Whether you’re a newly employed professional who’s just graduated from a prestigious university or a seasoned workplace veteran, you both have one thing in common: you crave employee recognition for a job well done by both your company peers and superiors. It’s only human nature to crave acknowledgment in the workplace, even if your workplace is remote.
One of the most popular forms of employee recognition can be achieved in the form of a physical trophy or plaque. According to the professionals at EDCO, an awards and trophy store, the most effective trophies are personalized and cater to various occasions like retirement, leadership, employee service milestones, and more. They are designed to provide both inspiration and to motivate continued success at your company or organization.
With that in mind, what are some other highly effective employee recognition awards programs in 2024? According to a recent report by Teambuilding.com, at the base, employee recognition awards programs are ways of recognizing the accomplishments of deserving teams or individual employees in a company.
Some examples of employee recognition awards include trophies, plaques, anniversary celebrations, weekend outings or retreats, and even gift cards. The activities and awards are strategic in nature since their purpose is to boost employee morale, attract and retain the best talent, plus create a real bond between the company and its support staff.
By openly acknowledging your employee’s efforts and achievements in the workplace, you will inevitably increase your bottom line. That said, here are some of the most effective employee recognition awards programs for 2024 and beyond.
Recognizing Deserving Employees in Company Marketing Materials
Making sure to recognize deserving employees in your company’s marketing materials, including your official website, is said to be an excellent method for acknowledging rising talent and hard work. You can work directly with your marketing team to decide which channels to leverage to spotlight employee achievement.
Some ideas include the following:
–A deserving employee can be the guest on the company podcast, where they can share their workplace experience and their journey from college to professional.
–An employee can write an article for the company’s newsletter or blog.
–Employees can receive gifts or awards. Pictures of the ceremony can be shared in company email.
–You can also provide workers with topics to write or talk about. You can afford them the freedom to choose what they wish to speak about, such as personal experiences or career advice. By mentioning employee names in the company newsletter, you provide them with the pride and motivation they crave.
Build a Wall of Fame
Building a wall of fame for the sole purpose of recognizing deserving workers for their workplace contributions is considered one of the best employee recognition program methods. All that’s required is to create a large board where you post employee photos directly beside their achievements. Make sure to dedicate an area that’s very accessible to customers and employees.
Celebrate Worker Birthdays
Says Teambuilding.com, celebrating employee birthdays is considered a very effective way to let them know you value them and their work. Even if it’s not possible to celebrate an employee’s birthday due to it falling on a weekend or holiday, you can schedule a single combined party for all the employees who have birthdays that month.
These monthly gatherings are not only a way to boost morale and create a bond between workers and the company, but they also serve to introduce new employees to the entire team. Make sure you have plenty of drinks, snacks, and a big birthday cake on hand.
Give Out Employee Bonuses
Monetary awards and company bonuses are another great way to recognize deserving employees for a job well done. Monetary bonuses are considered a top-performing recognition program since the payoff is instant. By offering company bonuses, you can maintain your employee engagement and keep up company morale.
The best way to go about offering company bonuses for employee achievement is to put a specific structure in place. For example, you might offer 5 to 10 percent of profits that are generated in sales of over $20,000. You might offer a 15 percent bonus for deals that are worth $100,000 or more.
There’s little doubt that effective employee recognition awards programs provide your company workers with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Awarding them personalized trophies and plaques for a job well done is one way to achieve this goal. However, cash bonuses can be especially motivating for those employees who wish to get ahead not only in the company but also in their bank accounts.