Employee recognition is a critical aspect of a positive employee experience. When you regularly acknowledge your employees‘ efforts, you’ll have a more engaged and involved workforce that works hard for the company’s continuous growth and success.
Even a “Thank You” or “Great Job” works well. In fact, 58% of respondents in a study on recognition agree that hearing simple words of encouragement positively impacts their morale at work.
In this guide, you'll learn how to appreciate your employees, albeit a bit more creatively and in a way that's tailored to your workplace. We’ll share the best recognition awards to make employees feel appreciated and valued.
Employee recognition can come in many forms, but giving employee recognition awards is undoubtedly the most interactive and fun way to show appreciation. It also leads to other benefits like:
Employee turnover is costly, and the only way to cut down these costs is to build a loyal workforce that stays and grows with the organization. How is your company supposed to make any progress if you keep hiring for the same position?
Recognizing employee efforts reduces voluntary turnover and improves employee retention. Research suggests companies that scored in the top 20% of building a ‘recognition-rich‘ culture experienced 31% lower voluntary turnover rates.
Giving out employee awards ensures employees stay around during good and bad times, lowering negative turnover.
Confidence and motivation can take a hit due to a repetitive work cycle. You'll find your employees working, but if you look closely, you’ll see a decline in their performance levels.
Employee recognition awards are a welcomed relief from the everyday monotony, creating a fun, easy atmosphere. The ceremonies where these awards are given are excellent team-building opportunities as well.
Employee recognition begets higher productivity. When company leaders prioritize recognizing their employees and showing appreciation regularly, it creates stronger interpersonal relationships that ultimately boost productivity.
Think about it: it’s an employee‘s hard work that drives your organization’s success. If you take out time to celebrate them, your employees will be motivated to work even harder. Employee recognition awards, in particular, act as a form of positive reinforcement, where bestowing your staff with specific titles tells them their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Let’s get to the fun part!
Below, we’ve discussed some of the best keyword recognition awards — conventional and unconventional — that your employees will love.
This recognition award is for those workers who have outperformed their peers during a given month, quarter, or year. It’s a standard title and a good place to start your own recognition program.
Whether it’s landing a client, never skipping work, closing more deals, or simply being helpful... this award shows your employees that you notice their efforts and value their contribution.
A solid customer support team is the ultimate hack for a growing business. From handling angry customers, to cross-selling new products, to troubleshooting queries, your customer support executives do it all (and more!). Express your gratitude by giving them the Customer Whisperer award.
This award is for managers and leaders who make employees feel heard by welcoming employees and encouraging them to share feedback. This can be a huge win for your company considering 90% of employees are likely to stay at a company where they believe their input is valued.
Use this award to give extra recognition to managers who take the initiative to make employees feel comfortable, as well as take and implement employee feedback to make everyone invested in the solution.
Got someone on the team who entertains everyone and is always fun to be around? They keep everyone up-to-date with what’s happening with the Kardashians, are quick to break into the latest TikTok dance, or know the latest musical releases.
Thank them for making work fun and lively by giving them the Office Entertainer title. You can also send them Hoppier’s virtual cards to give future entertainment fodder. We offer subscriptions to entertainment service subscriptions like Netflix or Hulu, as well as music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple.
This recognition award is reserved for your best sales rep. Sales are hands down one of the more challenging jobs critical for a company’s survival. So, when any rep brings more leads to your sales pipeline and closes more profitable deals than anyone, let them know you value them for their hard work.
Give this award to the superstar marketer on your team who is always cranking the best marketing strategies and campaigns for your company.
Marketing professionals are creative people, so don't be afraid to swap the Marketing Genius title with something more creative. Think "Star Social Media Marketer," "Always at 110% Marketing," or "Company Influencer."
You can have different awards for different niches like digital, content, branding, and offline considering how expansive marketing is as a stream. This will make everyone feel valued and appreciated for their marketing genius.
This recognition award is for those employees who are ever so generous and caring towards their team members.
These employees have this extraordinary integrity, where they willingly put in the extra work to keep the team afloat and help other employees finish tasks. Such team players’ aren't always appreciated, so let this award prove to them that they are indispensable to the company.
Every office has employees who are big on health, be it physical or mental. This person never misses the gym or their morning jog. In their free time, you’ll often find them doing yoga.
If anyone comes to your mind, you've got yourself a worthy candidate. Hoppier has partnerships with several wellness apps like Headspace, Talkspace, and Calm that are designed to keep the user physically and mentally fit, both at home and work. Offer the winner a monthly subscription to an app of their choice through our virtual cards.
Office mentors help other employees reach their full potential through personal and professional development while simultaneously accelerating the organization’s growth. They’re supportive and friendly individuals, usually at the higher level, who employees can always turn for advice.
If you practice assigning mentors or buddies to employees, give them this award to express your gratitude.
You probably have tons of ongoing and past projects that require teamwork. Or perhaps have opportunities where employees get together to share employees and responsibilities.
If this rings a bell, give out the "Here to Win It" Dream Team award to recognize the best teams at your company. Seeing their efforts recognized and valued will not only build morale but also promote healthy teamwork and greater engagement among employees.
Give the Fashionista award to the employee who always takes their fashion game to the next level, regardless of whether there's a dress code or not.
Employee recognition awards are a great way to make new employees feel confident and thrive. It makes them feel a part of a workforce that values and appreciates their contributions and motivates them to give their best at work.
Pave the steps for a loyal base of engaged employees by awarding your company's top-performing rookies. You can give out different awards for new employees based on their monthly, quarterly, and yearly performance. No harm in recognizing more new hires!
This award is for that one employee who magically has everything one could ever need, be it an extra pen, phone number of a tax consultant, a stapler, or tickets to the latest Lakers game.
You know you can always count on them for anything and everything.
From being absolute novices at their jobs, some employees become your best hiring decision — all because of the time and work pressure they endure. Just like how time and pressure turn coal into diamonds.
Identify the diamonds of your company and give them the "Collared Diamond" award acknowledging their efforts and growth.
Employees who have been with your company through thick and thin are the very pillars of your organization. These are loyal employees — employees who have genuinely invested their all to help realize company goals and steer it towards success.
The easiest way to ensure these employees stay engaged you even longer is to give them what they want in return. Since 44% of employees simply want to be recognized for their efforts, giving this award to express thanks for years of service is the best way to go.
You can also hand out recognition awards for employees retiring after being with your company for a long time. In this case, go for meaningful award titles like "Heroes are Remembered, Legends Never Die" award, or something more fun like the "Fun With 401" award.
This award is for team leaders who lead by example. If you have employees who inspire a forward-thinking workplace culture and are always willing to take up leadership responsibilities, know you're golden.
From improving employee morale to promptly (and effectively) solving company challenges, these employees support the rest of the workforce. Give the Alpha award to thank them for their immense contribution.
Creativity is the only way to stand out from the competition, especially if you’re a part of a very competitive industry. Of course, certain issues can be solved by applying a standard formula or following the same old set of procedures and methods. But for the ones that cannot? You need creativity.
Bestow this award to the creative minds at your company, thanking them for their unique approach to solving challenging situations. The fact that they can identify and proactively explore new growth opportunities is another reason why innovative thinkers should be recognized.
If you have punctual and attentive employees who always show up, are always on time, and are the most zealous, be sure to make them feel valued. Take this opportunity to show them how much you appreciate them setting a good example for other employees.
Every office has a fantastic baker or an exquisite chef who is bringing all kinds of delicious goodies to other employees‘ delight. Say thanks to your company‘s MasterChef for taking out the time to prepare and share their tasty treats.
Every office has that one employee who doesn’t seem to have the best sense of time. Either they show up late every day — or are the last person to turn up for the office meeting. Whatever the case, they are never on time!
Share some laughs with the team by felicitating them for their tardiness.
Employee recognition programs are no longer an afterthought, and employee recognition awards are a key ingredient of these programs.
Handing out recognition awards and superlatives are a great way to entertain and engage employees. In addition to being super fun, these awards also give your team the opportunity and encouragement to recognize each other’s efforts and make great things happen — together.
So what are you waiting for? Get brainstorming with your team for your company’s next award ceremony to celebrate your team. Don’t forget to make the experience even more personalized and meaningful by giving them Hoppier virtual cards — all the while staying within the budget.
Sign up for a free demo to learn more.
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
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