Blog posts tagged with 'employee incentive program'

Successful business owners or presidents of operations know what their secret to success is, and they’ll likely know the importance of building and maintaining an office culture that motivates employees. Motivated employees work more efficiently, produce higher quality work, and improve customer/client satisfaction. Motivated employees are less likely to be absent from work, and keeping employees motivated also helps employers retain talent. The benefits of motivating employees are very apparent, but the best ways to motivate them are far from obvious. While there are a variety of different ways to motivate employees, employee recognition awards are one of the best. So, why is motivating employees with awards important?

Awards Lead to More Productive Employees

Let’s start with the obvious – motivating employees with awards is important because they make employees more productive, more engaged, and generally happier. People work harder when they know they’re appreciated, and this couldn’t be truer for the Millennials and Generation Z workers entering the workforce. These young workers aren’t just looking for a fair wage and compensation benefits – they’re also looking for meaningful and fulfilling work where they feel like what they do doesn’t go unseen. Part of what makes a job meaningful is recognition for a job well done, and companies with robust employee appreciation programs that motivate their staff with awards will be more appealing to these younger generations of workers. As society and culture change, the workplace must as well. Employers that refuse to adapt and don’t see the importance of motivating employees with awards will be left behind, if not completely go out of business because they can’t find anyone who wants to work for them.

Recognition Is More Effective Than Discipline

Employee awards are also much better motivators than punishment. Employers are better served when focusing their efforts on rewarding employees for good actions rather than reprimanding employees for bad actions or making threats. This is not to say that employers should not take action when an employee steps out of line, fails to meet agreed upon expectations, or does not fulfill their duties, but this punishment should never be used to motivate others. Rather than threaten employees with what can happen to them if they do something wrong in an effort to motivate them, employers should motivate them with awards that show them what can happen when they go above and beyond and produce quality work.

It Pays Off to Award Employees

Motivating employees with awards is also important because it’s the most cost-effective way of doing so. Essentially, employee awards are a win-win for the employees and the company. It’s been said that actions speak louder than words, and this is especially true in the corporate world. Words of acknowledgment are great, but when these words are accompanied by an action like a bonus or promotion, the message is communicated to a greater degree, and employees truly feel as if their hard work is not just noticed and acknowledged but appreciated. When employees feel this way, they are more motivated, productive, and engaged. The whole company benefits! However, companies only have so many managerial positions that can be filled at a given time and may not have the revenue to give every employee a substantial bonus. This makes employee recognition programs and the awards that most companies include in these programs crucial to maintaining a great office culture where employees are motivated to give their all every day.

It's simple – employee awards are an effective way of showing employees how much their work is appreciated than raises, and they’re better at communicating than a simple “thanks for your hard work.” Awards make employees more productive, engaged, and happier, and companies that recognize and award their staff for their efforts will be more appealing to younger workers.

Get High Quality Employee Recognition Awards from EDCO

Now that you know all the reasons why motivating employees with awards is important, you can get all the awards you need from EDCO and start enjoying these benefits today! EDCO is a leader in many types of employee recognition awards including employee of the month awards, crystal awards, and more. Contact us now to get started.

Employee recognition awards and employee recognition programs do a lot to create and cultivate an encouraging workplace environment for the people on the ground floor and in entry level positions. It shows them that the company truly cares about every one of their employees, no matter what their position is, how many hours they work a week, or how new they are. It also reinforces ideals of meritocracy and work ethic, allowing company culture to become more engaging, competitive, and enjoyable.

Most employee recognition programs tend to put most, if not all, of their focus on these and neglect to recognize the work of those in managerial positions. This shouldn’t be the case. While managers have been in a sense “rewarded” and “recognized” for their hard work with a higher position in the company, they still deserve to be recognized for their hard work, leadership, innovation, and more. So, how do you cultivate an encouraging environment among managers?

Awards for Managers to Motivate Your Teams

The first step towards cultivating an encouraging environment amongst managers is to have dedicated awards for them. In addition to assigning an employee of the month or innovator of the month award to employees, consider adding a “manager of the month” or “leader of the month” award to your employee recognition program. This will not only show managers that you appreciate them but also encourage them to fulfill their position to the best of their ability.

Managers may compete among themselves to see whose team can rack up the most sales, complete the most client work, or produce the most quality work in a month. This friendly competition can increase the productivity of all the employees they manage, thus making the entire company more productive. The only limit to what kinds of awards you want to bestow upon your managers is your imagination!

Improve Collaboration with Manager One-on-One Meetings & Events

Another way to cultivate an encouraging environment among managers is to conduct regular check-ins or schedule one-on-one meetings to see how they’re doing. Managers will often have these types of meetings with the employees they oversee, thus taking on the stress and concerns of multiple other people all the time. This is a lot to put on one person, and managers need an outlet to vent their own frustrations and go over their own concerns as well.

Giving managers the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings where they can do so with a department head, or their direct supervisor will go a long way in making them feel encouraged and supported at work. You may also want to implement manager-only meetings where managers can discuss their frustrations and concerns with others in their position. This not only gives them an opportunity to confide in others like them but also learn from them and discover or share new solutions to common problems they all face.

Because managers deal with a lot on a daily basis, creating events just for them to get away from it all and relieve whatever stress they may have is another great way to create an encouraging environment. Perhaps plan a monthly event for managers like a dinner paid for by the company or a trip to a place like Dave and Busters where managers can unwind and develop bonds outside of work. At the very least, a yearly event for managers should be a priority for any company. Get out of the office and create an unforgettable experience for your managerial team.

Help Managers Level Up Their Skills

Lastly, you should facilitate ways for managers to learn and grow their skills and support them in doing so. This takes a more literal approach to creating an encouraging environment but creating learning opportunities will do more than that. Managers, and all other employees, will thrive and you’ll see performance increases when your company becomes an organization that encourages and prioritizes personal growth and development.

Awards for Business Managers

If you’ve been inspired to add awards for managers into your employee recognition program, there’s no better place than EDCO to find them. With everything from crystal and acrylic awards to plaques and clocks, we’re you’re one stop shop for all things recognition. 

Rewarding outstanding team players is the perfect way of promoting strong values within your company. We share the most popular collaboration awards.