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January 10, 2025

3 Ways to Celebrate Your Employees in the New Year

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas,Recognition & Motivation Ideas,Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , — Kristine Richards @ 1:11 pm

As we ring in the New Year, now the perfect time to show your team how much you value their contributions. Celebrating employees isn’t just about boosting morale; it’s about fostering a culture of appreciation that drives engagement and teamwork throughout the year. Here are three simple but impactful ways to celebrate your employees as you start the New Year.

1. Write Handwritten Notes

In a world dominated by emails and instant messages, the personal touch of a handwritten note stands out. A few heartfelt sentences acknowledging an employee’s unique contributions or personal growth can make a lasting impression.

Handwritten notes are a thoughtful, low-cost way to express gratitude, and show employees you took the time to genuinely appreciate their hard work. Leave these notes on their desks, mail them to remote workers, or present them at a team meeting to make the moment extra special. Check out PaperDirect’s collection of beautiful thank-you cards!

2. Hold a Kickoff Event

Start the year with energy and excitement by organizing a kickoff event. This could be as simple as an in-office breakfast or as elaborate as a team-building retreat. Use the event to celebrate the team’s achievements from the previous year while setting a positive tone for the months ahead.

Kickoff events are also an excellent opportunity to outline company goals and inspire employees by sharing the bigger picture. Incorporating fun activities, awards, or even a motivational speaker can make the event memorable and meaningful. The goal is to create an environment where employees feel valued and energized for the year ahead.

3. Create a Recognition Board in a Common Space

A recognition board in a shared area is a simple yet effective way to celebrate employees all year round. Dedicate a physical board in the office, or a digital space for remote teams, where coworkers can post shout outs, thank-you notes, and highlight accomplishments.

Supply a nearby cabinet with fun letter paper, thank-you cards, and invitations so your employees will never run out of something positive to put on the board. Visible and interactive recognition keeps the spirit of appreciation alive daily, and creates a culture where everyone feels seen and valued.

Final Thoughts

Celebrating your employees in the New Year doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. Thoughtful gestures like handwritten notes, a fun kickoff event, or an ongoing recognition board can make a significant impact. By prioritizing employee appreciation, you’ll build a stronger, more motivated team ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead.

PaperDirect has the products you need for employee recognition, and so much more! With the best selection of employee recognition supplies, to high-quality and cost-effective stationery solutions, it’s no wonder why businesses across America choose us for their employee celebrations year after year.

January 16, 2023

Rewarding Employees in Creative, Inexpensive Ways

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: , — Kristine Richards @ 8:00 am
You Make A Difference Specialty Certificates

If you need ideas for rewarding employees without spending a great deal of money, you have come to the right place. Sure, you can take the easy way out and shoot off an email telling your employee he/she has done a great job, but there are more creative, personal, and meaningful ways to convey to your team that they are doing a fantastic job and that you appreciate their hard work.

Raises and bonuses are usually the most appreciated way of rewarding employee performance, dedication, and creativity, but company budgets don’t always allow for this type of recognition. Tell your employees you appreciate their great work with these creative, inexpensive means of employee recognition.

Praise is free, meaningful, personal. If you’re looking for a more tangible way to recognize a job well done, there are creative ways of rewarding employees.

Certificates, plaques, trophies, banners, gifts, and inspirational posters are all creative, inexpensive ways of rewarding employees who have wowed you with their customer service, product pitch, sales record, perfect attendance, or team work.

Never underestimate the power of recognition. It boosts morale, motivates, inspires, creates feelings of self-worth and value, increases productivity, and fosters loyalty and dedication.

If you haven’t told your employees they’re doing a good job, they may have low morale, lack motivation, or do just enough to get the job done. While employees may appear to not need a pat on the back, everyone truly likes to hear they’re doing a good job every now and then. And with so many creative, inexpensive ways of rewarding employees, there’s no reason to put this off any longer.

PaperDirect has a full line of employee recognition materials to meet your company’s needs.

June 12, 2018

4 Unique Ways to Recognize Your Remote Employees

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: , , — Megan Duffy @ 11:39 am
recognize remote employees

Just because remote employees are out of sight doesn’t mean they should be out of mind. Even if they can’t participate in on-site team building and camaraderie events, you can help ensure they aren’t left out or go unrecognized. Make sure they know they’re a valuable part of your organization with these ideas for providing employee recognition for remote teams.

Virtual Bulletin Board

Your in-office bulletin board may be packed with employee updates, kudos, photos, and other fun stuff that enhance business relationships. Take that same bulletin board concept and put it online. Create a space where remote team members can post funny pictures, cartoons, and comments to each other. This type of open forum can help your remote employees feel less isolated and more involved with your company.

Remote Employee Awards and Rewards

Doling out regular awards or rewards can be a spectacular way to provide employee recognition for remote teams. Create a lineup of awards that are for remote workers only and hand them out on a weekly or monthly basis. Get staff involved by having coworkers nominate each other for the awards.

Ideas for Weekly or Monthly Awards:

  • Happiest Remote Worker
  • Most Productive Remote Worker
  • Most Helpful Remote Worker
4-in-1 work from home kit

Ideas for Other Awards:

  • Funniest Remote Worker
  • Easiest Remote Worker to Get on the Phone
  • Toughest Remote Worker to Get on the Phone
  • Remote Worker Most Likely to Be Online 24/7
  • Remote Worker with Most Creative Work Location

Hand out recognition certificates, engraved trophies, or personalized gifts as awards, posting a photo and praise online before you mail the prize to the recipient.

In addition to awards, you can set up a reward system where remote employees earn points for receiving weekly or monthly honors. You can then let them redeem the points for things like gift cards, subscriptions, and memberships.

star acrylic award

Online Recognition Tools

Make it easy for team members and managers alike to publicly recognize and thank remote employees by setting up an online recognition platform for sharing praise and words of encouragement. Establishing an easy way to send e-cards and other personalized messages is another idea that can help workers thank and connect with each other.

Offline Recognition Tools

While e-cards and online recognition platforms are fast and easy, sending handwritten notes and thank you cards can provide a truly personal touch. Keep a few boxes of different thank you cards in stock so managers and coworkers can create and send out personalized praise.

You can keep the good vibes going by also sending out birthday cards or cards marking other important dates, like work anniversaries, to remote team members and in-house employees alike.

balloons confetti notecards

These ideas for providing employee recognition for remote teams can help remote employees feel included, valued, and an integral part of your company. Regularly delivering positive reinforcement to remote employees can go a long way toward making them proud to deliver exceptional work.  Don’t forget to check out PaperDirect for everything you need to recognize and thank your remote team.

February 2, 2018

How to Write a Great Employee Recognition Speech

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: , , — Megan Duffy @ 4:02 pm
recognition speech for employees

Regularly recognizing stellar employees makes them feel good and makes the whole workplace more productive. It also serves to consistently boost morale while giving other employees incentive to do their best.

Recognition awards are always a smart choice, especially if you present them while giving an inspiring speech. Not sure how to pen the perfect employee recognition speech? These tips can help.

Things to Say

Your recognition speech for employees can pack the biggest punch if you simply speak from the heart. Follow a few guidelines to keep your speech on track:

Be specific.

Instead of giving generalizations like “Sally is a great employee,” pinpoint what makes her great. “Sally increased sales by 400 percent last quarter alone.”

Be clear.

Make it obvious why the employee is being recognized. “Sally’s phenomenal sales record is the reason she’s getting this $5,000 cash bonus”.

Look at broad effects.

Highlight how your employee’s efforts have had a positive effect on the entire business. “This massive boost in sales has given our company the biggest growth we’ve seen since 1973. It’s also allowed us to develop two new products with the additional revenue.”

employee recognition award plaque

Things Not to Say

Keeping the speech positive is a must to ensure you leave the room infused with positive vibes. A recognition speech for employees is not the time to include things that could be taken otherwise.

Don’t include constructive criticism.

While it can work when you’re coaching employees one-on-one, it’s not something you want to announce in a room full of people when handing out an award.

Avoid making unfair employee comparisons.

Each employee brings his or her unique talents to the table. They’re not all going to perform identically, and they shouldn’t be expected to be the same. Perhaps Jim doesn’t get as many sales as Sally, but he could be a rock star when it comes to explaining new products at seminars.

Never promise something you may not be able to deliver.

Continual employment is one of these things. Even if you hope Sally sticks around forever, you don’t want to promise a job forever just in case you’re faced with circumstances beyond your control. Avoid speaking in hypotheticals and stick to words of thanks.

Leave out anything that could be offensive.

In today’s climate, even some humor could backfire. Steer clear of comments that mention gender, race, religion, or other sensitive topics.

Using these tips can help you write awesome recognition speeches for those exceptional employees. Now all you have to do is make sure you have an exceptional recognition certificate or plaque to go with it. Shop PaperDirect for your office award needs.

April 18, 2014

8 Fun Game Ideas for Company Picnics

Filed under: Seasonal & Special Events Ideas — Tags: , , , , — PDWriter @ 8:44 am
Barbeque Border Papers by PaperDirect

As the weather warms up, it’s time to start thinking about enjoying it with a company picnic! Choose from a variety of invitations r create your own invites on festive border paper and get your employees, and perhaps their family members, together for a fun afternoon outdoors. Help keep the party enjoyable with these fun game ideas for company picnic days.

Game Ideas:
Barbeque Border Paper by PaperDirect

1. Sack Race: This rowdy outdoor game will get everyone loosened up because it’s impossible to not look silly while hopping around in a sack. If you don’t have access to sacks, pillowcases work just as well.

2. Water Balloon Toss: There’s no harm in getting a little wet, and most people will in a water balloon toss game. Have people pair up and stand a few feet away and toss a water balloon from one person to the other, taking a step back with each successful catch.

3. Horseshoes: If your picnic area has a horseshoe pit, this makes a fun and casual game for people to play whenever they have a spare moment at the picnic. There’s not much as satisfying as hearing the clink of a horseshoe around the stake!

4. Bocce Ball, Bean Bag Toss, or Ladder Golf: These picnic games go along with nice weather and being outdoors. Consider building a branded game and give out prizes to the winner!

5. Three-Legged Race: If your group doesn’t mind getting a little crazy, pair off and tie your adjoining legs together for a classic three legged race. It’s amazing how well people can get along if they’re depending on each other to cross the finish line first.

6. Human Knot Challenge: Divide picnic attendees into teams and have each team get in a circle, put their hands in the middle, and grab two different people’s hands. Then challenge teams to untangle into a circle as quickly as possible without letting go.

Watermelon Party Border Paper by PaperDirect

7. Company Trivia: Get everyone together at the end of the day for a trivia game, asking about company history and fun facts. You can even keep the same teams from games earlier in the day.

8. Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest: This classic contest is fun for picnic attendees of all ages, even employees’ children! It’s also an easy one to play if you’re already planning to serve watermelon. Set up a starting line and mark the farthest seed each time with a golf tee.

With every picnic game that’s played at your company picnic, focus on having fun and getting to know each other in a context outside of work. If you want to heat up the competition a bit, shop for prizes and custom certificates for game winners, too.

January 24, 2014

Tips for Creating a Professional Certificate

Filed under: How to Design Certificates — Tags: , , , , — PDWriter @ 10:00 am
Sienna Specialty Certificates by PaperDirect

Creating professional certificate templates for use in workplace award ceremonies is a great way to let your employees know you appreciate them without having to spend a fortune on expensive prizes. Here are a few tips to help you create certificates that people will display proudly.

Pick the Right Paper Stock

A lot depends on the kind of paper that you use when creating a professional certificate. Lightweight paper feels flimsy and can therefore give the impression that your recipient isn’t very valued. Heavier paper stock, on the other hand, feels a lot more substantial and can have a more positive psychological effect.

Delicate Standard Certificates by PaperDirect

Choose an Appropriate Color Scheme

There is no one size fits all method of creating professional workplace certificates, but one thing you definitely want to pay attention to is your use of color. Some colors, like neons and pastels, look great but bring across a more lighthearted feel than others. If you’re creating an official workplace certificate, stay away from loud colors and stick to a more conservative color, like black, gray, and blue on white paper. If you’re giving away a series of slightly more goofy awards for things like “Funniest Person in the Office” or “Best Boss Ever,” feel free to experiment.

Don’t Clutter the Layout

When you’re making your own business certificate, you only have so much room to work with. Instead of trying to fit as much information as possible onto it, be sparing and make sure to leave plenty of white space between words. Otherwise, you run the risk of creating something that looks unprofessional.

Intricate Scroll Standard Certificates by PaperDirect

Use Several Fonts, but not Too Many

The use of different type fonts and sizes in certificates is commonplace – but the one thing you absolutely want to avoid is overdoing it. How many is too many? Set yourself a three font rule and stick to it just to be on the safe side. Going crazy with fonts can make a certificate look unprofessional, cluttered, and impossible to read.

Spell the Recipient’s Name Correctly

Few things in life are as disappointing as receiving a certificate so badly spelled it looks like it belongs to someone else. When presenting an employee or close business partner with an official certificate, take great care to ensure their name is spelled accurately. Leave no room for doubt. If there’s any question, ask the individual to write down their name for you.

If you need help creating certificates or just want to explore your options, pay a visit to Paper Direct and check out our variety of custom and standard certificates available today.

November 27, 2013

The 15 Most Creative Employee Recognition Categories

Filed under: Recognition & Motivation Ideas — Tags: , , , , — PDWriter @ 3:56 pm
creative employee recognition categories

Creative employee recognition categories make the people who work for your organization feel truly appreciated. They show that you have thought about each person’s contributions and chosen to recognize the unique benefit they bring to the company. Awards are also a great way to boost morale among your employees. Here are 15 creative employee recognition categories for your next awards ceremony:

Creative employee recognition categories

Excellence in Humor and Entertainment
An award for the person who keeps morale high and makes people look forward to a day at the office.

Outside the Box Thinker: 
Recognize the people who look at a problem and see a different solution.

Sanitizer award for healthy employee
Use sanitizer as a funny healthy prize!

Healthy Living Promoter: 
Got an employee who encourages walks during lunch and morning stretches? Give an award certificate to recognize their contribution to employees’ health.

Outstanding Innovator: 
Have someone on your team who comes up with great new ideas? Make it known with an innovator award.

Clipboards help you stay organized

Excellence in Organization: 
This worker knows where everything is and keeps it where you can find it, saving you time and money.

Outstanding Memory Award: 
An award for the person who always knows where to find little-used tools and files and saves your organization time.

Food-themed stationery paper

Office Lunch Expert: 
For the one who knows the best places to eat and enriches the working day.

Outstanding Philanthropist: 
Show your appreciation for the charitable work he or she does.

Motivational cards for employees

The Risk Taker: 
Reward those fearless enough to take your team in a new direction.

The Asker of Good Questions: 
Those who seek clarity help us all become more effective.

The Human Handbook: 
Is there one person who always seems to be up on policy, style guides, and rules? Reward this employee’s diligence.

Marvelous Multitasker: 
Show how much you value their abilities to keep the plates spinning!

Calm in the Eye of the Storm: 
Show how much you appreciate this person’s resilience when things are hectic.

The Behind the Scenes Wonder: 
Recognize someone whose quiet daily management makes everything go smoothly for everyone else.

Motivational Certificates for Employees

The Encouraging Word Award: 
This is for the employee who recognizes others’ strengths and lets them know when they are doing a great job.

Rookie of the Year: 
Have an outstanding new addition to your team? Reward them with Rookie of the Year.

Mr/Ms. Congeniality: 
If there is someone in the office that deserves recognition for being kind, reward them.

Pop Culture Pro: 
This award is for the person that is always up to date on the latest shows, trends, and technology.

Last Words

While some categories are fanciful and others more serious, all are heartfelt and sure to be appreciated. Make your recognition awards count with certificates from PaperDirect that your employees will be proud to display.

August 29, 2013

Funny Office Award Ideas to Beat Summertime Blues

Filed under: Employee Recognition Ideas — Tags: , , , — PDWriter @ 7:55 am
Funny Office award Ideas

Many offices hold an annual company banquet as a means of showing their employee appreciation and celebrating a successful year. While you can certainly hand out traditional awards, like Best Customer Service and Sales Rep of the Year, make sure to have to have some fun and include some more light-hearted awards.

Customize your own award certificates for a cute, quality keepsake of the event. Have fun thinking up clever and creative awards for the ceremony and be sure to have the camera on hand to grab a few quick snapshots of the lucky recipients.

Check out these funny office award ideas to get you started, and don’t forget to shop for extra certificates.

20 Funny Office Award Ideas

Brown Thumb Award: Every plant in their workspace is dead

Bermuda Triangle Award: The desk space where things go in and never return

Punny Award: For that very special person in the office that is always making clever puns and wordplay.

Ms. or Mr. Punctuality Award: For the ever on-time employee

Social Butterfly Award: Do you have a Tom Haverford in the office who’s constantly tweeting? Deem him/her the social butterfly.

Green Thumb Award: The best plants in the office

The Iron Chef Award: This award goes to the person who always packs a delicious looking lunch while everyone else gets Subway.

Busy Bee Award: For the employee who is always on the move

bee-themed stationery paper

The Caffeine Addict Award: For the employee who drinks the most coffee in a day

Mr. or Ms. Fitness Award: For the employee who hits the gym every day during lunch

Wise Guy or Gal Award: For the sarcastic employee who is always cracking jokes

Loch Ness Award: For the employee who is never at their desk, and hard to find

The Patrick Mahomes Award: Have a team leader who continuously impresses? Choose your offices favorite QB or sports star and name an award after him.

football themed certificate papers

Mama Bear or Papa Bear Award: For the caretaker of the bunch

Pig Pen Award: For the messiest desk in the office

Neatest Nook Award: For the cleanest desk in the office

Excessive Gambling Award: For the employee who is always betting on the game and life in general.

Pen Stealer Award: For the person who is always walking off with other people’s pens

pen and pencil gift set for employee

Rookie of the Year: For the newest employee who’s doing a rockstar job.

Old Timer Award: For the employee with the most distinguished history with the office

Just remember, when selecting awards for employees it is okay to poke fun, but keep the awards light-hearted and fun to avoid accidentally hurting somebody’s feelings.

Whether you are having a big company gathering, or just looking to have a little Friday afternoon fun on a hot summer day, office awards are a great way to do it. Shop PaperDirect now for certificates for your office awards ceremony!

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