Employees are one of the main assets of a company. Without them, a company is incomplete. The act of acknowledging your employees' hard work and dedication is known as employee recognition. It is essential to have a work environment where employees are recognized and acknowledged; this is what keeps organizations on the winning end in today's competitive business world.
Even if you have one of the best teams, they will not be able to deliver until they are motivated enough. How to motivate employees?
This article discusses what employee recognition is, as well as employee recognition programs, different employee recognition ideas, and various gift ideas to help recognize your team's hard work and efforts.
What is Employee Recognition? Why is it important?
Employee recognition is a key part of any successful organization. By publicly acknowledging and thanking employees for their contributions, you show them that their hard work is appreciated and valued. This, in turn, can lead to higher levels of motivation and satisfaction, which can boost productivity and performance.
Simple things like recognizing their efforts and praising them in day-to-day tasks or teamwork can motivate them to work harder and keep them going. Doing so lets them know that you notice their performances and appreciate them too. It can improve their potential and boost their morale as your employees. Hence, this results in having a better understanding between you and your employees, which can be great for the company and its success. It could greatly help with teamwork, work progress, and performance.
Employee Recognition Programs
Programs organized for your staff members to praise them publically can be used to maintain high behaviors, unlock their full potential, and motivate them. The style of such programs is just like an awards ceremony. These programs reward your staff for all the effort and work they put in, regardless of how little the work might be.
Titles like "Employee of the Month" and "Stand-Out Performer" are great ways to inspire workers to put in more effort and come up with better results for the company's success.
If your company size is bigger you can make it a departmental program where you recognize your employees by department. For example, “Best Doodler” from the creative team or “Super Bug Fixer” from the engineering team.
This way you will be giving everyone more chances to celebrate success and celebrate each other.
Employee Recognition Gifts
Employee recognition gifts are one of the best ways to express appreciation toward your employees. These employee recognition gifts will not only boost your team's morale but will also help your company reach new heights. In fact, Allocating some budget for employee recognition gifts to go with a solid employee recognition program will multiply the effect.
Take the example mentioned above, if your engineering department has a “Super Bug Fixer” this month, not only will he/she receive a trophy, but also a gift from the company. This will surely motivate other employees. Be creative with what kinds of gifts you want to send, or you can also use Giftpack’s AI solution to find the right gifts for engineers as well as other positions.
Below are some fantastic employee recognition gifts for acknowledging your coworkers and team's hard work and efforts:
Desk Plant
Desk plants are great energy boosters and make an amazing employee recognition gift. They not only brighten the workspace but show you care about your employee's wellness. You can even add a note to it to make it more special. They will constantly be reminded of your acknowledgment, ultimately increasing their commitment to your company.
Candles
Simple, gorgeous and beautifully scented - candles can brighten up anyone's day. They are not only cost-effective but will also help your employees calm down and be focused. Present a box of lovely candles and make your employees feel recognized.
Gourmet Gift Basket
See what your employee likes and present a gourmet gift basket filled with delicious goodies that he can enjoy. A lovely gift basket works as a great employee recognition gift, whether it's snacks, chocolates, cookies, candies, dried fruits or wine.
Spa Gift Voucher
Giving a spa gift voucher to your workers as an employee recognition gift is an amazing way for them to relax and distress themselves. Acknowledge those who work hard for your company, day in and day out, with a well-deserved spa gift voucher.
Seasonal Small Gifts
A great way to fit an employee recognition gift within your budget is to send mini seasonal gifts. Make a nicely wrapped small basket containing items such as a mug, coffee sachets, lip balm, candles and candies. These are perfect things to give your employee at the start of the holiday season.
Snack Box
Containing excellent items for munching, a snack box is an ideal gift for employee recognition. Sweet, salty and savory snacks are just what your employees need to rejuvenate and refuel themselves. It will not only keep them energized but will also boost their morale and dedication.
Stationary Gift Set
A stationary gift set is useful, cute, and easily communicates your point. Add in colorful highlighters, some sticky notes, a personalized notebook and a pen with the company logo or make it even special by engraving their names on it.
Wine Crate
If your employees love a bottle of fine wine, then a wine crate is the best thing to give as an employee recognition gift. Take your employees on a road trip through the finest wineries and Chateaus with a beautifully curated wine crate.
Virtual Fitness Classes
Perfect for employees who want to burn energy. Subscribe them to a virtual fitness class to acknowledge and appreciate their efforts. It is a fantastic way to show in-office as well as remote employees that you acknowledge their efforts.
Amazon Gift Card
Not sure what to get for your employee or if they'll like it? By giving them an amazon gift card as an employee recognition gift, they can select something they like and will enjoy later. Since it's an E-gift, they have the liberty to use it whenever they feel like it.
Other Employee Recognition Ideas
If you're looking for ways to appreciate your employees or are unsure how to thank them, continue reading. Listed below are some ideas that might be able to help you out.
Celebrate the Small Efforts
Little things like celebrating their small wins and efforts can go a long way. Words of encouragement and motivation can be amazing when you are too tired to work. Noticing even the tiniest of improvements in the work is a great way to help employees out. These acts can even make them enjoy working for you. As the head of the company, it is your responsibility to ensure your employees are treated nicely.
Surprise Lunch or Dinner Parties
Working in a company often means working overtime and sometimes even on weekends, which might get very exhausting. To show your appreciation for your employees, arranging a small get-together with the rest of the team is a great way. Whether these get-togethers are for lunch or dinner, your employees will surely be grateful to you and think of you highly after this sweet gesture.
Provide Better Opportunities
Offer programs like certification courses and classes to show that you care about them, not just the company. It is important to show that you think about the staff's career, which can have a great impression on them and make them look up to you. This could also help them determine what to choose as a career path and what not to choose.
Take Their Mental Health Seriously
People need to take time out of their day to think about themselves and their well-being. This is not so simple when they work under a company, so as the head of the company, you must pay attention to your staff and their health. Hosting a wellness day can help out with a lot of these problems. By doing so, you show them that health is equally important as work and taking time off for yourself is alright.
Notes of Appreciation
Another small but wholesome way to motivate and acknowledge your employees is to leave thoughtful notes on their desks, notebook, or keyboard. These notes can contain little quotes, words of encouragement, or jokes to brighten up their day before or after a long work shift.
Recognize Their Talents
If you notice that an employee has information about a specific topic or subject, talk to them about it and make them realize that it could be a good career path. This could make them work to their full potential and see a growth path.
Public Shout-Out
If the employee is okay with it, give them a public shout-out for their continuous efforts on the company's public page. This could help them grow their page as well as be appreciated by not just their coworkers and the company but the public as well.
Bonus Salary
Providing the staff with the best performances with an extra salary can be a good way to show your appreciation to them. This will boost their work performance and make them want to work harder for you and the company. Keep this unexpected and let them know exactly what made you reward them with this. This is sure to improve the understanding between you and your employee staff.
Hosting Team Meetings Every Week
Having a good connection between you, the team, and work is necessary for a company to succeed. Hosting team meetings every week can be great for keeping up with updates on the work and its progress. Between these meetings, when a staff member tells you about their progress, let them know your thoughts, and if you are satisfied with their work and efforts, then the best way is to tell them on the spot, so they know how to continue working for you.
Employee recognition is one of the most important aspects in building a fantastic workforce culture. The aim of employee recognition includes employee behaviors, practices, or activities that result in better performance and positive business results. There are many ways to incorporate employee recognition as part of your work environment. With the power of personalized gifts, the effectiveness of your employee recognition program will improve even more! Make your gifting efficient and improve your ROI with Giftpack AI.
Visit our product page to learn more about what we can do for you!