12 Best Amazing Employee Awards as Appreciation to Your Staff
The success of a company cannot be separated from the hard work of its employees. To motivate employees to maintain their good performance and inspire them to continue growing with the team, you as a leader must think about what kind of appreciation you need to give to employees. Many companies have thought about employee appreciation, and they succeeded by ensuring that the employee retention rates remain high. One of the keys to getting high employee retention is employee awards.
What are awards and recognition to employees?
Award is something that is given to someone who has been dedicated, reached a milestone, or has a good work. While recognition is knowing and appreciating employee's hard work. Recognition makes employees feel that the company values their work and contributions to the team and has a great impact on the company's success.
This is essential for an organization to change or grow, because with employee recognition, you can motivate employees to continue their great work, and give their best to add value to the company. Awards and recognition will bring many good things to the company, making the bond between the company and employees stronger overtime.
Why are employee awards important?
Giving awards to employees will increase employee engagement, create a positive culture in a workplace, and increase retention. Many benefits can be obtained when employees feel appreciated and recognized, because they can maintain their performance or increase productivity.
On the other hand, if employees who have worked hard are never considered, and are only asked to work as well as possible without any reward, then they will look for other companies that can appreciate it. Employees become uncomfortable and can get burned out, causing their productivity to decrease continuously.
12 best employee awards in 2023
Giving employee awards will bring many positive things to the progress of the company. It's a huge step to increase employee retention, increase enthusiasm for work, and employees are willing to give their best performance and skills. Let's take a look at the list of the best employee awards to improve employee satisfaction.
- Company values award
The company value award is a celebration that serves as a moral booster for your team. Instead of showing them a chart or putting up a poster of your company's values at every meeting, show them how the office is progressing, and let employees know how far they have reached the company's goal.
This award matters because not all companies are transparent about the progress of their companies. Out there, the company demands more for its employees to give their best performance, but employees cannot understand to what point they are struggling. Make sure that your milestones or goals are clearly stated, so they understand what to aim for from the start.
- Shoutout award
The shoutout award is given to the employee who gets the most shoutouts from their team members. This activity brings a positive culture, because every employee can recognize their coworkers, respect each other if their friends have better performance. This award is important, because even though appreciation from management is the most important thing, it will have special value if it is appreciated by our peers.
Present the award to the shoutout person at the next meeting. Let the teammates explain why that person deserves an award, and give that person a little time to give their speech.
- Rise and shine award
The rise and shine award is perfect for appreciating employees who are never late for work, maximize their time without delaying work right after coming to the office, and can give positive vibes to their office mates every morning. This award is a recognition for employees who have a positive approach and have a positive impact on office culture in focusing on work without wasting time.
Post the award on the board so that coworkers are inspired to do the same. Let the team celebrate as their gratitude for feeling encouraged and mentored to become individuals who focus on working from the start of working hours.
- Fast learner award
Learning is something we should always do to improve personal skills and be useful for work. Awards are given to employees who are the most diligent learners, who have a high desire to learn new skills or abilities. A company will be lucky to have employees who have great talent with a high desire to learn.
Reward employees by providing personal development like courses, webinars, books, which can add skills or abilities. Ask employees what skills they want to master but until now they haven't had time to learn them. When a company thinks about employee's growth, they will be more loyal and willing to give their best after they have successfully learned a new set of skills.
- The best team award
The best team award is given to entire teams as a form of appreciation for the best team performance. Each company will have different divisions with different tasks and goals. When a team achieves their milestones, their team needs to be rewarded accordingly. Tell during the meeting about the team's performance, and the reasons why they are the best team among others.
Give rewards like dinner or lunch with the team, or let them choose to do something fun as a group. A high-performing team deserves the best when they stretch beyond the limit to reach their milestones.
- Promotion
An employee with the highest performance deserves appreciation from their teammates and the company. Promote that person to become managers or higher-ups as a new challenge and the result of their hard work. Celebrate with the team for the promotion by having a dinner party held by the office.
Unique Ways To Celebrate Job Promotions on Your Team
Prepare personalized gifts, such as wine bottle and wine glasses as symbols of success, elegance, and prestige. Everyone understands that wine will get better in quality and unique taste after being stored for a long time, illustrating that the employees will show their best performance overtime and be suitable to be the next manager.
Design Your Own Wine is the best place to give a promotional awards with a personalized wine set, an outstanding engraving wine bottle and glasses. Choose the recipient's favorite wine, and fill in the photo, name, or date when the recipient accepts his/her new position.
- The positive and energy award
This is similar to the rise and shine award, but the positive and energy award goes to employees who always provide positive energy to the workplace. This is the best for managers who encourage their team and uplift team consistently. Sometimes, awards are not only given to score the best points, but are given to assists who cheer their teammates and motivate others to bring their best performance.
Let the teammates choose the best gift for the recipient with a gift of experience, like watching a concert, sports game, or movies with their family members.
- Best communicator award
The best communicator award is given to the employee who is the best communicator whether it be verbal, or with various mediums such as email os postnotes. Communication is the most important thing in the office. Someone who can become a bridge of communication between employees is entitled to get an award, as a great honor to keep the team focused, precise, relevant, and work as expected.
- Performance award
The performance award is given according to the employee's achievements. For example, if a salesperson hits a certain area of sales, the reward will match their achievement. Convey to the team members about the quota needed for the sales person, and tell them about the performance award to encourage them. The office also needs to give awards to employees who continue to develop their performance month after month.
- Employee of the month
Have you ever seen an employee of the month photo at a fast food restaurant? This is the employee of the month program to highlight an employee who works hard, stays positive, and shows their best in that month. The employee will get incentives for their best performance. Try to spread it around to give opportunities to employees who have never been employee of the month. Every employee will want their photo to be on display and to be seen by the crowd. It's a great method for appreciating employee performance and a reminder for other employees to reach the same position.
- Years of service awards
This award is all about loyalty. Having an employee who is willing to stay year after year is a big deal. Give years of service rewards every 3 or 5 years and let the newcomers know what achievements have been achieved by a great employee up to this point.
- Funny employee award
This is meant to be unserious yet seriously silly. Employees who are always cheerful and willing to give their silly jokes to liven up the office atmosphere will reduce the tense at work and bring some fun. Give this type of employee award at any occasion, but don't make this award too predictable. Or you can provide this award by holding a special event such as a funny show and giving each employee a chance for humorous team bonding.
Awards are given to employees as a form of recognition of employees' accomplishments, characteristics, and values they bring to the company. Give the employee awards regularly to increase their morale and increase enthusiasm because they feel valued and appreciated. Choose the best gift according to the award category, from gifts of experience, useful gifts, to personalized gifts.
