Why Personalized Awards Drive Motivation at Work

Why Recognition Matters

Recognition and praise are the best ways to boost self-esteem and reinforce positive actions. When done publicly, the effect is even more powerful. A person's self-esteem depends largely on the opinions of others, which is why recognition matters. The individual feels they have accomplished something important not only for themselves but also for others, and this motivates them to further achievements.

Furthermore, public recognition motivates others to improve. They receive an example of tangible achievements and unconsciously imitate the behavior of a successful person. This is why recognition in the workplace improves the performance of the entire team. Best practices are reinforced by public recognition and spread throughout the team.

In this article, we'll explore the best methods of staff recognition that will help motivate employees and improve business results. At TakeAwards, we believe recognition is more than a gift — it's a powerful motivator.

The Psychology of Recognition and Motivation

Abraham Maslow placed the need for respect and recognition from others at the middle level of the hierarchy of needs. The founder of humanistic psychology believed that moving up this hierarchy is only possible when lower-level needs are satisfied. Thus, understanding this psychology of recognition, you can help others unlock their creative potential and achieve self-actualization.

Frederick Herzberg studied employee motivation through job satisfaction. He concluded that higher productivity is directly related to recognition of employee achievements. This isn't just abstract reasoning, but conclusions supported by the study of physiological processes that unfold in the human brain. Recognition triggers dopamine and positive reinforcement, making rewarded actions dominant.

Motivation awards can be effective even without a financial component. Public recognition elevates individuals and gives them greater influence within the team. Therefore, knowing the psychology recognition, you can increase productivity within the company without significant investment.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: What Drives Employees Most?

By celebrating workplace achievements, you enhance not only extrinsic but also intrinsic motivation. This increases long-term engagement and improves performance.

A study of intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation by renowned psychologists E. Deci and R. Ryan shows that psychological well-being depends more on intrinsic than extrinsic motivation. Among other basic internal needs, they identified:

●     The need for competence or the desire to be effective in a particular activity.

●     The relatedness need, or a sense of connection with significant others.

By recognizing employees and their successes, you satisfy these basic intrinsic needs, thereby fostering a sense of psychological well-being.

Personalized Awards: The Power of Individual Appreciation 

Individual achievements must be honored with a motivation award. However, not every reward carries great emotional value. If you just buy a standard souvenir from the nearest store, it will please the employee, but it is unlikely to become a powerful motivator. Employee rewards must emotionally touch their personalities to have a lasting effect on their behavior.

The easiest way to achieve this is through personalized recognition. This way, the award will be addressed specifically to the recipient. Personalization of recognition and appreciation can be accomplished in a variety of ways:

● Name engraving can be done manually or using various tools, such as a laser beam, a spinning cutting tool, or chemicals. The choice of engraving method depends on the materials you choose as the base.

● Custom design can be used when you know the recipient's hobbies. For example, an employee might enjoy mountaineering in their free time or growing grapes in their garden. In this case, customized trophies and plaques in the shape of mountains or grape leaves will show the employee that you care about their interests.

● A personalized message on an award plaque will touch a person's emotions. By writing kind words, you'll not only achieve emotional resonance but also ensure the long-term preservation of your award. People tend to treasure messages addressed to them longer than regular award souvenirs.

Leading corporations like Google and IBM understand the importance of recognizing top performers for retention. Rewarding employees is especially important in a highly competitive labor market where the hunt for top talent is very intense. For example, Google introduced Innovation Awards to motivate employees to seek new solutions continually. Thanks to such innovations, Google continues to maintain its leadership position in its niche. 

IBM also offers similar awards for inventions, as rewards and recognition are effective incentives to move forward in technological development continually.

Large companies can also use custom awards to strengthen their brand identity. By presenting such trophies to their employees, they not only recognize their achievements but also reinforce corporate culture. For example, Ukraine's largest energy company DTEK commissioned TakeAwards to create a custom-designed award based on the film "The Fifth Element." As a result, the original statuettes became an important detail in DTEK's brand storytelling.

Why Personalized Awards Feel More Meaningful Than Generic Gifts

Personalized awards are always unique and one-of-a-kind. They are dedicated to a specific person, and the memory of their achievements is encoded in the gift. Such an award can be displayed on a desk or wall in an office space or in their homes. It's a source of pride for the recipient, as well as for their family and friends. It's always more than just a symbol of recognition of someone’s achievements, as such an award motivates them to further achievements.

If an employee receives a generic gift from management, it doesn't carry such deep meaning. For example, a company might give top employees luxury cutlery, a painting, or a bicycle. But these will be mere items they'll use in their daily lives. No one will even know that they received these goods for their significant contribution to the company's development.

Recognition at Work: Building a Culture of Motivation

There are different types of staff recognition you can experiment with in your company:

●     Recognition of top performers by company management. This is the most common form of employee motivation, as it is based on official recognition of achievements. For example, one team member invented something, another made the most sales, a third found profitable partners for the company, etc.

●     Peer-to-peer recognition. This form of employee rewards and recognition is more democratic, as all company employees decide who receives the award. Such forms of incentives help create warmer and more friendly relationships within the company.

But in both cases, managers play a key role in the entire process. They organize the selection of the winner, commission awards that can become lasting memories, and present them to employees. Their innovation and creativity determine whether the awards ceremony becomes a shared, engaging experience or a mere formality.

Therefore, they must know how to recognize staff effectively. Here are some tips for maximizing the impact of recognition at work:

●     A policy for rewarding top performers should be systemic. Only then can you create a sustainable incentive system that will drive greater productivity.

●     Reward not only significant achievements but also ongoing efforts. This way, everyone, not just top talent, will have a better chance of receiving recognition.

●     Diversify rewards so that employees with different talents are motivated to perform at their best. If the reward type is the same, there's a high probability that the same team members will receive it over and over again.

●     Combine different reward formats. For example, it could be monthly awards for top performance, team recognition events to strengthen teamwork, symbolic trophies for various occasions, etc.

How Regular Recognition Boosts Employee Engagement and Retention

Regularity is an important aspect of creating a recognition culture in companies. If you reward one employee, everyone else should be confident they have a chance to receive the same award next time. Only then will they be motivated to compete for it. If there is no regularity in employee recognition, the prospect of receiving an award looks very dim. In this case, the motivation to perform at their best weakens.

Choosing the Right Motivation Awards

Awards enhance the emotional impact of recognition because they are a tangible symbol of achievement. Therefore, choosing them requires a very creative approach, as they should impress and inspire employees. Furthermore, awards should be aesthetically pleasing, so people will want to display them prominently in their home or office.

Top Types of Employee Recognition Awards

There's a wide selection of motivation awards available for personalization. You can personalize them with the recipient's name, their accomplishments, and any other message. You can even come up with unique names for awards, which will be much more inspiring than generic ones. We've previously provided examples of original nominations, such as The Rising Star, The Resolution Wizard, and others. You can order a custom award design that will match your company's style. Here are the main types of awards suitable for public employee recognition:

● Trophies. Since this type of award is most often given for winning sporting events, it's also perfect for corporate competitions.

● Plaques. Decorative plaques made of wood, metal, acrylic, or glass commemorate events or achievements. They look great as a stylish interior design element.

● Medals. Presentation of this type of employee rewards is very spectacular, as the medals are worn around the neck. This adds a special beauty and solemnity to the awards ceremony.

● Acrylic awards. If you want your recognition tokens to look stylish and modern, order custom awards made of acrylic. This material is available in a variety of colors and is easy to engrave.

● Corporate gifts. Recognition for employees can take the form of valuable gifts, such as electronics, watches, expensive pens, etc.

Tips for Creating a Meaningful Custom Design

One of the benefits of personalized awards is that you can tailor their design to the recipient's achievements, position, or hobbies. So, to make your gift impressive, customize it as much as possible:

●     Don't limit your imagination to rectangular awards. Create a gift of a special shape, perhaps one that matches your company logo.

●     Avoid long text messages; instead, focus on a short but concise presentation of achievements.

●     Choose an award material that will complement the winner's office or home decor.

Explore TakeAwards’ personalized collection to find the perfect award that truly inspires!

The Long-Term Impact of Recognition

Recognition in the workplace is significant in the context of liberalized labor markets and increased competition for the best employees. Competitors may offer higher salaries and better working conditions to lure valuable professionals. But if you approach employee motivation wisely, it will be more profitable for them to stay with your company. 

In addition to material incentives, you offer subtle intrinsic ones, such as prestige, high self-esteem, approval from others, and so on. These inherent benefits increase employee engagement and loyalty and positively impact productivity. 

If you regularly nurture a recognition culture in your organization, it will create excellent role models for other employees. And then, productivity will increase for many.

Recognition is not just an act — it’s an investment in people.

Turning Recognition into Results

The direct link between recognition and productivity has been proven by many psychologists who have studied workplace motivation systems. But rewards should not be formal or standard. The best option for encouraging employees is personalized awards. They strengthen the emotional connection with the company and its employees and form the basis for long-term motivation. Use the extensive reward customization options offered by TakeAwards to create the perfect design for your awards event.