HR MANAGEMENT - Employee Appreciation and Recognition Ideas

Employee Appreciation and Recognition Ideas

by Ruth Mayhew, Demand Media

Employee appreciation and recognition are evidence that employees are valuable to business success.

Recognizing the value of your company’s human capital is one of the most simple, and often the most cost-effective methods to building a collegial relationship with your employees. Employee recognition can motivate, inspire and engage employees, which manifests into higher retention rates, lower turnover and greater employee satisfaction.

Employee of Month

An employee of the month program is one of the easiest recognition plans to implement. Provide all employees and managers with a short form for nominating an employee who deserves recognition. Every nomination should require an explanation as to why the employee should be recognized. Another way to implement an employee of the month award on a smaller scale is to have departmental awards. In some businesses that track customer feedback, there may be employees from whom your customers have received superior customer service. These employees should receive recognition as well.

Annual Employee Banquet

Depending on the size of your company, consider organizing an annual employee banquet where employees have the opportunity to share their proud moment with friends, family and co-workers. This event may be a substitute for a holiday gathering to remove the attachment to any type of religious meaning, which is important for a company with a diverse workforce. The human resources department employee relations specialist is likely the person who will be in charge of this event; however, again, depending on the size of the company, recruiting a volunteer committee is a wise decision. A committee can better accomplish the numerous tasks and responsibilities, and provide different perspectives during the planning phase.

Perfect Attendance Award

Attendance and punctuality are a part of an employee’s job, and some managers believe every employee should have perfect attendance. Awarding employees for perfect attendance on a quarterly basis or even an annual basis could also be implemented very easily. A day off from work, a gift certificate or a small company plaque are ideal gifts for employees who have been diligent about attendance and punctuality.

Employee Game Day

Organizing an employee game day is a fun way to reward employees without using performance as a barometer. If there is a professional or semi-professional sports team in your city, sponsor a banner or marquee message to recognize your employees. Give everyone company T-shirts and encourage them to wear them to the game. In addition to showing appreciation for all of your employees, it’s a great way to advertise and show employee dedication.

Money Isnt Everything

For many employees, feeling appreciated means more than a day off from work or a 3 percent cost of living increase. The results of a study conducted by the International Association of Administrative Professionals and OfficeTeam, a California staffing agency indicated; Managers responding to the survey ranked promotions and cash bonuses as the two most effective ways of recognizing employee accomplishments, but workers said they preferred an in-person thank-you or a job well done reported to senior management; Remember that recognition doesn;t always have to be a monetary gift. Just saying you;re doing a great job or keep up the good work; means so much more to many employees.