Employee recognition is very important for a company’s success. Employees work hard and put in long hours and recognizing their contributions to the company can go a long way in increasing productivity and enhancing company culture. In fact, data has shown that recognizing and rewarding employees can lead to an increase in performance and happiness. Employees love to know that you care about them and recognize their importance to the company. This will cause them to strive to earn even more recognition and rewards by increasing their productivity. In return, the overall mood and culture of the business will be much lighter and happier since all employees know that they are appreciated and valued. However, how exactly should you recognize your employees? Here are some thoughtful employee appreciation ideas to give your employees the recognition they deserve.
Company Party
Nothing boosts morale throughout the company like throwing a party that everyone can enjoy. Parties provide a perfect opportunity for your employees to interact with one another and have a great time. If your employees are working hard and surpassing goals, then try rewarding them with a company party. Here they can celebrate their hard-earned accomplishments with their coworkers while enjoying great food, drinks, and friends. Perhaps your company had a great holiday season and can celebrate with a fun office Christmas party? Or maybe your employees have just been working hard in the last few weeks and you want to let everyone know they’re doing great by throwing them a party. Regardless of how you decide to do it, throwing a party can be a great way of letting your employees know that they’re doing a great job.
Performance Awards
One classic way to recognize your employees’ performance is by introducing performance awards for them to win. These awards will recognize your best performing employees in various areas of your company. For example, you may have an award for “Employee of the Month” or “Sales Manager of the Year”. Regardless of what awards you decide to introduce, having awards can influence better results. The awards will breed competition, allowing you to increase productivity and recognize your best employees in one fell swoop. Just be careful, as competition for awards could become too fierce and could lead to fighting within the company. However, with some light monitoring introducing awards is almost always a great idea to recognize your best performers.
Apparel and Merchandise
Supplying your best employees with company apparel and merchandise is a great way to reward them for all of their hard work. For example, you could give out a jacket with your company’s colors and logo to your top performing employees in each department. Items like these become a badge of honor, something that can only be acquired through hard work and dedication. Although these items may not be an official award, they have sentimental value and come with a sense of accomplishment. In addition, these items help your employees more closely identify with your company, making them feel a sense of belongness. This could increase employee satisfaction and productivity if done correctly.