Presenting an employee with an award can be a tricky business. If done correctly, it is a nice gesture that conveys appreciation for the employee’s hard work. If done incorrectly, it can be cheesy, unappreciated, and make other employees frustrated. If you would like to occasionally give employee awards for a job well done, follow these tips to make the best of the award presentation.
The most important thing to remember when handing out employee awards is that the awards should be deserved. If you give an employee an award for something they do not deserve, it will not be appreciated. Employees are smart. They know when they have worked hard and deserve recognition, and they know when you are sending them empty flattery. Awards given in the workplace must be honest and sincere. If you only present employees with award when they have accomplished a truly noteworthy goal, the worth of the award will go up in the eyes of everyone at the company.
The next tip to follow when it comes to presenting awards is that you should hand them out infrequently. If you are presenting awards to employees left and right, they will lose all meaning. Why would an employee feel proud of an award if every other person at the company has received the same recognition? Awards should be special. If you would like your employees to feel proud of an award they have earned, keep award giving to a minimum.
Finally, give employee awards quickly. This means that they should be presented soon after an accomplishment is reached. If you wait several months after a big achievement to give an award, the impact will be lost. Do not be tempted to give the award early, either. If an employee is on track to break a company sales record, for example, wait until the record has officially been broken before handing over the award. This will ensure that the award is truly appreciated. If you follow these tips, your employees will appreciate their awards.