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Over eighty percent of medium and large US companies distribute some form of employee recognition award on a regular basis. Most firms have been granting the same awards in the same manner over many years. Some firms are well known for issuing employee recognition awards so frequently that they lose value and meaning.
When the reason for an employee service award is not specific and personal the award over time becomes perceived as either an entitlement or is viewed as impersonal and of little value.
Some firms simply don’t grant employee achievement awards at all, and they are missing out on one of the most effective human resource tools for generating company loyalty, lifting employee morale, and encouraging individual achievement.
Human resource studies have shown that recognition leads to better performance. A 5-year study by the Harvard Business School concluded that “maintaining a performance oriented culture” is one of the four key management areas that separate the top performing companies from the rest of the pack.
Not Just Doing it, But Doing it Right
Some important advice for companies revamping their employee recognition programs or adopting an award program for the first time:
- Show peer-to-peer recognition – Service awards, retirement gifts and employee achievement awards should be presented before an audience of co-workers and with the full participation of management.
- Create targeted and specific ceremonies – Especially for large companies, holding smaller departmental or branch award ceremonies can be more effective than holding one large annual ceremony where individuals receiving employee service awards file past anonymously before a large audience that doesn’t know them personally.
- Involve employee families – Family members should be invited to award ceremonies, especially for loyalty recognition awards and long-term service awards, and the families’ contribution to the company’s success should be publicly acknowledged.
- Combine employee awards with social events – Use the opportunity of the annual picnic or monthly sales meeting to present achievement, loyalty, and service awards. A relaxed, informal atmosphere where employee awards are bestowed along with personal anecdotes and humor will make them more significant and memorable.
- Give a written acknowledgement – Employee gifts should always be accompanied by a certificate or personal letter signed by a top executive stating specifically what the gift acknowledges. A copy should be filed in the employee’s personnel record.
- Give a choice of useful and functional gifts – Take the time to choose employee awards that offer a choice of gifts to suit a wide range of personal tastes. Personalizing an award gift makes it much more effective, but be sure that names and dates are accurate and correctly printed.
- Ask for employee input – Survey employees regularly to gather employee gift ideas and determine what gifts would be most appreciated. Plaques and pins only go so far, and a more personal or useful gift to employees may be far more effective.
- Use a reliable supplier of gifts – Using a source of gifts with proven reliability will ensure that awards are delivered in good time for ceremonies or events and that high quality is maintained. A gift that doesn’t last or doesn’t work will only have a negative impact.
When a Picture is Worth a Thousands Words…of Appreciation
Gifts that show appreciation of loyalty, recognition of length of service, or personal accomplishment should be effective in two important ways: how they are presented and where they are displayed afterwards.
A gift which fulfils all the requirements recommended for employee awards is a photo to painting portrait supplied by a top quality online photo art gallery such as Paint Your Life (https://paintyourlife.com ).
Paint Your Life is the premier gallery site offering genuine oil, watercolor, pastel, Acrylic, pencil or charcoal portraits from digital photos. Because of their large staff of professional artists and designers they can create and ship portraits of the highest quality on time and ready to present. They offer portraits in a size and price range versatile enough to suit the budgets of large, medium or small companies.
Whether you commission executive portraits to present during your Annual Meeting to recognize financial achievements, or need a retirement gift for each retiree leaving your company, or want to grant employee service awards for individual achievements among your rank and file employees, presenting an employee with a portrait of himself or herself will create a significant and lasting impact both when presented and later when hung on their home or office wall.
Executive portrait gifts have traditionally been exclusive to public institutions and very traditional or long-established companies due to their high cost. Now, due to modern digital photography technology, a genuine oil painting or watercolor from a photo can be easily ordered and created. This means that such prestigious gifts are very affordable, and are not just for executive gifts and executive awards.
Taking digital photos of employees due to receive awards is easy and inexpensive. The choice of medium, size, or frame can be left to the winner or a standard format can be ordered by your human resource director.
Presenting employees with an oil, watercolor, or Acrylic portrait means they receive an award that (a) is unique, (b) personal, (c) can be enjoyed by the employee’s family, and (d) will be a lasting reminder of the company’s appreciation.
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