4 Appreciation Ideas to Reignite a Culture

It’s 2023, and it’s time to make employee recognition more fun for everyone. Everyone loves to be celebrated, and celebrate with others. It's time to get creative with employee recognition and keep those hardworking people feeling happy, motivated, and ready to crush it at work every day. Your customers are looking for the newest and most exciting ways to recognize their employees, and we have four great ways to show appreciation with ideas that you can easily sell to your customers.

1. Peer-to-Peer Recognition Program – High five, y'all!

Recognition from managers is great, but recognition from peers is just as, if not more, meaningful. That's why your customers need a kick-ass peer-to-peer recognition program. This will allow their employees to give props to their coworkers for living out core values, being lifesavers during busy season, and more!

Another way to get creative with a peer-to-peer recognition program is to have a monthly or quarterly theme that aligns with the company's mission or values. This not only recognizes employees, but also reinforces what's important to your customers.

An Idea You Can Sell: Help your customers create this recognition program. Symbolic awards are more meaningful to employees than company swag and gift cards when it comes to formal recognition. Dazzling crystal awards can be the ultimate achievement at an annual award event for your customers, and their employees will show this off to everyone.

2. Wall of Champions – Show and tell!

When employees are presented with awards at an event, your customers have celebrated them once. But what about after they win their award? Why not put their photos and accomplishments on display for everyone to see? Creating a wall of champions after an employee recognition event is like icing on the cake. It reinforces the recipient’s accomplishments and shows that the company is still excited and can’t wait to see what they’ll do next.

Make sure your customers make a big deal out of those awards! Showcasing employee wins not only boosts their confidence, but it also inspires others to aim for similar achievements. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.

An Idea You Can Sell: Use IllumaPix™ frame-free crystal prints from Crystal D to create the wall of champions that highlight employees, partners, or donors. A full-color image on the crystal prints can be hung on the wall for the next year, and after the next celebration, the employees can take their IllumaPix™ prints home with them and display them in their living rooms.

3. Traveling Trophy, Baby!

Create a trophy that employees can win for all sorts of achievements, whether it's daily, weekly, or monthly. It could be a cute little stuffed animal that sits on their desk or a life-sized cutout of the boss, just traveling around the building. The possibilities are endless! This is a fun and unique way to get everyone interacting and engaged with the company.

Keep things unexpected by switching up the awards categories. One week it can be "Best Dressed" or "Cleanest Desk," and the next it could be "Most Creative Idea" or "Top Salesperson." The goal is to make everyone feel like a winner, and keep the excitement levels high.

And let's not forget, a little friendly competition never hurt anyone! Seeing that trophy with someone else will surely inspire others to step up their game. It's a great way to boost morale and get everyone involved.

An Idea You Can Sell: A traveling trophy can be any number of things. As a promo products professional, you have access to a treasure trove of ideas that can be an out-of-the-box roaming trophy. But you can also pitch an actual trophy! Crystal D’s Memory Makers have been running a fantasy football league since 2018, and they’ve passed the Majestic Award around every year. This year’s winner is currently being etched!

4. Birthdays and Work Anniversaries – Let's party!

Celebrating birthdays at work is a no-brainer! Singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of your lungs every month always makes for a good laugh. Showing love and appreciation for employees on their big day will make them feel special and remembered. And don't forget about work anniversaries! These are just as important, if not more, because they show how employees have impacted the company. Your customers can make a huge impact by recognizing birthdays and work anniversaries every year.

Here's a pro tip to share with your clients: Make the employee’s birthday or anniversary celebration all about them. Have their favorite snacks or drinks available in the break room, or maybe even order a special lunch for their team in their honor. And don't forget the balloons, streamers, and confetti — who doesn’t love a good party at the office?

An Idea You Can Sell: Create a birthday or work anniversary kit for employees. When you combine promo products with a beautiful IllumaPix™ crystal print or 3D Subsurface gift in a presentation box, you’ll really knock the socks off of your customer and their employees!

BONUS ROUND: If you love this and need more ideas to share with your customers, here is a little something extra.

5. Personal Achievements – Don't forget about the fun stuff!

Most employee recognition programs focus on work-related achievements, but let's not forget about employees' personal hobbies and activities. When your customers let their teams share in each other’s achievements, it shows that they care about their employees as people, not just what they can do for the company.

There are many ways to showcase what employees do outside of work. One way to get many people involved is an employee fair. This can be a space where employees can showcase their non-work-related passions. From crafting to photography, from sports to comedy, from cooking to singing, embracing employee interests and passions makes for a fun and dynamic work environment. Plus, who doesn't love seeing their coworkers as rockstars in their own right?

6. Daily Wins – Yay, it's a celebration!

Recognition doesn't have to be a huge event or a company-wide announcement. Celebrating small, daily wins within a department or one-on-one with a manager is just as important. Day-to-day informal recognition provides immediate feedback on a job well done, and helps build a positive culture in an organization. Celebrate daily wins by sending thank-you notes, having lunch together, or anything else that shows appreciation.

7. Shout It Out on Social Media!

We all know social media is the place to be. So why not shout out employees on these platforms? They'll see it, share it, and the world will see just how proud your customer is of all the hard work they do. Plus, any of the recognition ideas mentioned above can easily be turned into a social media shout out. Your customers will love this idea!

Now, remember, employee recognition is not a one-size-fits-all deal. What works for one company might not work for another. It's important for your customers to consider their company culture and what resonates with their employees.