Author: TAG

Employees can be very proud of their workplace. Combine that with a dedication to public service, and you will have what many call an ideal career: working at the Department of Veteran Affairs.

The Award Group Partnership with Veterans Affairs

The Award Group has been proud to partner with the Department of Veteran Affairs for over 30 years. We have developed recognition programs for Vets and employees of the VA that reward at every level.

Here is how we help the VA show employees and their servicemen and servicewomen that their dedication is valued:

Veteran Affairs Years of Service program

One of the most common tenets of a long career with the VA is loyalty. Employees tend to stay with the VA for upwards of 20 years, sometimes starting as soon as they return from service.

Employee appreciation is usually shown in the form of custom, emblematic jewelry such as a lapel pin. The Award Group has designed a custom line of pins that are truly collector’s items. Each time an employee reaches a milestone of 10, 20, 25 years, etc., they are gifted one of these pins. The Award Group provides these pins for over 300 VA locations across the country.

Ceremony of Achievement

The custom lapel pins are often given to employees in a ceremony that celebrates their achievement amongst their peers. It’s important for the employee to feel the accolades from others; this is a big part of recognition. The Award Group can design and provide additional items associated with the event, like framed certificates or one-of-a-kind custom pieces.

One-Stop-Shop for Recognition Products

If other recognition items are needed throughout the year, The Award Group has a selection of products on hand. Our complete line includes calligraphic scrolls, crystal, medallions, plaques, and much more. When visiting dignitaries or other executives are present, it’s a nice gesture to have a keepsake to offer them as well.

The Award Group has the VA logo and style guide on hand and can design recognition products quickly.

For a last-minute name change or additional honoree on a moment’s notice, The Award Group has the VA covered.

A well-rounded employee benefits program is critical in today’s climate, this includes recognition in the form of products and praise. You can view some of these awards or contact The Award Group to learn more.

There is an abundant amount of stories in the news these days about the labor shortage.

One of the easiest ways to retain employees is to celebrate them often, through employee anniversaries.

Here are 6 ways to show appreciation for your employees whether it be 2 years or 20 years that they have been a part of your organization.

1. Create an Employee Recognition Program

Create a recognition program: For some corporations, it’s not uncommon to be celebrating 20, 30, sometimes 50 years of employment.

But for the Googles and Facebooks of the world, a year can be like dog years. A one-year anniversary should be celebrated with a small item like a desktop item or a wearable. Recognition programs can be scaled to longer employment as their career moves on. The Award Group has decades of experience designing recognition awards and certificates.

2. Social Media Employee Shout Outs

Shout out on social media: Just a couple of lines of text celebrating your employees at each year’s milestone reinforces your appreciation of their efforts.

3. Company-wide Zoom

Companywide zoom: Since it’s been 18 months since the pandemic started, some of your new employees may be going on 2 years without quality in-office time with their team members. A once a month zoom where new members are introduced can be a great way to celebrate existing employment.

4. Help Employees Pursue a Passion

Help them pursue a side passion: Another trend in the workplace is working your side hustle, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your day job! Some organizations offer credit or cash incentives to take classes, get a certification or pursue a higher degree. Offering this to your 10, 5 and maybe even 1-year associate shows you care about the person beyond the workplace.

5. Commemorative Video

Create a commemorative video: A celebratory video can be shared across offices and viewed at any time. it should show the employee’s progression in the company along with personal clips from friends and supervisors. Effective and easy to do!

6. Contribute to an Employee’s Favorite Charity

Contribute to their favorite charity: If you know that your employee is involved in helping others outside the office, offer them a charitable donation. Or you can give them the day off to spend time volunteering.

The pandemic workplace has changed how we interact so much, it’s no secret employees can feel forgotten. Be sure to celebrate them every step of the way!

Attracting and retaining top employees is absolutely critical for any business these days.

In fact, according to Gallup, replacing an employee can cost anywhere from one-half to two times the employees salary!

So how do you do retain top talent in a cost-effective manner?

Employee recognition.

Recognition from colleagues and supervisors is often cited as one of the top indicators of job satisfaction – and it’s a lot cheaper than a salary increase or extra vacation time (although these are types of recognition as well).

It’s simple: employees want their hard work to be noticed.

So, where do you start?

Here are a few types of employee recognition that are guaranteed to boost employee morale and ultimately employee retention.

1. Provide a recognition award

Perhaps the simplest and most effective way of showing your gratitude is to give your employee a recognition award!

Whether it’s for their years of service, crushing their sales quota, or just going above and beyond on a project – recognition products go a long way in improving employee satisfaction and performance.

2. Write a handwritten note

When was the last time you received a handwritten note? Skip the email and genuinely express your gratitude for the employee’s contributions.

This simple gesture stating how valuable your employee is to the firm is sure to be remembered.

3. Go out to lunch

The act of setting an hour or two to step away from the office goes a long the way.

If you are in management, you can also use this time to ask your employee about any concerns they have or just get to know them better.

4. Broadcast your praise 

A company newsletter is an effective and inexpensive way to spread news and mention employees or notable work.

Always identify small accomplishments as well so you can reward staff at every level.

5. Assign unique tasks

There are always short term projects that need to be completed outside the realm of job duties.

But when these come up, employees may express interest at first, but few will actually step up to the plate.

Assigning  this task with words of past accomplishments can signal that this particular employee was hand selected by you to get the job done.

6. Bring on the fun

A company outing is a casual way to bring everyone together. It should be a setting outside of the office and provide a time for all different departments to mingle.

To kick off or end the meeting, say some words about top performing departments or individuals.

Keep it short and sweet so as not to detract from the overall objective of the meeting, which is to foster inclusion across all departments.

7. Host an annual award event

As mentioned earlier, large corporations and government agencies often carefully plan an annual award event to really recognize key staff.

Performance can be monitored monthly and the annual event is a culmination of all that has happened throughout the year.

An aspect of an annual event that cannot be overlooked is recognition from peers. It’s not just management that should be recognizing the work.

Organizations often take this time to brainstorm and strategize for the following year since the entire staff is together at once.

Employee recognition does not have to be a large-scale implementation. There are ways to reward at every level and within every budget. Acknowledging that recognition should be part of your corporate culture is the first step!

Start Your Own Recognition Program