Why Premium Awards Pay Back in Dividends for Employee Recognition

Recognizing Employees with Awards

There are many ways to recognize employees for their outstanding performance, extraordinary achievements, or significant contributions.

The most common methods of recognition include cash bonuses, gifts, trips or outings, extra vacation time, and, of course, physical awards.

Each of these recognition methods has its pros and cons, and each may be best suited for different specific recognition objectives. Premium recognition awards, however, offer some distinct advantages versus the other options.

Reasons For Formal Employee Recognition

There are two primary reasons for recognizing employees:

1) a sincere gesture of thanks for a “job well done”; and

2) a positive reinforcement for them to continue the positive actions that merited the recognition.

The latter objective can actually be targeted at two audiences:

a) the specific employee(s) being recognized, and

b) other employees in the organization who you would like to model the actions and contributions of the employee being recognized.

Cash bonus, gifts, and trips can be an effective way of achieving the first objective. However, they don’t offer the physical permanence and ongoing visibility that is ideal to achieve the second objective.

The most effective way to achieve the second recognition objective is to award something to the employee that can be a constant reminder to him or her, as well as others in the organization, about the performance and actions that merited the recognition.

Why the ideal Recognition Method is a Premium Recognition Award.

The display of this award serves as an ongoing signal regarding desired performance.

Low cost awards and trophies are less than ideal for this purpose.  If they look “cheap”, employees may stash them away in a drawer, or even toss them in the trash. They may even feel resentful that their contributions were not recognized with a “better” award.

Premium awards, on the other hand, are likely something employees will proudly display in a prominent spot for many years. These awards then become a constant reminder to the employee, and a highly visible signal to others in the organization. While these awards will cost more than cheaper trophies, the impact they have on employee performance and morale will more than compensate for the extra cost.