Nearly all companies struggle to find qualified employees. I mean, how do you compete for the best when everyone else is hiring? The struggle is even more now, thanks to the shift to the gig economy and remote work. You are lucky if you have employees who have been loyal to your company over the years. Commitment is an important value that deserves honor. Giving thoughtful and valuable years of service awards is a good way to recognize their hard work.
Years of service is the time an employee has worked for your company. Years of service awards celebrate your employees' work anniversaries and their contributions. These awards have evolved beyond celebrating tenure to recognizing service milestones in an employee's career journey. Years of service awards make employees feel valued which increases employee retention rates and encourages high levels of engagement in your organization.
Benefits of Years of Service Awards
Milestone awards have numerous advantages for your company. Some of these include:
1. Increased employee engagement and retention
Employees who are well rewarded are likely to stay with your company longer and work better. These employees absorb company culture and develop expertise in their jobs and also turn out to be great mentors for new employees which helps increase retention for new hires as well. Working for your company for a long time also gives your employees a sense of belonging and breeds loyalty.
2. Better employer-employee relationships
Building employer-employee relationships based on trust and mutual respect encourages employee retention. Giving employee service awards is one way to create better employer-employee relationships.
3. A stable work environment
Long-term employees reflect a stable work environment when jobs are at risk, which improves employee morale. You need to value employees to make them stick with you, and service award recognition is a good way to make your employees stay. Retaining your employees also saves your company money as the recruitment process can be very costly.
4. A good company image
Retaining long-term employees reflects positively on your company, as a place where employees are treated well and valued and that is what recognition programs help you achieve. Aim to capture photographs and videos from your employee service award events and share these on social media and other channels to boost your company's image.
5. Attracting new talent
The millennial workforce is huge and yet hard to please, making it tough for companies who are competing for talent. Having a good company culture of rewarding and valuing employees can give you an edge over your competitors when you want to attract qualified talent.
What to Consider When Planning for Years of Company Service
Service awards programs can be challenging to develop. If you are a relatively new manager or HR professional who is starting programs with plaque awards or taking over an established tradition, here's a helpful guide to what awards the company should provide to help you stay organized and consistent for the years to comes so no employee is left out:
- Budget
You might not be able to keep up your rewards program if you do not have enough finances, which may leave some of your employees feeling unappreciated. See employee recognition as an investment in your employees who are your greatest assets, instead of a cost. According to a study by SHRM, you should invest a minimum of 1% of your payroll into your employee award program.
- Visibility
Recognition and awards should be common knowledge for all your employees. For longer-working employees, the recognition should be even more widespread by involving other external parties such as family, friends, and customers.
- Thoughtful and personalized rewards
Impersonal rewards can frustrate your employees. Gifting your best employees should be a well-thought-out strategy and not an afterthought. Be specific, personal, and genuine by focusing on your employees' unique roles and how they contribute to the company's mission. Service awards should also reflect employee expectations at their different career stages. Celebrate different milestones with different types of awards. Longer-serving employees should get more valuable awards. Remember to recognize value and efforts and not just length of service.
- Review your rewards
Your rewards program should be meeting certain goals such as helping employees stay motivated and reducing employee turnover. Conduct regular reviews to see if you are still meeting your goals and that employees are finding your recognition meaningful.
How to Plan out Your Gifts and Plaques for Year of Company Service Recognition
Here are some ideas for your gifts and plaques for different employee milestones and their wording:
1 year of service
At one year, your employees are in the learning stage and have understood your company culture to some extent. Recognizing your employees at this initial stage is crucial as employee turnover is often common during the first few years. Your gift should show appreciation for what your employees have accomplished in the short time. Celebrate them as an important part of your company's future and show that you are excited to see what they will achieve in the coming years. A thoughtful but affordable award plaque such as the circle years of service award or the sunflower service recognition award will motivate your newer employees to stick with you.
3 years of service
At this stage, employees have settled down and are all about fitting in and growing their careers. These employees have probably made tangible contributions to your company or have talents that are invaluable for your company, which you should mention. Start small so you have more room to expand into more custom and valuable gifts. Years of service certificate plaques outlining some of their achievements can be great at this point, to make your employees continue to feel motivated.
5 years of service
5 years is an expert stage for many employees. Your half-a-decade employees now know their craft and some may be thinking of taking on better opportunities which can result in high turnover rates. You need thoughtful and valuable rewards to keep this lot around. Gifting them an outstanding long services award plaque with internal signage and company branding is a good way to show these employees that you value them and still need them around. As for the wording, make them feel irreplaceable and that the company would not be the same without them.
10 years of service
At 10 years, employees now feel a sense of ownership for your company and want to solidify their place. A decade is a long and impressive milestone which deserves a great celebration. Gifting your decade-long employee a thoughtful plaque such as the milestone service recognition tower shows them that you appreciate how long they have come and the contributions they have made. It symbolizes a journey to the top and how your company ranks them. Your wording should reflect their most memorable achievements over the years, how priceless they are, and how honored your company will be to continue having them around as your model employees.
15 years of service
An employee who has served your company for 15 years is probably in a high-ranking position and knows all there is to know about your company history and culture. They deserve a high level of company honor and respect. The pinnacle years of service award is the epitome of class and the ultimate show honor for these long-serving employees. The pinnacle plaque soars high and presents plenty of place for inscription. Let these employees know that you are grateful for their commitment to the company vision and outline their most valuable achievements.
20+ years of service
A two-decade employee has seen your company at its best and worst. They have proven their loyalty, value, and consistency and are invaluable to your company as mentors. This is a stage of reflection and their recognition must be nothing short of golden and public. A valuable gold star or star-length service award plaque communicates corporate excellence and the high value that the company places on these long-serving employees. Let them know that they have helped to build the company to what it is and made invaluable contributions to its success.
Retirement awards
Employees that stick with your company until they are ready to retire deserve honorary recognition for their many years of hard work in your company as well. You can gift them a symbolic plaque like the sail retirement award which denotes a new beginning for them and acts as a way to wish them all the best in their next chapter. Let them know that they were valuable to your company, that you will miss them, and that you wish them all the best in their new journey.
Motivate Employees With Custom Years of Company Service Awards From DIY Awards
Awards programs for years of service should be meaningful, memorable, and fun. Aim to create an experience that builds an emotional connection between employees and the company. Service awards boost employee morale by creating a sense of company belonging and respect among peers when done right. Plan and budget ahead for a strategic and consistent award system and focus on giving high-quality awards that show your gratitude.
DIY Awards makes optical crystal awards that are weighty, making them feel more valuable in your employee's hands. We customize our plaques to your liking with deep-etched engraving. If you're looking for custom-made superior quality plaques that your loyal employees will remember and appreciate for years to come, DIY Awards is your plug. Contact DIY online or reach out to a representative today at 800-810-1216 to order your custom plaque.
