Low Cost/No Cost Recognition for Teams and Individuals

In these difficult economic times when budgets are tight we have to look for different ways to recognize the outstanding work done by individuals and teams. For most organizations taking a hundred employees to Las Vegas for a few days is definitely out.

The following list of ideas was developed while working with about 300 managers from a large international organization. Perhaps you'll find something in this list for your organization:

Give positive feedback to individuals at a team meeting
Organize a team lunch or dinner
Company branded T-shirts, bags, baseball caps
Project branded T-shirts
Article in the local newsletter, including photograph
Presentation to the senior Management Team or Project Board
Flowers/gift sent to home address either to the employee or the partner of the employee

Dinner for employee and partner
Gift vouchers for local retail stores, baseball game or even Starbucks
Letter or message from higher management thanking them for their efforts on a project
Breakfast at the office with the team
Long weekend away with partner
Visit to another business unit
Small presents - pen, key-ring, travel bags, briefcase, etc.
Send to a conference or seminar
Visit to another company in the form of benchmarking
Write article for a professional journal
Peer to peer award (coffee and donut coupon)
Breakfast meeting with senior management
Team photograph
Team outings - bowling, beer and pizza, etc.
Team building / development day - this should have some substance and be linked to the workplace
Celebration cake
Free tickets to local sporting events
Team presentation to external visitors
Send on a training course
Bring a training course inhouse
Family visit on site
Announcement in company magazine
Free gourmet food hamper
Employee of the Week award
Handwritten thank-you letter to home (so they can share with partner)
Special assignment (i.e. investigate use of new software tool)
A day or half-day or a couple of hours off work - feedback from employees indicates that this is the best received recognition
Flowers to spouse for inconvenience if employee has been doing a lot of overtime
Write article for internal newsletter
Time off for charity or community work
Ask to take on a new challenge
Given the opportunity to speak about your work at a professional conference
Given the opportunity to learn a new skill

Do you have an idea that you would like added to this list? Please send it to resource @ mentoric.com.