Posts

4 Ways to Foster a Healthy Company Culture

Image
Businesses and organizations are routinely on the lookout for new ways to improve company culture and keep morale high. As a company leader, you might be reading books and articles on company culture (just like this one!) as you create a new strategy. With trends constantly changing, you have to make adjustments to your company culture in an effort to keep up. Thankfully, you can stay ahead of the curve by keeping your finger on your team’s pulse. It’s all about taking steps to meet your employees where they are. From active listening to recognizing their work with custom plaques and awards, there are steps you can take to bolster your company culture and foster a workplace your team genuinely enjoys. Here are a few steps you can take to stay ahead of the ever-changing company culture curve. Encourage an Environment of Open Communication Closed doors and endless walls only put barriers between team members and communication. This doesn’t mean you have to tear down those walls. Instea...

What Is an Employee Recognition Program, and Why Does Your Company Need One?

Image
If you’re considering new ways to show appreciation for your team of dedicated employees, it might be time to institute an employee recognition program, also known as an employee award program. Employee recognition programs are fantastic for companies large and small. They give you a chance to connect with the people you work alongside and celebrate their wins. Here’s everything you need to know about starting an employee recognition program for your company. Custom Plaques What Is an Employee Recognition Program? An employee recognition program is an organized way of showing your appreciation for the team you work with every day. These programs can be formal or informal, and they are often made even more meaningful with employee awards. Options include employee of the month contests, thank you programs for your whole team, and group recognition activities. You can nominate and recognize team members using a point system and even reward them with glass or acrylic awards . Showing your...

5 Unique Award Styles to Give to Your Employees

Image
Employee awards should be memorable. Your recipient should display their award with pride and cherish the memory attached to it. But all too often, organizations go the easy, generic route and give out awards that end up in a pile with the rest. If you want to take your employee award program to the next level, look into premium glass or crystal awards. High-quality glass awards can come in many shapes and sizes, but there are some unique designs that stand the test of time. Here are five unique options worth considering for your next employee awards ceremony. Eagles If you want to recognize a team member with a majestic, regal award, consider an eagle design. Eagles are one of the most easily recognized birds for a reason. They have a grandiose presence an can signify a variety of things, including freedom, pride, vitory, and longevity, to name a few. Give your top performers a stone eagle award to show them how much you appreciate their accomplishments. For an even more striking d...

How Often Should You Give Custom Awards to Your Employees?

Image
There’s no question that you should reward your employees with custom awards and gifts. However, how often you should be handing out awards is a different question altogether. You don’t want to hand out a “Best Salesman” trophy every week because it might lose meaning. You also don’t want to award “Best Cold Outreach Strategy of Quarter One” at the end of the year either. When you want to recognize your employees with custom awards , timing is everything. Here are a few ideas and tips to help you find the perfect timing. Custom Awards Monthly Awards Are Important for Recognizing Short Term Success You’ve probably heard of employee of the month programs, and there is a reason they are so popular. While giving out an award every week might be difficult, a month is almost the perfect amount of time to see little victories start adding up. Whether an employee landed a big client or spent all month improving your client database, team members can accomplish some meaningful goals in 30 days...

5 Ways to Personalize Employee Recognition Programs

Image
Employees leave their jobs for various reasons, but lack of recognition is certainly a big one. In addition to improving retention, when team members feel appreciated, it can contribute to greater engagement, productivity, and many more benefits. Effectively recognizing those team members requires personalization. There are a few simple strategies to make your awards and recognition feel more personal, including promoting employee interests and giving out personalized custom plaques and awards. Here are a few things to consider.  Crystal Awards Create an Employee Recognition Program It’s worth considering employee recognition strategies that are both universal, like employee of the month programs, and those that are specific to your organization. More specific examples include recognition for sales achievements, meeting deadlines, and improving customer relationships. It’s important to note that employee recognition isn’t a “one and done” affair, which is why you should have a de...

4 Unique Employee Award Categories

Image
Giving out a 10th consecutive award for “most sales in Q4” at the company party can get repetitive. Your award ceremony loses its luster, and the award ceremony becomes predictable. You don’t want your employees to feel under-appreciated or leave everyone but the salespeople out of the celebration. You need to mix up your award categories to keep things exciting. When you give out high-quality acrylic awards , they need to mean something to the recipient. Here are four unique award categories to make your employees feel appreciated. Custom Awards for the Morale Boosters in the Office You know who they are. You can’t help but smile when they walk into the office. They are always sparking lively conversations. Everyone gets excited to work with them. The morale boosters in your office need to be recognized for everything they do for your team. Without them, the office would be a dull place. These team members deserve custom awards , complete with a personal message that shows your appre...

4 Strategies for Making the Workplace More Fun

Image
Employees who have fun and enjoy their time at work are likely to be more engaged, more loyal, and even more productive. In addition to being great for your brand, retention, and company culture, making the workplace more fun also improves the quality of life for your team members, especially since they spend so much of their day at the office. Bumping up the fun quotient in the workplace can be as simple as celebrating employee hobbies or rewarding team members on a job well done with customized crystal or glass awards . Encourage Hobbies and Bring Them In Employee hobbies are widely considered an after-hours pursuit, but they don’t have to be. Encouraging your team members to bring their hobbies into the workplace and share them with others is a quick, effective way to boost morale and remind everyone on the team that they’re valued as individuals as well as employees. For instance, if you have an employee who enjoys growing exotic plants, allow them to bring in their t...

5 Simple Ideas for Improving Employee Loyalty in the Workplace

Image
Employee loyalty is crucial to the ultimate success and growth of your business. Employee loyalty can significantly influence everything from productivity to team collaboration and innovation, employee retention, and a good deal more. It’s important to understand that companies must earn the loyalty of their team members. That may sound like a challenging task, but there are some straightforward solutions for improving employee loyalty. Those solutions can often be as simple as acknowledging employee achievements with meaningful custom awards . Here are five simple ideas for increasing employee loyalty in your office. Custom Awards Enhance Employee Engagement Members of any organization are significantly more likely to feel loyal to their team when they feel like they are a trusted team member. When a team member’s ideas are welcomed and their opinions are valued, they want to engage. Enhancing that type of engagement can involve providing employees with perks, flexibility...

How to Make Your Office Party or Awards Ceremony More Fun and Effective

Image
When office parties or awards ceremonies go well, they can boost employee morale, contribute to a more dynamic company culture, and your team will have a fantastic time. There are many party and award ceremony styles and themes that can work, depending on the preferences of the group. But even with a team-picked theme, your ceremony or party could still use a little help. From giving out custom awards to allowing pets, here are a few ideas to consider. Include the Team’s Input You might think you know what your team wants, but you could miss the mark. Instead of guessing, include their thoughts and preferences when planning the party or ceremony. Their input can apply to either choosing specific event options or gauging their general interests. For instance, if you’re hoping to keep the specifics of the event or venue a surprise, you can still find out if they prefer something low-key or more interactive, in the office or outside of it, and so on. Make It Pet-Friendly Adding anima...

5 Tips for Increasing Workplace Morale

Image
Working in a cheerful, pleasant office is its own reward for those there. However, improving office morale can potentially boost engagement, productivity, and creativity. It can also contribute to healthier company culture, lower turnover, and better retention. Is your workplace morale lacking? Here are a few strategies to help. From recognizing your team members with meaningful custom awards or gifts to livening up the office with furry friends, these tips can help many organizations. Bring Some Greenery Into the Workplace Introducing more plant life into a workspace is an easy way to reenergize the overall atmosphere. The spirit-lifting power of plants has been well-established—even a single plant can make a considerable difference. For a more dramatic refresh, a plant wall can virtually transform the character of your workplace. Otherwise, introduce a variety of potted plants into the space and encourage employees to do the same. Consider branching out, so to speak, by accentuati...

5 Ways to Elevate Your Company’s Holiday and Year-End Award Celebrations

Image
A holiday or year-end company award ceremony reminds your team members how important they are to the organization’s success. It’s been a long year, which is why it’s essential they know their contributions are appreciated and recognized. That kind of recognition contributes to company culture and can help nurture engagement, morale, and teamwork. All of these things can only benefit your company, plus, year-end parties are just a whole lot of fun. Want to take your year-end award ceremony to the next level? Make sure to order your custom awards and follow these other tips. Make a Night of It Hosting a company awards ceremony off-site can make the event feel more relaxed and personable. An off-site venue also provides an opportunity to craft the feel or theme of the award ceremony. It could be an informal event at a bar and grill or an auditorium space with a host, speakers, and a panel. A formal evening at a fine-dining restaurant can combine the fun of dressing up and great food wit...

4 Materials That Make High-Quality Awards

Image
What comes to mind when you think of awards? Plastic trophies given out at the end of a little league baseball season? Don’t let that ruin your perception of what an award can be. Celebratory pieces should be made from high-quality materials, so the recipients are proud to display them. Custom plaques made of marble or trophies made with crystal will be showstoppers at your company’s year-end ceremony. You will feel pride knowing you gave out an award that deserves to be displayed. Here are four materials to look out for when deciding how to reward your team. Crystal Is for a Centerpiece When you want a memorable award that speaks to the importance of the recipient, you should choose crystal. Optical crystal is one of the highest quality crystals and produces a clear and flawless award. If you want to engrave your award, crystal is the best material to choose. It is lead-free, so you can create custom awards that make your employees feel valued on a personal level. A crystal award i...

4 Ways to Make Your Employee of the Month Program More Successful

Image
Employee of the month programs are effective in many ways. Most importantly, they can remind your team members that their contributions to the organization are recognized and appreciated. In addition, successful programs provide other benefits, including increased engagement, productivity, and a more positive company culture. Ensuring greater success for employee of the month programs can be as simple as investing in personalized recognition solutions, like high-quality custom plaques and awards. Here are other strategies to consider. Personalize the Employee Callouts Employee recognition of any kind, including employee of the month programs, must be personal if you want to generate results. When announcing winners on the company’s website or social media pages, include some fun facts about the winner and their specific accomplishments instead of a boilerplate message. This personalized shoutout demonstrates that your organization values its team members and the attributes...

5 Benefits of Corporate and Employee Recognition Awards Programs

Image
A successful employee recognition program can provide many benefits for a business. However, effective employee recognition awards programs must be legitimately meaningful to the recipients if they’re going to work. Whether that means investing in personalized custom awards or holding quarterly team-building events, if you do it right, your business could enjoy these five benefits.  Recognition Programs Can Help Improve Engagement Improving employee engagement is one of the most significant benefits of employee recognition programs. Boosting engagement is recognized for promoting better individual and team performance, greater productivity, improved goal and objective achievement, and a good deal more. When your employees are more engaged, you can build a stronger community within the organization, which is the ultimate goal for many companies. Recognition Programs Can Improve Team and Company Culture Positive company culture is a major incentive for those considering a...

5 Simple Ways to Make Your Employee Award Programs More Meaningful

Image
Employee award programs can be an effective way to boost morale and reward employee achievement. Plus, they are a lot of fun for everyone involved. Award programs and ceremonies are always more likely to be a success when those involved feel those events are meaningful expressions of appreciation. Sometimes the simple details, even something like opting for premium crystal or glass awards , can help make that happen. Here are a few ideas to help make your employee award program more meaningful. A Venue That Enhances the Experience The right venue can really make a corporate award event shine. Leaving the office for an event naturally contributes to a fun, casual atmosphere. If the weather permits, the team can meet for catered food and drink at the local beach or in a wooded park for a picnic. For indoor dining events, an artisanal ice cream shop, a laid-back pizza parlor, or an upscale restaurant all offer distinct charms and benefits. An Interactive Award Event Award e...

3 Questions to Consider When Buying Year-End Awards for Your Team

Image
The end of the year will be here before you know it, which means your company’s year-end award ceremony will too. Whether you’ve given out awards in years past or you’re ordering premium crystal awards for the first time, you want the event to be memorable. Ideally, everyone will feel valued, and the awards will serve as the physical representation of a job well done. As you search for the perfect designs, comparing one award company to the next, ask yourself these three questions. Does the Award Fit the Moment? There are tons of different designs available, and you want the right one to fit the moment, the occasion, and the achievement. This will ensure that you’re using your budget effectively while also making the recipient feel appreciated. For example, consider the type of award you might give the salesperson of the year compared to the award you might give someone who closed their first sale before the end of the quarter. Both are considerable achievements, but th...

3 Ways to Make Your Employee KPI Program More Effective

Image
Many companies, both big and small, have employee KPI programs. These programs serve many purposes, most importantly allowing management to track the development and performance of individual employees, serving as a metric for year-end reviews. The best employee KPI programs engage your team members and encourage them to explore new ideas, sharpen their existing skills, and demonstrate excellence. If you want to make your employee KPI program more effective and engaging, try these three tips. Don’t Ignore Soft KPIs You’ve probably heard of hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are things that can be taught and effectively demonstrated in a measurable way, such as mastery of a software program or mathematical prowess. On the other hand, soft skills aren’t exactly measurable but can be equally important to an employee’s success. These are things like time management or public speaking skills, among many others. While some roles might focus primarily on hard skills, ...

Start Planning Year-End Awards with These 4 Ideas

Image
Although it might still be a few months away, the end of the year will be here before you know it. Whether your company has given year-end awards in the past or you are considering it for the first time, now is the time to start planning. Not only will you have more time to order all the custom awards for your recipients, but you can also plan to make the event memorable for everyone in attendance. Here are a few tips as you start planning your year-end awards. Custom Awards Create Inclusive Award Categories When creating the awards categories, it can be easiest to focus on the big ones first. These might include the sales MVP, executive of the year, or years of service awards. However, the more categories you include, the better. Take time to brainstorm about all possible categories and see how you could be more inclusive, giving more people a chance to walk away with a trophy, plaque, or statue at the end of the event. Some inclusive award ideas include the most impr...