Many business owners consider employee retention to be one of the hardest tasks of managing a business. Companies nowadays have excessive turnover rates and often fail to understand their reasons. The Human Resources departments of various companies are trying to create innovative ways to retain their employees. Awards and recognition have always helped boost employee satisfaction and thus, can lead to higher employee retention.
You can pick a few based awards on your organization type and hierarchy and honor your employees based on their performance. Check out the list of ten popular and common employee awards below.
Leadership Award
Employees who show strong leadership qualities, influence others and bring out the most efficient output are eligible for this award. These employees can take initiative, know how to motivate team members to achieve the optimum outcome, and significantly impact their team or organization. So, these are the qualities you should look forward to when selecting the candidates.
You should also consider their decision-making skills and efficiency. You can award them annually or quarterly, depending on the company policies.
Employee of the Month/Quarter/Year
Being announced as the employee of the month, quarter, or year is a big motivator for any employee. This award goes to employees who contribute significantly to your organization over a month, a quarter, or a year. Employees consistently working to fulfill their duties, reaching and going beyond their assigned goals, and staying committed to their roles win this award. As a criterion, consider their quality of work, productivity rate, and customer satisfaction levels.
Team Player Award
A team player consistently commits to teamwork, collaboration, and support. These employees contribute highly to their team’s success, have strong interpersonal skills, and create a positive work environment. But how do you decide who gets this award? Well, team members provide monthly or quarterly feedback to the supervisor. The employer can then analyze it and choose the worthiest candidates. You can award these employees monthly, quarterly, or annually based on your organization’s policies.
Sales Achievement Award
The Sales Achievement Award is given to employees with good sales performance and completed sales targets. These employees tend to know your products better than anyone else and know how to sell them. The criteria for choosing suitable candidates for this award include overall revenue generated, new accounts acquired, and customer retention rates. You can also collect feedback from the manager or team members to understand their performance.
Customer Service Excellence Award
The Customer Service Excellence Award is similar to the Sales Achievement Award. It goes to employees who are masters of maintaining positive relationships with customers through exceptional customer service. To find suitable candidates, focus on their communication skills and problem-solving abilities. These employees focus more on customer satisfaction. Collect customer feedback and satisfaction ratings to find the most ideal candidates. They should be adept at solving customer issues and building supreme customer loyalty.
The Special Project or Achievement Award
Employees with a significant project or a notable achievement for your company will get this award. Look for employees with exceptional track records and outstanding results compared to their peers. You can directly measure the eligibility by analyzing their performance history, project outcomes, and positive impact on the organization. You can also collect feedback from their peers and leaders and take opinions from key management stakeholders to make the final decision. You can award them when they have completed a special project or nominate and award a few employees from every department annually. The company awards this only when the employee has completed a project.
Longevity Award
The Longevity Award goes to employees loyal to your organization and who have worked for you for many years. These employees usually work for you for five, ten, fifteen, twenty, or more years and have helped take the company forward.
The criteria for this award are fairly simple. Just check the number of years the employee has spent with your organization. Being rewarded for their loyalty usually creates a sense of belongingness for them, and they become even more motivated to work harder.
Innovation Award
The Innovation Award goes to employees who are creative problem solvers. They can generate new ideas or improve the existing ones to modify the processes and make the company more agile.
Finding the exact criteria for this award might seem impossible. However, you can look for employees who successfully implement a new plan or idea and bring a positive outcome. Their processes should save time and cost. It should also generate more positive feedback from your customers.
Mentorship Award
This award goes to employees who guide their colleagues to achieve career development. They offer guidance, share their expertise, and help their mentee grow within the organization. Employers usually collect feedback from mentees and assess their skills or performance improvements to find the right candidates for this award. You can give out this award yearly or even quarterly.
Safety Champion Award
The Safety Champion Award goes to employees who work in a hazardous workplace. These employees work in risky situations yet never forget to follow company safety protocols. They also report safety concerns whenever they notice a lapse in security and safety and help create a safe workplace for their peers.
Although it might seem difficult, carefully following employees can help you find the ones who adhere to safety protocols regularly. They should also participate in safety training whenever they’re organized and contribute to identifying potential hazards.
Employee awards are good for recognizing their efforts and continuous loyalty to your company. Getting rewarded can motivate an employee to work harder and stay committed to your organization for many years. It can increase job satisfaction and improve employee retention. Giving them a plaque and a certificate ensures they can keep the memory fresh even after leaving your company.