Be Authentic & Genuine While Giving Recognition

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

full potential

Recognition isn’t the same as appreciation. While your organization might have instituted employee recognition programs, these efforts can seem inauthentic or disingenuous if not executed properly. There are a myriad of reasons for why your employee recognition initiatives convey to staff members that you’re just going through the motions, instead of genuinely demonstrating your appreciation. Recognizing employees with certificates, awards,…

How to Welcome Teachers to the 2016 School Year

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

muffins for back to school

Have you noticed? As soon as the 4th of July is over, stores replace all of their red, white, and blue merchandise with back to school products. While it seems like the dog days of summer now, the 2016-2017 academic school year is just around the corner. Before you know it, students and teachers will be heading back into their…

5 Boss’s Day Certificates (+ Wording!)

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

Loops Certificate

So, Boss’s Day is right around the corner and you’re looking for just the right thing to celebrate the person who signs your paychecks. Before you scoff at the idea of actually showing appreciation to your superior, just consider everything your manager or supervisor does for you on a daily basis. A good boss is patient, keen to teach, and…

Why Working on Teams is Crucial for Small Businesses

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

Rowing Team work

“Entrepreneurship isn’t a singular job,” Jayson Demers, founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, wrote in a recent Entrepreneur article. “It’s actually better seen (and thought of) as an amalgamation of different jobs. You oversee a number of different departments as your organization grows, and you take care of duties ranging from the very large (securing venture funding) to the very small…

Individual or Team Recognition: Quick Tips

Employee Recognition Ideas

Individual and Team Recognition

“Recognition is simple, and comes naturally outside of the workplace; it’s a habit that more workplaces need to adopt in order to continue to foster a competitive business,” Sasha Bricel wrote in an HR.com blog post. “Today’s employees want to be acknowledged for successes affecting the company and are more inclined to drive results when their work is celebrated.” There’s…

It’s Summertime and the Work is Easy?

Employee Recognition Ideas

Sweet Summertime

Most people grew up counting down the days until school ended and summer vacation began. A Captivate Network study found that workplace productivity drops 20 percent during the summer months. “Projects take 13 percent longer to complete and workers are 45 percent more distracted.” Knowing that people are more distracted during the summertime, you can take preemptive steps to motivate…

Why is Employee Recognition Put on the Back Burner?

Employee Recognition Ideas

Recognition on the Backburner

“There’s one simple action that can dramatically increase any manager’s success in gaining the support and engagement of subordinates: recognize great work,” wrote David Sturt in the Harvard Business Review last year. “In two separate but recent studies involving nearly 3,500 employees, from startups to Fortune 100 companies, we found that recognition directly affects morale and engagement.” Despite its importance,…

5 Tools to Help You Better Recognize Your Employees

Employee Recognition Ideas

Recognition Tools

Getting a paycheck is good, but being recognized for a job well done on top of the paycheck can be even better. Regularly recognizing employee efforts and achievements can go a long way toward motivating top performance and maintaining a high morale. These employee recognition tools can help you do just that. Online Employee Recognition Tools Online employee recognition tools…

Office Trends You Should Probably Just Go With…

Employee Recognition Ideas

Working remotely

Happy employees are productive employees, and one way to keep employees happy is with new gadgets, toys, and policies that align with the freshest office trends. Even if the trends seem way too far-fetched for the more traditional businesses, you’re better off giving them a go than listening to employees rave about perks they certainly wished they had. Standing Desks…

20 Small & Simple Recognition Gifts Under $20

Employee Recognition Ideas

Recognition Gift

It always serves managers well to recognize the efforts of their employees. However, recognition gifts can add up quickly and break the bank if you’re not careful. Try these simple recognition gifts under $20 and print a certificate to accompany them. It’s a great way to treat your employees and show why you appreciate their hard work. Clever Coffee Mugs:…

How to Announce Promotions for a Positive Workplace

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

Promotion at work

One of the most highly regarded techniques for recognizing an employee’s dedication and hard work is with a promotion. Promotions demonstrate your company’s efforts to promote from within to the staff, while communicating to the promoted individual that his/her time and energy has been well spent. Use these methods to announce promotions to your entire staff so you can further…

What to do When Your Top Talent Quits

Employee Recognition Ideas

Quitting Job

Moving on is simply part of advancing in a career. But when your top talent makes a beeline for the exit without announcing plans to step into a dream job elsewhere, it can leave you wondering what the heck went wrong. Take the resignation as a sign your company needs to do a little housekeeping. But first, learn as much…

How to Showcase Employees in Your Office

Employee Recognition Ideas

Thank you

Citing their current poll findings a 2022 article, Zippia reporter Abby McCain shared, the following: Strong employee recognition programs reduce turnover rates by 31% Employees who are recognized are almost six times more likely to stay at their jobs than those who aren’t 37% of employees report that the best way to improve their engagement is for superiors to give…

Award Ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week

Back to School Recognition & Motivation Ideas

teacher appreciation awards

Revered, brilliant mathematician Albert Einstein said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Teacher Appreciation Week is an important part of the school year–it’s when students, parents, and administrators recognize the hard work and dedication of educators. This year, have some fun during Teacher Appreciation Week with some award ideas for…

How to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

teacher appreciation

This spring, educators around the country will be the center of attention during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-6. Not sure how to get your school or learning center ready for this celebration? We do! It’s all about spoiling, thanking and honoring the men and women who work day in and day out to make sure our children have every opportunity…

How to Recognize Your Administrative Professionals on April 27th

Employee Recognition Ideas

administrative professionals day

While management might be the head honchos in your office, it is the administrative professionals who make a lot happen. From answering phones to helping with projects, administrative professionals are the glue that keeps a business together when there’s deadlines, issues, and busy days. Beginning in 1953, office staff have dedicated time during the end of April to recognizing the…

Dean’s List Certificate Templates & Wording

Student Recognition Ideas

Dean's List Certs

While most folks wouldn’t want to brag about being on a hit list or blacklist, making the dean’s list is a stellar achievement indeed. Bragging rights are definitely included with the honor, which means universities need to provide certificates that are worthy of being shown, hung and, perhaps most importantly, posted on Facebook or Instagram. A brag-worthy dean’s list certificate…

Happy Volunteer Appreciation Day! Here’s How to Honor Your Volunteers

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

volunteer hours

Okay, so it’s not Volunteer Appreciation Day just yet, but it’s coming! The official day in 2016 is April 20, which leaves you plenty of time to honor your rockstars. The National Conference on Citizenship estimated that in 2012, 64.3 million Americans volunteered 7.9 billion hours of their time to nonprofit organizations! Without the efforts of these generous individuals, many…

Why Your Small Business Should Give Back to The Community

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

Giving back to the community

A small business can measure its success by profits and the bottom line but as author Victor Hugo wrote, “As the purse is emptied the heart is filled.” Besides the obvious good feeling that helping a nonprofit organization creates, there are several other reasons why your small business should give back to the community, too! Publicity Is your small business…

How to Inspire a More Healthy Office

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

Healthy Office

Ensuring your office is packed with plenty of plants and tons of natural light is a good start for a healthy environment, but it won’t do much for employees if they’re simply slouching around in their chairs admiring all the plants and sunlight. The trick is to get individuals off their duffs and into action that can result in an…