing that most HR software wasn’t quite hitting the mark.
“The problem is that most of them are “top-down” solutions with little employee engagement,” Doug wrote in a HeyTaco! blog. “I believe this is because they’re built for the wrong person. They’re made for senior leadership and HR people rather than for us, the employees.”
He came up with the taco app idea while working at a company where he didn’t feel appreciated, and neither did his coworkers. With that, Doug started working on a platform that would engage employees and help them feel recognized and valued in the workplace. In 2016, HeyTaco! was born.
“I brought it to my next job and started using it there,” Doug said in a Zoom interview. “I saw how people enjoyed using it — it really resonated with people. I didn’t start this thinking it would be a business.”
How Does HeyTaco! Work?
When employees want to recognize someone for their help or effort, they simply send them a taco emoji and a message in Slack. Each employee is given a certain amount of tacos to share each day. The tacos then go into a taco bank and can be redeemed for prizes, with each taco equaling the value of a dollar. At Lynton, we can choose from Amazon gift cards, AirPods, a massage gun, airline gift cards, and more.
However, Doug didn’t create the app with monetary rewards in mind. In fact, it started with no rewards at all.
“You don’t need rewards to have a successful peer-to-peer recognition program,” Doug said. “Rewards can change the giving behavior. If that’s the case, you’re defeating the purpose of HeyTaco. It’s all about the intrinsic value of how it feels to give and receive. The more authentic it is, the more impactful.”
Lynton + HeyTaco = Warm Fuzzies
Lynton CEO Daniel Lynton signed on with HeyTaco! In 2019 as a way to experiment with peer recognition.
“Since its launch, it has grown a life of its own,” Daniel said. “It is a culture magnet that spreads our core values. It is a flowing river of gratitude that warms our hearts and brings smiles to our workday. What started as a perk and rewards program has become a priceless fixture in our company culture.”
Lynton’s VP of Agency Services Brian Wajda agrees, adding that even our clients want a share of our taco economy. They’ve asked us to give tacos to our teammates on their behalf.
“HeyTaco! has built a culture of gratitude at Lynton,” Brian said. “People don’t think about the reward, it’s just our way to thank or call people out. Even our clients have eaten it up. Not literally, but you get it.”
HeyTaco! fun fact: Before the app made a public debut, Doug originally used a beer emoji 🍺 as a “cheers!”
“Some people I worked with said beers may not resonate with everyone,” Doug said. “Tacos came to me because there’s nothing that brings people together like food. Eating brings people together, plus tacos are fun and unconventional.”
Now, thousands of companies around the world use HeyTaco!, and Doug said he even has lots of users in Japan where they don’t even regularly enjoy tacos.
Come for the Tacos, Stay for the Good Vibes
When you ask Lyntonians about some of the best perks at the company, one of the first things they mention is the tacos. They’ve created a culture that’s hard to find at other companies and built a bond that helps us all work better together.
