Employee Retention Through Recognition Awards

One of the most basic human needs is a deep-seated need to be recognized in our actions. This is universally true; those that have put in significant effort enjoy getting recognition for their hard work.  Take an especially talented basketball player; many times he or she will tell you that the best part of sinking a shot is hearing the crowd go wild immediately afterwards.  The need to feel recognition is one that affects us all in ways that a lot of us might not realize, and this form of feedback is often absent or scarce in the corporate world.  Greater use of corporate awards can enhance organizational success and its mission.

All too often employees feel that they are nothing more than an anonymous cog in a giant machine, and that their unique set of skills and talent goes without being appreciated by those that are in charge of the workplace. We know that this couldn’t be further from the truth, but even the slightest feeling of being unappreciated has a tendency to plague even the most competent of all employees and it can also become contagious, affecting workplace culture, the image of the company and even its performance levels.

Showing Appreciation with Corporate Awards

What can be done about employees who are feeling unappreciated? Sitting down and letting them know how much they mean to the company sounds nice, but it’s often unrealistic considering the amount of time and effort that would be invested doing so, especially in large organizations. An effective way to go about rewarding the loyal employees would be honoring certain behaviors or milestones with an award.  Recognizing extra effort through employee awards via employee of month awards in one example.It’s a perfect solution for a number of reasons. First, it is a great way to show your employees that they are a critical and important component in the company, and secondly, personalized acrylic awards for example proves to the employee that they are in fact appreciated and that is evidenced in the presentation of the award and its underlying meaning and possession.

There are, however, real benefits that can be enjoyed when it comes to giving employees beautiful glass and crystal awards for their hard work and loyalty; other than just making them feel good about themselves. From a business viewpoint, it makes a lot of sense to maintain your workforce at its full potential at all times. Retention of needed talent is a growing concern for many companies, especially those in certain industries making it even more important to implement retention efforts. If one of your employees leaves the company, you will have to spend precious time and resources to make sure that their vacancy is filled.  And while you’re looking for replacements, your company is only operating at a fraction of its potential, something that most everyone in a management role is going to want to avoid.

Presenting Awards for Years of Service

A simple award (clear, jade or economy) is something that can not only help make someone feel better about their contribution to the company, but also it can have serious benefits to the company as well.  Although you could give awards and trophies for just about anything (exceeding sales quotas, attendance, enhancing efficiency), frequently employers prefer to reward their employees with an award when they hit a milestone with the company, and that can be done too. Some people liken their relationship with their company to that of a marriage. When you hit a milestone (say 5, 10 or 20 years), then you certainly have a case for a celebration and the right to be recognized for service.

Those that have worked at your company for 10 years or more prove to be an enormously valuable asset that cannot simply be replaced by someone else if they were to quit.  This is evident in most baby boomers which hold valuable knowledge and information that will likely cause a lot of “brain drain” when they begin retiring in large numbers.  They have extensive knowledge of the inner-workings of your company and it is almost always in your best interest to keep them onboard whenever and for as long as possible.  Their ability to train and transition their knowledge to fresh new employees is crucial to future success. 

Awards Help Organizational Culture and Retention Efforts

This is also important for those who are in the middle of their careers and may begin wondering what else is out there.  Although there are other ways of enticing them to stay with the company (specifically financial rewards), giving them a personalized award can still be an incredibly effective way to keep them working at your company and not moving to another place that could potentially offer higher pay rates. Not all employee satisfaction is derived from money; the culture of the company can override that, especially if it focuses on reinforcement and feedback which is often absent.

Employers often write off the effects of giving an employee a medal or award that could potentially have such a profound effect on the business. Employee loyalty is extremely important to those in management and HR positions, and if you want to get the most out of your workforce, then perhaps it is time to look into some awards to showcase your appreciation for your hard-working employees. You’ll recoup the ROI quickly as employee motivation and performance often increase extremely quickly with the right recognition plan and awards.

EDCO Awards & Specialties has unveiled 15 new corporate award designs in its Metal and Glass Awards and Art Glass Awards categories.

The traditional thinking in our industry is that customers will buy whatever you are showing.  We challenge that thinking by continuing to expand the product lineup by filling out our corporate awards categories with more creative choices.

The new corporate award designs combine materials like brass with glass, crystal and new shapes and color combinations, some using hand-blown glass.

 In the Metal and Glass Awards category, EDCO released five new corporate awards, including:

• Neo Classic Metal & Glass Award:  Measuring 8 inches high, this award combines an etched glass award with a silver-plated base that reflects light throughout the glass inlay;
• Guiding Star Award:  This limited edition sculpture features a unique metal star frame with a glass inlay;
• Glass Diamond with Brushed Metal Base:  Combines brushed aluminum with clear and blue glass for a designer look;
• Gemstone Brass and Glass Award:   Available in two sizes, this corporate award features a base  finished with brushed gold metal.  The glass inlay is beveled and deep engraved with your custom text and logo;
• Glass Circle with Brass Base:  This simple yet elegant award choice, features EDCO’s premium jade glass circle, slightly beveled and cradled on a brushed brass base elevated by a glass platform.

In the Art Glass Awards category, EDCO unveiled 10 new corporate awards, including:

• Teamwork Art Glass Award:  Measuring 13.5 inches high, this hand-blown color glass sculpture is elevated on a black base with a laser-etched plate;
• Years of Service Art Glass Award:  Measuring 15.25 inches high and artistically constructed from hand blown glass, this corporate award features a laser-etched plate on the base that can accommodate company logos or special art;
• Inspiration Art Glass Award:   This carefully selected art glass sculpture represents inspired success and will make a nice statement at your next awards presentation. Elevated on a black base with your custom inscription and logo laser etched onto a black brass plate;
• Celestial Art Glass Award:  Measuring an impressive 13 inches high, this corporate award is the perfect choice to make a really big splash!
• Vision Art Glass Award:   Standing 16.25 inches tall, this magical art glass sculpture is elevated on a handsome black base with a brass plate, laser etched with your custom inscription and company logo;
• Deco Glass Mosaic Peak:  This corporate award features a beautifully stained glass accent panel and a wide beveled edge.   The sculpture is set off by the black rod iron metal riser that cradles the glass award;
• Excellence Art Glass Award:  This 17-inch black glass sculpture with blue accents is elevated on a piano-finished base. This is the ideal choice for awarding the highest level of achievement;
• Blue Bubbles Art Glass Award:  This fury of rolling patterns is elevated on a glass finished base that features a custom printed plate for your company logo and personalized text;
• Intrigue Glass Award:  This 9.5-inch beautiful art glass sculpture features a black laser etched plate with your personalized congratulatory message;
• Glass Mythic Award:  This hand-blown art glass features rich blue hues suspended in clear glass. Clearly stunning, this recognition award is elevated on a black base that incorporates a black steel plate with laser engraved copy.

The art glass category has grown tremendously.  Three years ago, we didn’t offer any. Now we have 19.  The more unique the piece, the better the response has been by customers who like seeing a theme like “Teamwork” or “Progress” carried through the design.

EDCO offers more than 300 corporate award designs in five product segments:  crystal awards, glass awards, acrylic awards, custom awards and plaques.

View the full lineup of EDCO Awards’ glass awards.  For personalized assistance in selecting your corporate awards, contact the company at 800-377-8646.

EDCO Awards & Specialties has introduced 24 new crystal awards for 2013 as it continues to update and expand its line of corporate awards.

The new awards represent every price point, from $30 to $350, and feature dynamic designs and added color.  We’ve filled out our product lines with new crystal awards that feature interesting new shapes or movement as well several optic awards that combine optical glass, crystal, black glass and colored glass.

Here’s a lineup of the new awards now available among EDCO’s Contemporary Crystal, Optical Crystal, World Crystal Globe and Specialty Crystal Award lines:

New Contemporary Crystal Awards:

• Crystal Distinction Award:  All optic crystal with two colored crystals in blue and jade, and high-quality engraving using sand blasting – an amazing value.
• Atlantis Ellipse Crystal Award:  A geometrically simple yet a stunning combination of clear and blue crystal. Perfect for achievers from all walks of life.
• Ambient Clear and Red Crystal Award:  An original design that will engage your senses with soothing colors and sophisticated looks.  Also available in blue.
• Crystal Recognition Award:  This stylish corporate design engraved with your personalized message is sure to impress its achievers.
• Blocks of Success Crystal Award:  Light penetrating the colorful crystals will reflect beautifully on your engraved congratulatory message.
• Art Deco Crystal Award:  Inspired by the Historic Art Deco district in Miami.

New Optical Crystal Awards

• Rising Diamond Crystal Award:  Black obelisk stand cradles a clear diamond-shaped optic crystal.  The stand engraving is deeply etched and filled with a silver paint.
• Blue Diamond Crystal Award:  Produced from pure optic crystal.
• Crystal Triumph Award:  Handsome sculpture carved from flawless optical crystal.
• Nobility Clear and Black Crystal Award:  The fusion of clear and black crystals, pure in composition and optically perfect.
• Northern Lights Crystal Award:  Produced from optical crystal with sweeping curve lines and a series of crystal cubes embedded in the center of the award.

New World Globe Awards

• Omni Globe Award:  One of the most magnificent awards in our entire collection and so heavy it requires both hands for lifting.  It features a solid crystal globe, with detailed etching, that spins freely in a antique finished metal axis.
• Grande Planet Crystal Award:  Mouth blown and cut by hand from crystal. The crystal globe is perched atop a round base with custom engraving.

Specialty Crystal Awards

• Crystal Maltese Cross Award:  Produced from flawless optical crystal and deep engraved. This is the perfect award to honor distinguished service and bravery of our firefighters!
• Crystal Book Award:  Perfect way to show appreciation to that special teacher.
• Red Crystal Apple on Base:  Perfect award for teachers who made a difference.
• Faceted Gavel on Black Crystal Base:  A fantastic choice for a retiring chairperson.
• Crystal 18 Wheeler Truck Award:  A great award for a truck driver or freight company.
• Beveled Crystal Cross Award:  A beautiful remembrance for service in Christian organizations, churches and private schools.
• Faceted Crystal Football:  Produced from optical crystal and custom engraved to your specifications.
• Large Faceted Crystal Football Trophy:  The ultimate football award.
• Crystal Sailboat:  Produced from pure optic crystal.
• Faceted Crystal Sailboat on Blue Base:  Features a multi-faceted finish as well as a beautiful blue crystal base.

For help choosing the right crystal award for your corporate awards program, call 800-377-8646.

EDCO Awards & Specialties has prepared a list of 7 tips to help any business develop a successful corporate recognition awards program:

1.        Look for quality:   Above all, it’s important to consider the quality of the product.   Pricing will give you a good idea when you’re comparing one vendor to another.   A $35 corporate award, while perfectly suitable in a lot of situations, will not be of the same quality as an award that costs $135.
2.        Buy like you’re shopping for a diamond:   Clarity, color, finish and weight all have meaning when shopping for your corporate awards.   The difference between a glass award and crystal award is the clarity of the material.   Glass awards will typically fall into a lower price range as a result.  The weight of the award is important as well.  You want a good quality glass or crystal, one-half to three-quarters inch thick so it’ll have good weight.
3.        Go for the sizzle:   You can buy a nice crystal award that is very traditional, but don’t do that till you’ve checked out the newer selections that combine colors and materials.  We have several new optic crystal awards that combine optical glass, crystal, black glass or colored glass.   EDCO’s line of Contemporary Crystal Awards features several new styles that offer traditional glass designs with vibrant colors like blue and red.
4.        Appreciate good engraving:  The impact of a nice award can fall flat if it’s not engraved in a way most suitable for the material.  Many local trophy shops will laser engrave crystal, which is inferior to the more state-of-the-art sandblasting process.  Sand engraving or carving uses aluminum oxide as the blasting medium, which is a very fine material that does a very good job on detailed artwork and which delivers a precise, deep etch.  Laser engraving doesn’t cut deep, so it doesn’t look as crisp and can really compromise the intricate details of a company logo.  Depending on the material, color and design, EDCO uses one of five different engraving methods:  sand carving, laser etching, UV printing, sublimation or deep edge and color fill.  (View video of sand carving process for crystal engraving. )     
5.        Ask for help:  It’s important to work with a trophy or awards vendor whose customer service department has in-depth knowledge of its product line.  Time is of the essence.  Most companies will order their awards 3-5 days before they need them, and we sometimes are asked about 24-hour turnaround.   As a result, you want to make sure the person you’re talking to understands how much time each step takes, what’s involved in the art design process and so forth, to meet their time schedule.
6.        Buy from a manufacturer:  Most local trophy shops lack expertise in the area of corporate awards.   Working directly with a manufacturer, like EDCO of Fort Lauderdale, enables companies to ensure they’re getting the highest quality product for their budget in a timely manner.  Knowing the time constraints, it’s important to work with an awards vendor that has the product in-stock, offers quick service and turnaround and can work with the customer on art design. 
7.        Talk to a person:  The Internet has made it easy for businesses to purchase most of their office and production supplies without ever having to talk to another person.  But, when it comes to your corporate awards program, the outcome is too important to rely on a faceless, cheap Internet site.  Economy sites don’t offer the quality craftsmanship, selection or customer service of a traditional manufacturer.  We’re able to do a lot more for our clients that make their corporate awards programs very meaningful.  Because we stock all our items and do our art design and engraving in-house, we can create custom pieces for our clients, meet short turnaround times and tight budget constraints.

For help with your corporate award program, call 800-377-8646.

Edco Awards & Specialties new website showcases more than 300 trophy designs

With eye-popping colors, distinct shapes and spinnable features, trophies and awards for sports recognition and academic achievement have come a long way from the ones you might remember collecting dust in grandma’s attic.

We have launched a new website to showcase more than 300 available trophy styles, including new, customizable designs that are sure to be stars on anyone’s desk or bookcase. Our new trophy awards section is divided into six groupings that highlight various trophy styles, includin single-post trophies, double-post, triple-post, four-post, participation an achievement trophies.

Among our offerings are several new lines for 2012. In the category of Participation Trophies, we have added theSport Motion line of sports trophies, which includes Sport Motion figures for football, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, hockey, soccer, softball, volleyball, cheerleading and karate. The 13” customizable sports trophies feature a star burst riser with a 2” epoxy domed insert that can be used to include a club or school logo. The trophies also are available in various colors and textures.

Also new in athletic awards are sport ball trophies, including Squeezable Spinner Trophies, with squeezable balls that spin and can be removed from the trophy. The new star-themed Superstar Spinner Trophies also incorporate balls that spin.

Included among the Participation Trophies are Scholastic Series, which include multiple colorful star-themed awards with customizable inserts for recognition of any scholastic achievement.

Founded in 1963, we pride ourselves in personalized customer service. From corporate awards to sports trophies, our staff provides expert advice on trophy and award selection and customization options.

For more information or to obtain a 2012-13 catalog, contact Edco at 800-377-8646.

Custom awards build brand equity. They are great for corporate retreats and special events.

Custom awards are a great way to build logo and brand equity. Our customers love this option because it's easy, fast and ultimately an amazing value! OK, so basically we start with your idea or company logo and build the award around it. We have the facilities and tools that allow us to create custom shapes from acrylics which are later engraved or printed in full color to create impressive one-of-a-kind custom trophies. All of our awards are crafted in-house which gives us control over the entire production process and enables us to provide our customers with innovative, premium quality awards for a great value.

Take a look at our latest creation, a Custom Surfboard Award fabricated from .5" thick clear acrylic. These beachy awards will be presented to the winners of the Surftown Half Marathon. The printing was done in reverse on the back side of the acrylic to give this trophy a really cool dimensional look. The surfboard topper is elevated on a clear acrylic base with a gold plate with personalized engraving.

We can produce just about anything, so don't set limits just on awards!

Use Corporate Gifts To Show Employee Recognition

Corporate gifts don’t have to be expensive, although they certainly can be if you want. It can just be something that says the company has noticed their hard work and want to say thanks for it. Such a small gesture as this will produce such happiness among your employees that you it might amaze you.

Following the receipt of corporate gifts, don’t be surprised to see your employees working even harder than they were before. When employees are singled out and recognized in this way for what they bring to the company, you can bet they’ll continue to be top notch employees. Sometimes recognition in this way means more than a paycheck ever could.

Offer your employees gifts that are custom printed. Awards like these can have the person’s name along with their achievement engraved beside the company logo. Anything from simple engraved plaques to obelisk structures in the form of crystal awards are great ways to show employee achievement. Companies also have been known to host entire dinners where these awards are presented to the employees.

However you choose to present your corporate gifts to your employees most likely doesn’t matter. In this instance, it’s more the gesture and what that means. When you single out each employee to present the award, you’re also giving her, or him, a moment of glory to bask in.

Awards make a difference on the bottom line. 

How? 

It's simple, by rewarding your team for good performance, you are reinforcing productive behavior.  Award and Recognition Programs build employee loyalty while helping to achieve goals more efficiently.   They also create a competitive environment with a positive spin.  People are just more likely to repeat the behaviors being rewarded.  As Florida's largest manufacturer of Corporate Awards we hear our customers say time and time again how impactful their awards presentations are on staff members.  Awards people receive become cherished heirlooms and have a lasting effect.  This leads to satisfied employees which leads to satisfied customers and ultimately better financial performance for the company.

EDCO Awards & Specialties is here to offer solutions through recognition, to help your company, or organization improve performance, the bottom line and to boost morale & employee loyalty.  Crystal Awards andArt Glass Awards are used frequently to reward top performers.  We also offer Custom Awards programs where we fabricate completely custom awards designed around your company logo, slogan or special art.  Let us know if you have any questions. 

We are here to help you!