3 Low-cost Employee Recognition Items

Here are some budget-friendly recognition items that could add instant impact to the employee recognition program in your department organization.

RecognizeMe Toolkits $35-75

Make it easy for managers and coworkers to give recognition on-the-spot for great work. RecognizeMe toolkits each contain 300+ recognition opportunities and include free training on how to make the most of spot recognition opportunities.

Printable Award Certificates Free

Visit Terryberry's free certificate builder and create personalized certificates that you can print and present to your achievers. It's a simple and fun way to acknowledge accomplishments.

"The WOW! Workplace" $21.95

A must read for new managers and seasoned leaders. And it's a unique stocking stuffer. Get a copy for everyone on your management team.

from the Recognition Bulletin for HR - Winter 2009 Edition

Budget-Friendly Alternative Metals for Employee Recognition Jewelry

Gold and white gold jewelry have long been staples among recognition awards and retirement gifts. The iconic gold ring is a symbol that has represented the pinnacle of many careers as well as personal milestones.

For many organizations today, the current value of gold means those lustrous awards are even more coveted and appreciated than ever.

But for employers that might be looking for a budget-conscious alternative, there are some new and attractive options. Terryberry creates custom-designed award rings in alternative metals such as stainless steel and Solstra. (Solstra is a new metal comprised of alloys and real gold content. It’s slightly less weighty than its 10 karat gold muse, but has a similar appearance.)

Though made from less pricey materials, these cost-effective rings are still handmade one by one. A custom designed ring can include a corporate logo, and it can even be personalized with the recipient’s name, which is cast into the design when the ring is molded. Some designs have gemstones or synthetic jewels for dazzle.

Another option, Stainless Steel, is a trendy choice for its urban industrial look and its impressive strength. Another benefit that appeals to the environmentally responsible business is the 80% recycled steel content, making it an eco-friendly award.

If you’re considering an award ring option for a special achievement, visit Terryberry's award rings page online to check out design ideas.

Recognition in a Recession

If you're forced to manage your recognition budget with fewer dollars, check out this article by Mike Byam, Managing partner of Terryberry Company. Byam gives 5 ideas for saving costs on your recognition program without sacrificing the impact on your people.

Recognition on a Budget - Get Creative!

Earlier this week, Terryberry hosted a webcast on "Creating a WOW! Moment". Over 150 business leaders from around the world attended to learn and share ideas for how to WOW! their employees in spite of the slow economy.

What did we learn? The economy certainly isn't stopping businesses from showing appreciation for the efforts of their people. Instead managers and business leaders are just getting more creative.

Here are just a few WOW! moments that were submitted by businesses:

"In addition to the annual employee recognition program with specific award, we give two awards each term (we're in a university setting) - one for individual achievement one for team work. The individual is the Bow Tie Award in honor of our president who wears bow ties and the Scepter Award for the team in honor of Charlotte, NC, the Queen City." - Charlotte, NC

"We have a fun travelling trophy and recognize someone every other week." - Hoffman Estates, IL

"We have a quarterly breakfast to recognize those promoted in the previous quarter and give them a "Rising Star" cup and publish their picture and brief bio in a company publication." - Louisville, KY

"To make the presentation exciting, we also ask some trivia questions about the recipient, and the employee which guesses right, receives a small gift, such as, pens or pencils with our logo on it." - Sun Lakes, AZ

"We do a "who am I video" that we loop at the beginning of the lunch. We ask award recipients for a quote about themselves--something the rest of the Team wouldn't necessarily know, then we create a video where other employees try to match the quote with the award recipient." -Oscaloosa, IA

"Our annual recognition event is theme-based. So far we've done Under Construction (our first year in existence), Movies/Oscars/Red Carpet, and Kentucky Derby Day. Each theme some special event like a hat decorating contest for Derby Day; we had "Joanie" Rivers interviewing people on the red carpet for the Oscars. Both were very fun for all of the employees and set a positive fun tone for the presentation portion." -Charlotte, NC

Building Blocks of Recognition

I was at an HR Conference this week in St. Louis and heard a neat recognition idea from the University of Texas at Austin. A creative manager there came up with the idea to recognize positive contributions from employees on the spot by presenting a Lego. The Legos represent a dollar value which can be accumulated and redeemed for special awards. As employees receive recognition over time, they build little Recognition towers made of Legos which occupy a spot on their desks. For this university, it's a fun way for employees to keep a visible reminder of management's appreciation for their extra effort.

A Nice Touch

Do you have an employee or a team who has been burning the candle at both ends for a while? A practical way to show your appreciation might be to bring in a masseuse for a day to give short massages on site. It's a low-cast way to say thanks. Your employees will appreciate a few moments of relaxation, and they'll return to work energized and ready to face the next challenge.