Encourage collaboration and teamwork with a recognition program that is effective and enjoyable!
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Explore creative award ideas to celebrate employees, improve engagement, and build a culture of recognition in your organization.
Recognizing employees for their contributions is not just a feel-good initiative—it is a practical strategy that helps foster a healthy work culture, boost morale, and drive productivity. When employees feel valued, they are more likely to be engaged, loyal, and motivated to maintain high performance. One effective way to show appreciation is through employee awards.
In this article, we explore a variety of appreciation award ideas that any organization can adopt. Whether you are part of a growing team or managing an established workforce, these award suggestions can help you build a culture of recognition that makes a lasting impact.
Consistent employee recognition is linked to lower turnover, improved performance, and higher job satisfaction. Recognition validates employees' efforts, creates a sense of purpose, and shows that their hard work does not go unnoticed. Structured appreciation award programs can formalize this recognition while aligning it with company values and objectives.
These awards celebrate employees who exceed performance expectations. Recognizing high achievers publicly not only honors their efforts but also sets a benchmark for others.
Examples:
These awards are ideal for sales teams, high-output roles, or project-based work.
Peer-nominated awards empower employees to recognize each other, which can foster collaboration, teamwork, and mutual respect.
Example:
This type of recognition builds a strong sense of community and helps leadership identify unsung heroes in the organization.
Loyalty deserves recognition. Service milestone awards show appreciation for employees who have remained committed over the years.
Common milestones:
These awards can include personalized plaques, service pins, or a public thank-you from leadership.
Employees who bring new ideas, improve processes, or solve problems creatively should be recognized for their initiative.
Examples:
This not only rewards the individual but also promotes a culture of continuous improvement.
Recognizing employees who consistently provide excellent service to clients and customers reinforces company values and customer-centric behavior.
Example:
Employees who coach others, take on unofficial leadership roles, or mentor junior team members can have a deep and lasting impact.
Examples:
This form of recognition strengthens leadership development across your organization.
Not all recognition has to be formal. Lighthearted and personalized awards can go a long way in boosting team morale.
Ideas include:
These awards add personality to your recognition program and reflect your company culture.
To ensure your appreciation program is successful, keep the following principles in mind:
Appreciation award programs are a simple but powerful way to show that employees matter. When done well, they can increase motivation, reinforce positive behaviors, and contribute to a strong, inclusive culture. By offering both formal and fun recognition opportunities, organizations can retain top talent and encourage consistent excellence.
If you are ready to enhance your employee recognition strategy, schedule a demo with Assembly today and explore how our platform can simplify and strengthen your appreciation efforts.
Creative ideas include humorous awards like “Best Zoom Background,” custom trophies, or experience-based rewards such as event tickets or extra time off.
You can recognize performance through structured awards such as “Employee of the Month,” public announcements, peer nominations, and personalized thank-you messages.
Employee recognition boosts morale, increases retention, improves performance, and creates a more positive and productive workplace culture.
Begin by defining award categories, setting clear criteria, involving peers in the nomination process, and using platforms like Assembly to manage the program.
Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.
Explore Guide
Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.
There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.
Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.
The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.
We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.
At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.
The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.
We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.
For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.
If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.
If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.
Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!
While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.
Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.
Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.
That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.
They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.
No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.
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