How to recognize an employee

A years of service award

This award is provided by employers to specific employees who have given many years of loyal service to the company. This helps veteran employees of a company stay focused on their performance, and encourages new employees to remain engaged with their job. This employee recognition program can assist in employee retention and improve motivation.

Customer service award

This employee recognition program is meant to highlight employees in customer service positions. They often can be awarded for meeting or exceeding sales goals, showing leadership qualities, giving excellent customer service, or receiving sustained positive customer feedback. Many employers include a cash bonus or other benefits with this award.

Employee recognition events

Another way to recognize and show appreciation for employees' efforts is to host an employee recognition event. Recognizing employees in a group setting can boost employee morale and make them truly understand how much their employer values their efforts. This can be done in many different venues, such as:

• In-office surprise celebrations

• Holiday parties

• Out-of-office events (restaurants, theme parks, cooking classes, etc.)

When other employees see a coworker getting validated in a public setting like this, it can have the benefit of encouraging them to boost their own performance and want to achieve recognition themself.

Employee appreciation wall

Some employers choose to set up a physical space within the office, or a particular working environment, where they can post messages of recognition for employees. This has the dual benefit of encouraging those that have been praised to continue their efforts and making it a goal for other employees.

Incentives

Incentives are a powerful strategy to recognize your employees. When you give your employees rewards for achieving clearly defined goals and objectives it promotes them to continue to strive for excellence in your organization. Here are some options for incentives:

• Commissions

• Performance-related bonuses

• Other bonuses

• Simple rewards

This boosts overall morale and helps keep your team on track.

Offer more vacation and paid time off

Another way to show employee recognition, boost employee motivation, and stave off burnout is to offer more vacation and/or paid time off. Many employees choose not to take their allotment of vacation days, and this can result in many negative outcomes. You should not only offer more paid vacation days but also proactively encourage your employees to use them.