Tis this season to be merry, and what could be merrier than recognizing your team’s hard work throughout the year? Christmas parties and employee achievements should go hand in glove. The dilemma is how to recognize them with freshness and panache. With the right printable gift certificates and awards plus a handful of fun ideas, you can put together a…
Christmas Employee Recognition Ideas
Hear that? Sleigh bells ringing in the lane as Christmas rapidly approaches? Before you know it, the weather forecast will be cold and snowy and it’ll be time to celebrate the holidays with your employees. When hosting a holiday event in your office, these 12 Christmas employee award ideas are fun ways to recognize your staff before the year’s end….
“The single most important thing is to make people happy,” founder of CD Baby, Derek Sivers, once said. “If you are making people happy, as a side effect, they will be happy to open up their wallets and pay you.” If the customer is the most important aspect of your business, the second-most important is your company’s customer service staff….
Recognition & Motivation Ideas
American author Cynthia Ozick once said, “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” Across the nation and around the world, volunteers make the important work of nonprofit organizations possible. However, these generous heroes often go unsung. Nonprofits can use these six ways to recognize volunteers for all of their donated hours and meaningful…
There’s a fog of inattention seeping into your workplace. Morale seems lower, intrigue and insubordination higher. Your team is less cohesive than it should be. How did things become this way, and more importantly how can you fix it? Don’t blow your top or despair just yet. It’s never too late to reinvigorate your team and reclaim their focus. It’s…
You don’t have much of a business without a dedicated staff by your side. So, celebrate them. Each year when an employee’s hire date comes up, move beyond the customary reviews and annual evaluations. Use one of these ways to celebrate employee anniversaries to make each person feel truly appreciated for their talents and dedication to the company. Host a…
In a spring 2013 study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, the association found that 33 percent of HR professionals indicated “employee retention/turnover” to be a top challenge in their profession. While attracting top talent to your company is vital, keeping these valuable employees satisfied in their jobs is also crucial to your overall success. A tried-and-true method…
Recognition & Motivation Ideas
Just because you can’t break into a flurry of jumping jacks in the middle of a board meeting doesn’t mean you can’t exercise at work. Even short activity breaks can go a long way toward combating the detriments of sitting at a desk all day. Check out six office friendly workouts inspired by info at Fitbie and Fitness magazine. Chair Squats Find…
Recognition & Motivation Ideas
Whether they’re packed in the office vending machine or calling out to you from the break room table, unhealthy snacks are generally lurking around every workplace corner. For the third post in our healthy office series, we compiled a list of common harmful foods at work and then provided alternative snacks for a healthy office. Harmful Foods vs. Snacks for…
While many companies note a decrease in productivity during the summer months, there are many ways to combat this! The summer season offers employers the opportunity to have some fun with their staff. Summer office parties are a great perk for employees and also serve as an effective method for building comradely. “I saw good responses to perks that weren’t…
Even if you have an ergonomic work station and desk drawer full of granola, your office could be making you fat. Sitting around all day can make you fat, sick and prone to premature death, and those risks apply even if you make time for regular exercise. The good news is you don’t have to take the bad news sitting…
Forbes contributor Kate Harrison wrote an article about the most popular employee perks at tech companies in 2014. These perks ranged from free food to extra paid time off to game rooms on-site. Perks provided by your business for its employees aren’t just a great way to keep your staff satisfied and motivated, but a brilliant method for retaining your best…
There’s a reason many business note that productivity in the summer decreases. According to research compiled by Grasshopper, “25% of office workers felt their productivity decreased in the summer time.” Furthermore, 63% of respondents stated they left the office earlier during the summer while 60% report taking their lunch outdoors during this time of year. However, there are steps business…
A healthy staff is a productive staff. This year, get everyone in the office geared up and ready to participate in Bike to Work Day. Or, better yet, make it a weekly event. Each Friday allow staff to dress casual and cycle to work. Why? Aerobic exercise, like cycling, walking and swimming helps you live longer by maximizing the amount…
Training is a necessary evil in the corporate world. As the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, once said, “Job training empowers people to realize their dreams and improve their lives.” Additionally, training helps your staff remain up-to-date on procedures and policies so they can work effectively and efficiently. Even though you’re dealing with adults,…
“The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel,” writes author of Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most: A Guide to Employee-Customer Care, Sybil F. Stershic. “And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.” It’s simple. The better your employees feel about their work, the better your clients will feel about your…
While reaching for yet another cup of coffee to combat office sleepiness may seem like the most obvious thing to do, it’s not necessarily the best. Overloading on caffeine can actually make you feel worse, eventually disrupting your natural sleep pattern, making you jittery and nervous, or even resulting in heart palpitations or a stomach ache. Yuck is right, especially…
Recognition & Motivation Ideas
We know a thing or two about employee appreciation at Paper Direct. Part and parcel with it is an understanding of employee retention. That’s why we’d like to share our thoughts on some retention myths. Recognizing these common traps is a great way to avoid them. Myth #1: Pay is the Leading Factor in Retention A 2014 survey by Bamboo…
Kids love praise. Knowing they’ve reached a goal or completed a task motivates them to continue doing well. Although Sunday School classes may seem like a fun place to socialize with friends, play games and listen to inspiring stories, there’s a lot of learning going on too. Let’s celebrate it! Here are four Sunday school recognition ideas to keep your…
Recognition & Motivation Ideas
Day in and day out, teachers go above and beyond. From staying late to help students with projects, to arriving early to perfect lesson plans, this profession isn’t celebrated enough. So on May 5th it’s time to say Thank You! 15 ways schools can appreciate teachers on Teacher Appreciation Day! 1. Have the school secretary reach out to parents and…