I was chatting with an old friend the other day, and he looked at me seriously and said, "Allison, I have to tell you about this embarrassing thing that's happening at work!" I'm not sure exactly what kind of emotional torture I imagined was going on, but as he revealed it, all I could do was laugh.

Employee service awards are the most common form of recognition given in the workplace with 88% of U.S. companies having a program in place. With awards taking place so often, it's important to keep the program fresh and exciting with new ways to celebrate. We've put together our top 10 ideas for employee service awards – many of which we've tested ourselves. We promise they will thrill your team!

Visit Us at SHRM 2014 to Learn More About Making Every Year a Milestone Year! The SHRM 2014 Annual Conference and Exposition is coming soon! Our booth staff have been limbering up their vocal chords, so they’ll be ready to talk about career moments with all of the expo visitors! 

We actually set up our booth in house Tuesday and did a trial run with the entire Baudville team! We got to see for ourselves the excitement that will be happening June 22-24 in Orlando, and we even got a sample taste of those delicious cupcakes everyone loves year after year!

Years of service recognition programs also known as service awards or milestone awards, have recently come under scrutiny. These awards became common in the early 1900s to help retain factory workers.  In today’s knowledge economy, several may argue that the service award doesn’t make sense. Why are we recognizing someone for simply staying around?

I believe recognizing years of service is even more important today than it was years ago. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found the 2012 median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their employer was 4.4 years. That’s 7.2 months shy of receiving even a 5-year service award. Employees often aren’t staying around, and most surveys show that approximately 40% of employees are actively looking for a new position. Right. Now.

Years of service recognition programs are best leveraged when they are part of an employee recognition strategy that also includes more frequent forms of appreciation such as day-to-day recognition and peer-to-peer programs. When used together, organizations can create a culture of appreciation that impacts both employees’ tenure and the bottom line.

Here are four pieces of data from recent surveys on employee recognition that provide reasons to recognize years of service.

1. It Matters to Your Employees

“A study by Towers Perrin found that the impact of milestone awards rings true around the globe. Most employees worldwide believe milestone awards show them the company cares about its people.”

If you’re on a budget, but still want to give high-quality awards that are worthy of the achievements you’re rewarding, you’re in luck! We’ve recently designed three new trophy lines—all less than $30—that will honor your recipients, while still honoring your bank account!