Summary. Great employee of the month ideas include additional bonuses, extra PTO, professional development opportunities, and company outings.
It is very important to recognize the effort of hard-working employees, especially those who go above and beyond the responsibilities of their position. That is why many organizations have an employee of the month program.
There are many ways to set up an employee of the month program, and the type of rewards you choose will determine the extent of the positive impact you want to make.
Key Takeaways:
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Employee of the month awards can vary between companies based on resources and values.
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All employee of the month award programs should be fair, consistent, and transparent.
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Use employee feedback to improve your employee of the month program.
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Be sure to be inclusive and diverse in your selection of employees of the month.
What Is An Employee of the Month Award?
An employee of the month award recognizes employees who exemplify exceptional work behavior at their job. It is usually handed out once a month, though some companies provide them quarterly. Criteria for employee of the month vary by organization, but generally, it reflects the mission and values of the company.
There are many ways to recognize an employee of the month, such as in the form of a certificate, a gift, or an activity. However, it is very important to choose your award wisely. Predictable ideas get stale and lose their impact, while unique employee-of-the-month ideas can make employees feel more valued and boost productivity.
12 Excellent Employee of the Month Ideas
Here is some employee of the month ideas that will help your employees feel recognized and valued:
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Extra PTO. Consider offering your employee of the month an additional day or two of PTO as a reward for their excellent effort. Not only does it show your appreciation, but it also gives your employee of the month time away from work, which allows them to come back with new energy and motivation.
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Professional development opportunities. It’s a win-win situation when you invest in your employees’ professional development. You can offer your employee of the month the opportunity to attend a training session or seminar that builds up their skills. In this way, you recognize their hard work and set them up for future success.
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Additional bonus. Simply put, many employees love extra compensation. A bonus allows your employee of the month to use their reward as they best see fit. Additionally, you can consider handing out a gift card to a place of their choosing.
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Provide a name tag or banner. You want to be proud of your employee of the month. You also want your employee of the month to be proud of themselves. Let them show off this pride by providing some sort of name tag they can wear or a banner they can hang at their desk.
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Peer recognition. It can mean a lot to an employee when the award comes from their peers. Consider letting employees nominate their colleagues and then celebrate the chosen employee. This can help strengthen the bonds of community between your staff, giving morale a boost.
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Networking lunch or dinner. Take your employee out to lunch or dinner with yourself and/or members of management. This gives your employee of the month a chance to network and promote themselves for future consideration. Make sure whoever is part of the meal wants to be there to provide your employee with an authentic experience.
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Feature the employee in company media. Whether it’s in your newsletter, on your social media pages, or in an online video series, you can use your media to publicly recognize your employee of the month.
You can discuss the employee’s achievements which gives insight into their responsibilities. Consider including photos of the employee and, if possible, a short interview of the employee and their supervisor.
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Plaque, trophy, or certificate. This is a classic way to recognize your employee of the month. Whatever material you choose, make sure to include the employee’s name, the month they were recognized, and a reason for their award.
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The employee of the month parking spot. If your employees drive to work, reward your top performer with a parking spot in an extra convenient location. This can give your employee of the month a constant sense of satisfaction as they commute to work.
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Gift basket with company swag and personalized items. Think about your employee of the month and show your appreciation by gifting them things they might like. Company swag, such as jackets or travel mugs, is usually appreciated. You can also give them things that they like, such as snacks, games, or tickets to an entertainment event.
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Donate to a charity. Show your staff that you care not only about their success but also about making a social impact. Reward your employee of the month by making a donation to a charity of their choosing. This gives agency to your employees and gives more meaning to their work.
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Take the team out. Reward the employee and their team for spreading love. Let your employee of the month choose an outing that suits their interests and is appropriate. In this way, you can strengthen bonds between team members and give everyone a little something to enjoy.
How to Decide Employee of the Month
To pick an employee of the month, consider the following steps:
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Define your goals. Ask yourself, why do we want an employee of the month program in the first place? You need to figure out what you want to achieve so that you can establish appropriate criteria. Consider goals such as:
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They are boosting employee engagement.
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Improving employee morale
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Promoting positive employee traits
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Establishing company culture
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Increasing productivity
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Decide on the employee of the month criteria. How you pick your employee of the month depends on what defines an exceptional employee. It is important that you keep your criteria fair and objective. In that way, you make it accessible to all employees. Let your employees know what your criteria are so that they can work towards the award.
Use metrics that allow you to gather data and evaluate your employees. Criteria can include:
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The number of projects employees have worked on.
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Sales rate
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Peer recognitions
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Customer satisfaction ratings
Be mindful not to be too tied to data. If there is a specific event that deserves recognition, you can include that as a reason; just be prepared to explain it.
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Decide on a reward system. Take into consideration your budget, resources, and the values of your staff. With all this in mind, pick a reward system for your employee of the month. You can either keep it consistent for every employee or personalize it based on the employee.
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Be transparent and explain the program. To be as effective as possible, it is important that your employees understand how the employee of the month program will work. Explain what criteria will determine the selection and what potential rewards can be expected. If possible, have your employees provide feedback to make improvements.
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Launch, monitor, and evaluate. Once you have decided on a system that is transparent, consistent, and fair, you can go ahead and launch your employee of the month program. Make sure to monitor your employees and evaluate them at the end of each month when you make your selection.
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Announce your decision. When you select your employee of the month, it is helpful to explain what they did to deserve their reward. At the bare minimum, send out an email that lists your employee’s accomplishments. Try to announce employee of the month publicly as well to help boost morale.
Tips for Employee of the Month
There are several employee of the month best practices that can help you successfully implement your program. Keep in mind to:
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Be fair, consistent, objective, and transparent with your criteria. Your employees need to feel like the employee of the month award is well earned. This requires a set of criteria that everyone can agree on.
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Pick rewards that make employees feel valued. To genuinely recognize your employee’s accomplishments and have a positive impact, it is helpful to personalize your awards.
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Publicly recognize your employee of the month. An employee of the month program should be about celebrating the employee in question. This is a chance for you and the rest of the company to show what kind of support you have to offer.
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Get employee feedback. The best employee of the month programs works because the employees have a say in the process. Otherwise, employees may feel apathetic to your attempts.
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Be inclusive. It is important to be mindful of all your employees. Be aware of your biases, and don’t play favorites.
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Avoid toxic competition or jealousy. An employee of the month award should be a positive experience for all employees. It should make them feel that their own efforts can be recognized.
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Be timely. Recognizing accomplishments has a greater impact when the actions of the employee are still fresh in everyone’s memory.
Why Employee of The Month Is Important
Setting up an employee of the month program is important because it is good for both employees and employers. An employee of the month program recognizes admirable work efforts and promotes a sense of value throughout the company.
The benefits of an employee of the month program include:
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Increased morale. Employees who feel valued for their work will be happier than employees who feel ignored.
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Increased retention. Many employees leave organizations that don’t appreciate their work.
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Reinforces positive behaviors. When everyone on your staff can see why an employee was recognized, they can work towards acting in a similar way.
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Increased engagement and motivation. Employees are more likely to be engaged and motivated if they know that their efforts are valued by management.
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Increased productivity. Happier, engaged, and motivated workers are more productive because they are able to positively focus more time and energy on their work.
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Strengthens bonds between employees and the organization. An employee of the month program gives management the opportunity to show their appreciation and build a common set of values that both parties can relate to.
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Builds a positive, healthy work environment. Overall, a well-run employee of the month program is good for business because it helps establish a healthy company culture.
Common Mistakes for Employee of the Month Programs
There are several common mistakes many companies make when implementing an employee of the month program, which reduces its effectiveness. These mistakes include:
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Unclear, inconsistent criteria. When employee of the month awards are seemingly handed out based on the whims of management, employees are not able to relate their own efforts to recognition.
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Playing favorites or lack of diversity. If the same person or group of people in the employee of the month award time and again, then other employees will feel jealous or cynical of the program.
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Lack of interest. It is important that an organization remains committed to its employee of the month program; otherwise, employees will interpret it as a shallow token gesture.
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Too focused on data. Although it is good to monitor employees based on objective data, the employee of the month award isn’t just a numbers game.
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Late rewards. Awards that are handed out months late are frequently disregarded by staff.
Employee of the Month FAQ
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What are the criteria for selecting the employee of the month?
The employee of the month selection criteria varies between companies. However, most companies follow a similar set of standards that are based on job performance, attendance, productivity, attitude, and their impact on the organization’s mission or values.
These standards should be accessible to all employees to ensure a fair employee of the month program.
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What should I put in the employee of the month award?
An employee of the month award should contain several pieces of information, including:
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Name of the employee
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The month of the award
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Reason(s) for the award
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Quote from supervisor and/or peers
Depending on the medium you choose, you may also include a photo or short video of the employee.
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Can a person win an employee of the month award more than once?
Yes, an employee can win the award more than once. However, it is important to be diverse and inclusive in your selection. Some companies put a cap on how many or how often a person can win the employee of the month award.
If you have such an exceptional member of your staff, you may want to recognize their efforts in a way that goes beyond a monthly award.
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What are good rewards for employees?
There are many good ways to reward your employees. Some ideas include:
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Cash bonuses
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Extra PTO
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Gift cards
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Company outings
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Free meals
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Networking or professional development opportunities
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Provide new resources or equipment.
How you choose your employees depends on what is realistic and appropriate for your company. However, keep in mind that you should get feedback from your employees so that your rewards have more value and impact.
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References
- Employee Recognition
- How To Write A Letter Of Recommendation For An Employee
- Employee Appreciation Quotes
- Employee Appreciation Letters
- How To Take Care Of Your Employees
- How Tap Into The Collective Power Of Your Employees
- How Bosses Can Have A Positive Career Impact
- How To Increase Profit + Productivity Via Employees Happiness
- Employee Recognition
- What To Do For National Intern Day?
- Retirement Gifts For Employees
- Best Ways To Celebrate Boss' Day
- Ideas For Take Your Child To Work Day
- Ideas For Professional Admin Day
- Ideas For Worker Appreciation Day
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