7 Employee Award Programs to Boost Morale

Part of running a successful business is keeping not just customers happy, but employees too. Good employee morale will mean more productivity, so it’s important that you design ways to show employees your appreciation and recognize their achievements. There are many different types of award programs that you can implement, but we’ve rounded up some of the most effective ways to give praise and keep employees satisfied.

Peer-to-peer recognition

The old ways of receiving recognition from a boss or other higher-up are not necessarily the most effective means. What is more meaningful to employees is receiving praise from their peers. This is because their peers know what they do on a daily basis and can provide more targeted feedback on their performance. Companies should foster ways for employees to frequently recognize each other’s good work.

Shout-out newsletter

Following on the suggestion from above, a shout-out newsletter that gets emailed companywide is a great way for employees to offer each other praise. It’s important that employees have an easy way to offer feedback and recognition to each other, so implementing a newsletter where employees can shout out to their peers for good work is a great way to get everyone involved in spreading praise.

Celebration calendar

A celebration calendar is a way to recognize milestones in your employees’ lives. It can include birthdays, work anniversaries, graduations, baby announcements and more. This way, everyone gets a chance to have an important event on the calendar, and it helps employees and managers get to know each other on a more personal level. It’s also a good way to celebrate employees on a regular basis.

Company retreats

Get all of your employees, not just HR, involved in planning company retreats and outings. This way, everyone gets their opinion heard about where the company should go. Retreats are also a great way to build relationships outside of the office. Suggest things like a bowling night, a brewery tour, or other fun and local activities.

Long-standing service award

A long-standing service award honors employees who have been there for a number of years. This award recognizes their dedication and hard work for the company. Some employers give gifts such as plaques, but it’s not necessary. What’s more important is that you give out these awards more frequently. You could have a service award even for employees’ first year of working at the firm. It doesn’t have to go only to people who have been there for 10 years or more.

Spot bonuses

A spot bonus is a smaller bonus used to reward employees “on the spot” for exceptional work. Surprising employees with a bonus is a way to recognize them for a specific project or task. Spot bonuses are irregular bonuses that aren’t scheduled as yearly or quarterly bonuses are, but rather are meant to provide appreciation to employees at random moments throughout the year.

Awards based on specific achievements

This one ties in with spot bonuses as a way to recognize employees for their hard work on specific tasks. Instead of having one big employee appreciation day, it’s more effective to give out achievement awards that are unique to each employee. This way, employees don’t feel as though they’re being lumped together with everyone else when upper management recognizes their hard work. Distributing awards individually, based on each person’s particular achievements, is better for morale.

Use your imagination, and let us know if we can help you with employee award programs at your business.