Let’s paint a picture, shall we? The Great Resignation rages on. You have your compensation, benefits and employee service plans in place. Yet something still feels off — there’s a disconnect, or you’re sensing low employee morale. The answer? Employee recognition.

This article covers everything from employee recognition examples to implementation and building your own employee recognition programs. Let’s jump in!

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Article Roadmap

• What Is Employee Recognition?
• Employee Recognition Examples
• Some Examples of Employee Recognition Messages
• Employee Recognition Tips
• Next Steps

What Is Employee Recognition?

Employee recognition is the acknowledgment of and show of appreciation for an employee. It rewards good behavior, efforts and achievements toward reaching organizational goals and exceeding performance standards.

Why does employee recognition work? Because everyone likes to feel appreciated for their efforts (duh!). Beyond that, employee recognition also fulfills some larger purposes:

• Celebrates employees achieving predetermined goals.
• Highlights employees who went above and beyond to deliver results.
• Encourages peers to improve their performance according to the company’s goals and values.

Apart from encouraging employees and building morale, employee recognition creates a positive work environment and internal culture of self-improvement.

How Often Should You Recognize Employees for Their Contributions?

Per a recent Gallup report:

“The majority of leaders (67%) and managers (61%) are giving recognition to team members at least a few times a week. But even that effort isn’t enough, as 40% of employees report receiving recognition just a few times a year or less.”

The numbers make the importance of regular employee recognition vividly clear. However, it can be quite a task to come up with new employee recognition ideas. It can be quite a task — with managers and HR admins having their plates full already.

If only there was a list of consolidated yet comprehensive employee recognition examples for you to consider. Read on, we got you!

Employee Recognition Examples

You’ve seen some pros of implementing employee recognition programs in your organization.

So what’s next?

Digging down into some ideas to build your employee recognition programs. We’ve got you covered — here are some employee recognition examples to consider.

Pro tip: Pick one that fits your organization’s requirements or make something of your own using a combination of two or more examples. Entirely up to you!

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Employee Recognition Gifts

Gift-giving is an art and a great way to show how valuable your employees are. But sorting out what to give who can be a major headache. Here are some ideas just to get the ball rolling:

• Company-branded merchandise
• Desk plants
• Organizational supplies — paper planners, calendars and notepads
• Corporate discounts
• Continued education and development opportunities
• Travel benefits
• Workout pass or a gym membership
• Massage, coffee, breakfast and/or home services coupons

Employee Recognition Awards

When your employees go above and beyond, they deserve rewards —literally and figuratively.

Some options to consider:

• Employee/Manager of the Month
• Workplace Safety Leader
• Customer Service Champion
• Workplace Ethics Pro
• Team Player of the Month
• Most Improved Performer
• Outstanding Service

Employee Anniversary Recognition

Birthdays, anniversaries and workplace milestones should be recognized. It makes your employees feel valued and connected to the organization.

Some ideas to keep on the table:

• Work desk decoration or upgrade extravaganza.
• An excellent LinkedIn recommendation from management.
• A presentation of the employee’s essential milestones with congratulatory notes. Host a virtual party where the entire team and the employee’s family and friends join in.
• The option for the company to sponsor or take up an employee’s social cause of choice.

Personal Appreciation

If you think employee recognition needs to impact your company budget significantly, you’re mistaken. Smaller, meaningful gestures go a long way in helping employees feel recognized and instilling a sense of pride and camaraderie.

For instance, if you know that someone went out of their way to further your organizational goals, a “thank you” or a short letter of appreciation ensures they feel appreciated.

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Public Shout-out

Whether your employees work remotely or on-site, this form of employee recognition should be a go-to option. It’s quick, cost-effective and helps reward employees for their hard work.

Do you have a list of employees who performed exceptionally this month? A virtual or in-office shout-out helps the employees feel seen for their efforts. It encourages them to build personal and team morale. And they receive shout-outs from their peers — icing on the cake.

Team Celebration Call

Working remotely or hybrid doesn’t need to impact your connection with your employees.

Suppose an entire team over-achieved their performance goals for the month. Going that extra mile to show appreciation for their contributions makes a huge difference. While you can always send out a group email of appreciation, this is a more personal and effective approach.

Here are some out-of-the-box ideas for rewarding overachieving workers and teams:

• A 60-minute game event to celebrate team accomplishments.
• A virtual event of common interests like ghost stories, books or movies. The world’s your oyster.
• Memorialize team achievements with a team timeline. You can add and view new entries and keep track of past accomplishments to celebrate milestones.
• Start your own team rituals for the wins.
• Let the teams choose their victory anthem and play it every time the team secures a win.

Employee Recognition Messages

If you’re unsure which employee recognition program is best and want to test the waters with email, newsletter or chat board appreciation, we’ve got you covered!

Here are some examples of employee recognition messages to get your creative juices flowing:

• To acknowledge outstanding performance: “The results you’ve achieved are impressive. We’re beyond grateful to have you on our team. Thank you for going above and beyond to achieve great results for our team.”
• To recognize attitudes and/or soft skills: “Your consistent positive attitude makes a huge difference for us. Thank you.”
• To acknowledge milestones: “Congratulations on achieving this anniversary! We couldn’t have made it this far without all the hard work and talent you bring to the team!”

Tips

You’re well-versed in different employee recognition examples. Now it’s time to get the ball rolling in your own organization.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Make employee recognition a practice instead of a one-off occurrence. Regularly recognizing employees keeps morale high and builds organizational connections.
• Appreciate your employees as often as you correct mistakes or low performance. Doing so helps employees feel recognized for their efforts.
• Small, meaningful gestures sometimes mean more than gift cards or discounts. Employee recognition doesn’t always have to burn a hole in your pocket. Creativity is your best friend and helps you better manage your budget.

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Next Steps

Effective employee recognition programs are all you need to round up the whole employee experience package. It’s a win for everyone.

If you’re planning to build and implement employee recognition programs, software helps you keep track of employees’ achievements and timelines. If you want to see what different products offer, our workforce management requirements template helps you set features so you don’t waste time looking at products that won’t fit what you need.

Do you have some of your own employee recognition examples that stood out in the past? Share them with us in the comments below!