Employee of the Quarter: Awards, Voting, and Criteria

What helps an Employee of the Quarter program run well? If the program runs poorly because of vague criteria, repeat winners, or inconsistent voting, it can be more damaging than not having a program. Let’s talk about how to build and run an Employee of the Quarter program that will earn real respect. This comes from a program with well-defined criteria, a recognition moment that lands, a fair selection process, and award ideas that match the honor and significance.

Guide to Developing an Impactful Employee of the Quarter Recognition Program

Let’s look at the elements that need to be included when creating an Employee of the Quarter program.

Designing Meaningful Criteria

When developing criteria for an Employee of the Quarter Program, making it too broad is a common mistake. The idea is to award the brightest and best each quarter. If the criteria is too general, it may miss the ones you are aiming to honor. For example, “Demonstrates excellence and company values” is not a criterion. Criteria should be specific enough that a selection committee can evaluate potential selectees against a real body of work.

A strong criteria framework will include two or three of these elements:

• Performance Component. Did the individual deliver measurable results over this quarter?
• Values Component: Did the individual demonstrate specific company values through their work and interactions?
• Impact Component: Did the individual contribute beyond their responsibilities, or have a larger effect on the organization or their team?
• Peer Component: Do colleagues name the individual as one who made the biggest difference in the quarter?

Define and document the criteria. Apply them consistently every quarter. Avoid changing criteria between cycles, or it may be perceived as manipulation.

Build a Fair Voting and Selection Process

There are two models primarily used for Employee of the Quarter selection: peer-nominated and committee-based. Both work, and each has advantages and disadvantages.

Committee-Based Selection

A committee of three to five people takes nominations, then selects the winner based on the established criteria. Committee membership should be rotated to reduce bias and include representation from various departments. The committee-based model reduces the risk of popularity-contest dynamics and provides more defensible decisions. The biggest trade-off is that this process can feel less legit to employees who tend to value peer involvement.

Peer-Nomination Including Committee Shortlisting

All employees can make nominations, and a committee will shortlist them to the top three to five candidates. Peers perform the final vote to determine a winner. This hybrid model combines the quality filter of a committee with broad participation. It is the model that is most likely to provide fair outcomes and high buy-in from employees.

Prevent Repeat Winner Cycles

One way to make a recognition program lose legitimacy and relevancy is to have the same person win every time. Even if you have that one employee who continuously outperforms everyone else, a program where the outcome is predictable and feels predetermined stops creating motivation.

One solution is to include boundaries such as allowing no more than two wins in a rolling 12-month period. It can also be structured with a department rotation structure to ensure winners come from various parts of the organization. Consider implementing a Rising Star category for employees in their first two years. Otherwise, the newcomers might be overlooked by more tenured individuals.

Designing the Recognition Moment

How the winner is recognized and announced is as important as the criteria used to select them. Sending a Slack message is not a recognition moment. Celebrating the person publicly in a company-wide announcement that names them and their specific contribution, and the story behind it is.

To create high-impact recognition moments:

• Announce in a company-wide meeting, not just a digital channel or email.
• Tell the story behind the nomination; don’t just state the outcome.
• A senior leader should present the award.
• Combine the physical award with the public moment to make it significant to the recipient.

Employee of the Quarter Award Ideas

Research continues to show that pairing a physical award with a monetary or experience component significantly increases the award’s emotional impact and perceived value. Here are a few ideas to start with:

• Quality engraved crystal award, art glass award, or acrylic award that includes the recipient’s name, award title, and the quarter.
• Build a premium recognition kit that includes insulated drinkware, a leather notebook, and a branded item.
• Include a certificate with the specific nomination, along with the award name.
• Include a monetary component with the physical award. This may depend on the size of the organization but is often $50 to $250.
• Add an experience option such as a special event, dinner, or a professional development opportunity.

Build a Program That Earns Respect

Build an Employee of the Quarter program that the organization looks forward to by running it fairly, consistently, and with genuine specificity. This creates a shared story about how excellence is respected and what it looks like in your organization, quarter by quarter for years to come.

Suburban Custom Awards helps organizations with the physical component of quarterly programs. Browse through our wide selection of crystal awards, trophies, and other recognition options. Contact our team to discuss Employee of the Quarter awards for your next cycle! We can help with award selection, wording, and recognition ideas.