Award Employees

The old method of service awards is frankly so outdated, that giving survival awards for 10, 15, 20 years of service is a ridiculous waste of money.  If you want to give something to a one year employee (assume she/he is a good one) then let them know from the first day of hire that they are important to you.  For that matter you may even want to consider giving them something when they join the company.  That will go a long way to making sure they’ll be there a year from then.  
 On their first year anniversary, what you don’t want to do is give them some type of cheap communication award like a pin, pen, or key chain commemorating their first year achievement; it may do more harm than good.  These symbolic awards are frankly a horrible idea.   Unless you have some of the most knowledgeable and experienced managers in the world on how to give recognition and praise, a small meaningless trinket will come off as just that, a small meaningless trinket that says to the recipient,” this is what we think of you.”  Don’t think that your managers have the ability to communicate with their direct reports on a one on one basis and make this kind of anniversary appreciation event worthwhile, the vast majority don’t.  That’s why so many of these events come off as negative to the employee, not positive the way they were intended.    

We would definitely recommend that you do give the employee something substantial for being there a year, and they absolutely should have a choice.  There’s nothing worse than the arrogance of companies picking the awards for their people.  Let them have what they want, not what you think they want or what you want them to have. 

And, if you don’t want to give them anything, that’s ok too, because being sincere in your praise of the event will go a long way.  A nice added touch like a letter from the big boss telling them of their accomplishments in the first year and then taking them to lunch could be very meaningful.  

When you’re thinking about anniversary awards thank about the old method as a pyramid and then turn it upside down.  Take all that money and put a lot of it upfront where it will do more good than simply leaving it where it is recognizing longevity.  Get some mileage out of it. 

Good luck to all of you on recognizing employees for their one year anniversary.  And please don’t give them a pin, pen or keytag for that achievement.

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