Employee Recognition Program

Ann · May 2001

I am interested in implementing an Employee Recognition Program based on years of service. Does anyone have a program like this in their company? If so, what types of recognition does the program offer e.g. special ceremony, years of service pins, gifts that the employee selects, etc. We have several employees that have been here over 15 years and they have never been recognized before.

Margaret Morford · May 2001

Most employers use an outside service for this and give gifts. I know Jostens does this as well as several other companies. These companies will help you put together a program. Once you supply them with a list of your employees and their service dates, they will mail you the gifts as you need them.

I would suggest a program that has a catalogue where the employee can choose a gift from a selection of 5 to 8 items. Usually the gifts are given at 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. years. What the employees get to select gets larger with each service milestone. You should have your company logo on the items, but not so prominent that it detracts from the item. For instance, if the employee chooses a clock, have a brass plate put on the back with your company's name and "15 years or service". If it's a piece of jewelry, have a small gold or silver tab attached to the clasp with the compnay logo on it.

These are the most successful programs. Once per month the company has a luncheon and the recipiants attend with their managers, who present them with their gift. The President of your company should attend. I can make lots of suggestions for what I have seen companies do to make this lunch more meaningful for the employees. If you want me to share them with you, do not hesitate to call me at 615-371-8200.

Also, I would post a question on this Forum asking what companies the HR people are using for this service and what their experience has been. It could save you a lot of effort and time.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge

sonny · May 2001

Depending on the size of your company, you could also gather a small group of employees or do a survey and ask the employees how they would like to be recognized. Where I am currently employed, employees get a plaque with a removal brass inset at 5 years and then get a new inset with 10 years, 15 years etc. At 20, people get a desk clock. At my previous place of employment, employees received a pen set at 5, a clock at 10, a paper weight by a local artist at 20. When we surveyed employees, however, we learned they really didn't like any of it but the paper weight. As Margaret alluded to, they liked to pick their own gift. We then went to a gift certificate program where the amount increased with the # of years of service. Some people picked the best restaurant in town, others Home Depot etc. Personally, I like a combination. A pin or plaque for the office and a gift certificate. I am wondering if there is a charge for the programs mentioned above and if so, how much? Good luck

bsa · May 2001

We are only 13 years old and have 50 employees. Our recognition program started more about 6 years ago with recognition of 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years employment (we are still evaluating additions). We award a company golf shirt for 1 year, $50 gift certificates for 3 years, a company jacket and $100 gift certificates for 5 years, 7 years gets a watch (+/-$50) and $200 gift certificates, and 10 years gets $500 cash. The gift certificates are usually a combination from local restaurants and department stores. It can become a bother, going to 5 or 6 different places; but we only do this once a quarter, so I just take an afternoon and do it. The actual celebration includes birthdays of the same quarter, so we have a birthday cake and award the service gifts at the same time. If you are looking for low budget, this is it!

We are a manufacturer, so the majority of our employees are laborers and they really look forward to the cake and a chance to sit down!! As we grow larger in numbers, we will probably have to change to the catalog system, just because it's more convenient.

Carey · June 2001

My company recognition program uses pre-paid MasterCard debit cards (giftcards). They look like a credit or debit card with the MasterCard logo and also have a nice graphic and our company logo on them. We use them for performance based recognition but you could also use them for service awards. We have a tiered program with three award levels, but you could structure this however you want to. These awards are nice because the employee can use them wherever MasterCard is accepted (but they cannot use them to get cash) and are not limited to a specific restaurant or store. Our vendor is Cardex Inc. ([url]www.cardex.com[/url]). I know American Express has a program also (we didn't use them because AmEx isn't as widely accepted at MC). The fees are minimal--$6.95-$9.95 per card depending on denomination and $5.95 shipping per shipment (not per card). All ordering is done online by our managers and the vendor sends us monthly reports of utilization.

Employee Recognition Program

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