Improving Employee Morale With Employee Service Awards

Your business may be a huge company with hundreds of workers, or a small operation that only employs a few people, or somewhere in between. No matter which is the case, you should certainly be concerned with employee motivation and morale. Employees who feel beaten down and under-appreciated are far less productive than their happier counterparts. Employee service awards can help you create the type of environment that motivates employees and increases productivity.

The kind of awards you give will probably depend on the size and type of business you run. The bigger the business, the larger incentives and awards they are able to give. 401 Ks, for instance, are a common perk given to employees of large or medium-sized companies. A small, fledgling business may not be able to give awards on that scale, but they can certainly recognize their employees. In fact, it is even more essential for them to do so, as a business in its initial stages can greatly benefit from consistency and employee loyalty.

Awards do not have to be monetary. If your business can afford monetary awards, these are always appreciated. Even a small bonus for good employees at the holidays will go a long way towards improving morale and company-employee relations.

However, if your business cannot afford monetary bonuses, there are other ways you can recognize employees.

You might think that small tokens, such as a certificate of recognition or a designation as “employee of the month” would not be worthwhile. However, even such a small thing can make a difference in the morale of the employee who receives it. It will also show all of your workers that you are paying attention to the way they perform individually, and not just seeing them as a machine.

Company parties can be another way to recognize your employees. These occasions also improve morale by allowing time to socialize. If your employees spend time together in a relaxed atmosphere, having fun, they will have an easier time relating to each other and this may help their performance as a team.

It is important that you make sure each employee has equal opportunity to earn an award. If you only recognize on particular aspect of performance, your reward system may end up fostering resentment and contention. Be sure that each department of your business and each level of employee has a chance to be recognized. Find different things to reward. For instance, one month you might give an award to an employee who is especially supportive and helps his or her coworkers work together. The next month, reward someone who is especially driven to increase sales. Occasionally, give a “most improved” award.

Employee service awards alone cannot create a pleasant environment. If the day to day environment at your business is hostile, adversary, and authoritarian, then any award will seem hypocritical or just for show. Your entire philosophy should recognize employees’ individual contributions, and rewards should simply be a part of showing this. When the entire work environment is pleasant and healthy, employees will feel good about coming to work and about putting forth their best efforts.

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