Why & How to Build an Employee of the Month Award Program

Having an employee of the month award program is a great way to boost morale. Employees feel like they are a more integral part of the company and some studies show it helps to reduce turnover rates. According to The Balance, one of the top ten reasons a person leaves their job is feeling under-appreciated. By recognizing employees for outstanding contributions, having a great work ethic, or going above and beyond can do a lot for the company morale. An employee of the month award program helps employees feel better about the job they do and communicates the company-wide appreciation. How you set up the program is important as you want it to be effective. It can be broken down into five steps.

Step 1: Why Establish an Employee of the Month Award Program

First, it is important to identify why you want to establish an EOTM award. Of course, it’s usually to improve morale, but what values do you want to reinforce across the company? Do you want to highlight individuals who display outstanding customer service? Or do you want to reward those who are taking more of a leadership role? Maybe you just want to reward those who consistently go above and beyond to work for the success of the company. When you determine the objectives of the program, it is easier to get employees onboard. They will have a better understanding of what they are working towards.

Step 2: Determine Eligibility for the EOTM Award

Secondly, make it clear who is eligible to receive the EOTM award. Consider things like:

• Are full-time and part-time employees eligible? Will temps or interns be eligible?
• Does an employee need to be employed for a certain amount of time before they are eligible for an employee of the month award?
• Will an employee be eligible to receive the award more than once?
• Can individuals who are helping choose the recipient be eligible for the award?

Step 3: Candidate Selection Process

The next step is to determine how the winner will be chosen. First, determine how a candidate will be pointed out. WIll it be through nomination? If so, who will be able to nominate? What factors should be considered in the nomination process? One option is to create a nomination form. This would allow employees to articulate the contributions the candidate has made to the company.

Secondly, once you have a number of candidates, how will they be selected? Who will decide? Should only managers vote? If your company is large enough, you may want to have a selection team. Determine who will be on the team. Should you create rating criteria? Or, do you want the selection process to just be a discussion?

These are the types of things you will need to determine to create a successful employee of the month award program. It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s worth it when you hand them the trophy.

Step 4: Choose the Award

Perhaps the most fun part of establishing an employee of the month award program is choosing the award. What will it be? You can go with a basic framed certificate. Or present them with a customized trophy. Do you want to give them a gift card or some other award along with a trophy or plaque? It’s important that it be meaningful. They need to know exactly why they are being recognized and that a lot of thought went into the award.

Step 5: Announce the Program’s Start

After you have established the EOTM award program, let everyone know about it. Announce it at the next company meeting, put it on the bulletin board, or send out emails. Be sure to send all the details about the program. Tell employees when the first nomination period begins. Help get everyone excited about it.

Let us help you!

Contact us at Suburban Custom Awards and let us help you with your Employee of the Month award program. We have a variety of trophies, certificates, and gifts to choose from. We can help you choose the best awards for your corporate culture as well as help you with the wording on personalized awards.