Managers often focus their energy on ensuring employees live up to customer expectations and facilitate movement in the needed direction. But, exceeding their employees’ expectations of management? That’s the real challenge.
90% of HR respondents said that an effective recognition program improves business results. 91% of them also agree it has a positive effect on retention.
Why? Employee recognition awards go deeper than gift cards and trinkets. It’s an opportunity to make employees feel appreciated and valued. It assures them their hard work and good behavior is being recognized, creating a sense of belonging and improving engagement.
When executed effectively, free employee recognition ideas like awards can be just as, if not more effective than expensive rewards.
A huge aspect of meaningful employee award titles and awards is to get the wording right. In this piece, we share some of the most innovative employee award titles you can add as a part of your employee recognition program.
Every company has its own culture and office dynamics. Employees are different too, which is why not all employee award titles and employee recognition awards will fit your workplace structure.
That said, there are some universal employee recognition award categories, as well as categories with some similarities that may apply to your own recognition system for employee performance.
Sales is one of the more challenging jobs crucial for your company’s growth. That’s why when a sales professional successfully closes profitable deals and brings more leads to your sales pipeline, you should recognize their efforts.
Here’s a list of sales employee award titles to make your sales team feel respected and valued.
1. Sales Attainment Award
2. Sales Frontrunner Award
3. Exceptional Salesmanship
4. Gold/Silver/Bronze Sales Attainment
5. Chief Closer
6. Unmatched Sales Dedication
7. Unparalleled Sales Performance
8. Surpassing Everest
9. High Five Award
10. Spotlight Award
11. Ace of Initiative
12. Best in Sales
13. Outstanding Accomplishment in Surpassing Sales Quota
14. Outstanding Performance in Territory Sales
15. Cruising and Crushing It
16. Pillar of Sales Achievement
17. Sales Wrap of the Month/Year
18. Outstanding Sales Performer
19. Best Sales Performer
20. The Upcoming David Ogilvy
21. The Erica Feidner Sales Award
22. Big Kahuna Award
23. The 'Most Sales Made' Award
Although sales and marketing go hand-in-hand, you still need a separate set of awards to show special appreciation for your marketing team.
Your marketing professionals are creative people, so they’ll appreciate creative employee recognition award titles. Also, as marketing is an expansive stream, covering digital, content, offline, and branding, among others, you should have awards acknowledging each applicable area.
Below are a few employee award suggestions that may apply to your marketing team:
24. Marketing Genius
25. Most Effective Use of Data or Insights
26. SEO Star
27. Stand Out Marketer
28. Rookie Marketer of the Month/Quarter/Year
29. Best Content Writer
30. Most Dependable Marketer
31. In-Person or Virtual Meeting Star
32. Company Influencer
33. Marketing Campaign Maestro
34. Star Social Media Marketer
35. Sidekick Salute
36. Top Performer in Digital Marketing
37. Top Performer in Offline Marketing
38. Ultimate Team Player
39. Always at 110% Marketing
40. People’s Marketer
41. Best Relationship Marketer
42. Superstar Marketer
43. The Market Whisperer
The human resource department is hands down the very backbone of your company. While the value of HR in business may not immediately be apparent, HR professionals carry out several critical tasks — from building a thriving company culture to making employees feel comfortable, employee recruitment, making sure you have the best ATS (applicant tracking system), and training — that make them indispensable.
Here are some employee recognition award ideas to appreciate your HR executives in a meaningful manner:
44. People’s Champion
45. The Most Dependable
46. Best HR Strategist
47. A for Talent
48. Best Communicator
49. The Problem Solver
50. Eye for Talent
51. People Expert
52. Chief Happiness Director
53. Most Efficient Team Planner
54. Always Ready to Help
55. The Employee’s Advocate
56. Always Gives Excellent Feedback
57. Always Keeps Us Safe
58. The Pillar of Strength
59. Best Team Player
60. The Best Advice Giver
61. Driving Success
62. Recruiting Specialist
63. Top Talent Hunter
64. Top Negotiator Award
65. Consider it Done Award
66. Positivity Queen/King
67. Culture Champion
Your business needs money to operate, and the finance department ensures you have sufficient funds for each of your operations. This is a fairly technical and nuanced job covering equity management, risk management, tax management, payroll, and daily accounting.
Here are a few employees award titles ideas to help you show appreciation for your finance department:
68. The Master of Numbers
69. Lord of the Numbers
70. Outstanding Service in Finance
71. Favorite Banker
72. Banking With Integrity
73. Always Comes Through
74. Chief Treasurer
75. Human Calculator
76. Finance MVP
77. The Finance Commander
78. The Alpha of the Finance Department
79. Consistent Finance Performer
80. Customers’ Favorite Financial Advisor
81. Best Risk/Asset/Equity Manager
82. Best Project Financer
83. Investment Whisperer
84. Accountant of the Month/Year
85. Bookkeeper of the Month/Year
86. Rising Financer of the Month/Year
87. Financial Advisor of the Month/Year
A solid and dependable customer support team is the ultimate magnet for more marketing and sales opportunities. They help your customers get the most out of your product and resolve any queries and problems.
From answering customer questions to troubleshooting and upselling, a customer support executive does it all! But for a team to do their best, you need to keep them engaged and make them feel valued.
Here are a few employee award title ideas to express gratitude to your customer service reps:
88. For Always Reaching Out
89. For Dedicated Service To Our Customers
90. Calmer of Storms
91. Customer Whisperer
92. Customer Comforter
93. Five-Star Customer Service
94. Customer Success Champions
95. Peace in the Chaos
96. Distributor of Smilies
97. Super Satisfy-ER
98. Client Care Champ
99. Winner of Hearts
100. Customer Hero
101. First-Class Service
102. Customer Kudos
103. Star Customer Support Giver
104. Excellence in Customer Support
105. Always on Time Customer Support
106. Highest Rated Customer Support Executive
107. Satisfied Customer/Client Assurity
108. The Best Troubleshooter
109. Customer’s Favorite
110. The ’10/10, Would Buy Again’ Award
111. Customer Comrade Awards
112. Hospitality Hero
Employees with excellent communication skills can deliver unparalleled buying experiences to customers. With prompt and effective communication, employees can ensure customers are on the same page as them and can collaborate harmoniously with each other to ensure better results, resulting in improved customer retention and increased word-of-mouth referrals.
Got an excellent communicator in your team? Below, we’ve listed employee recognition award suggestions they’ll surely love.
113. Master of Words
114. Always Has a Way With Words
115. Can Convince Anyone
116. Convincing Power 100
117. Knows What They Are Talking About
118. Mr/Miss Eloquent
119. Expert Communicator
120. Verbal King/Queen
121. Calk Their Way Out of Any Situation
122. The Social Butterfly
123. Skilled With Words
124. Gift of the Gab
125. The Silvertongue Employee
126. The Facilitator of Speech
127. The Smooth Talker
128. The Word Charmer
Punctual and attentive employees are one of the most valuable assets of your company. These are people who show up, are always on time, and don't skip work, making a good impression on customers and setting a good example for other employees.
Giving awards for punctuality and perfect attendance also sends a subtle message to employees with poor attendance to buck up and respect their alarm clock.
Here are a few award title ideas to recognize punctual employees:
129. Always on Time
130. Go That Extra Mile
131. Most Zealous
132. The Ace Employee
133. The Frontrunner
134. Mr/Ms. Consistent
135. No Missed Opportunities
136. Always Dependable
137. Perfectly Present/Always Present
138. The Dedicated Employee of the Month/Quarter/Year
139. Best Attendance
140. The Loyalty Royalty
141. Immaculate Attendance/Perfect Attendance
142. All Day Everyday
143. Everyday Hero Award
144. Most Committed Employee
145. On-Time Award
146. The 'Fewest Sick Days Taken' Award
147. Bringing It Beyond
148. Tip Your Hat
Companies today have to respond and adapt to increasingly complex organizational issues. Sometimes, these issues can be solved by applying a standard formula or following an established set of procedures. Other times, you need creativity.
With their broader outlook and approach, creative employees enable organizations to respond to challenging situations innovatively. The fact they can also identify and proactively explore new growth opportunities is another reason why they are a great asset to global workplaces.
Let’s take a look at a few award titles to express your gratitude to your creative thinkers:
149. Above and Beyond
150. Bestower of Creativity
151. Prime Creator Award
152. Shining Mind Award
153. Amazing Idea Machine
154. Non-stop Creativity
155. Creativity Enforcer
156. The Creative Visionary
157. The Idea Generator
158. The Brainiac
159. Ace of Creative Initiative
160. The Unstoppable Creative Force Award
161. The Brilliant Groundbreaker Award
To “lead by example“ and inspire a forward-thinking workplace culture is easier said than done. That’s why leaders, or employees that are willing to take up leadership responsibilities, are arguably the most vital asset in your company. They promptly and effectively solve problems, improve employee morale, and inspire others to check charge, serving as the very pillars that support the rest of the workforce.
Giving them an employee recognition award to thank them for their immense contribution is a small gesture that counts. Here are a few ideas:
162. The MVL Award (Most Valued Leader)
163. Leadership Impact
164. The Inspirer of Doers
165. Key Differentiator
166. The Jedi
167. The Sensei
168. The Lead Helping Hand
169. Makes Everyone's Day Award
170. Precious Gem Award
171. Alpha Player
172. Mover of Mountains
173. Difference Maker
174. Leading by Example
175. Phenomenal Leadership
176. Role Model of the Year
177. Standout Chief
178. World-Class Director
179. The Growth Driver
180. The 'Lead From the Front' Award
Employees who have been with your company for many years matter more than most people think they do. These are loyal employees — individuals who are genuinely invested in your company's success and work towards meeting organizational goals.
The easiest way to ensure employees stay with you for the long run is to give them what they want in return. Here are a few employee award titles to show your appreciation:
181. Leaving a Legacy
182. Heroes are Remembered, Legends Never Die
183. Evergreen Superstar
184. Exceptional Dedication and Commitment
185. Goodluck and Goodbye
186. Going Out on Top
187. Paramount Achievement
188. Permanent Recess
189. Platinum Service Award
190. Outstanding Service Record
191. Incomparable Service Award
192. Standing Ovation
193. Circle of Excellence
194. Hall of Fame
195. Honor Club
196. Exiting in Excellence
197. Departing Dignified
198. Fun with 401k
199. The Nickel Award (5 Years)
200. The Dime Award (10 Years)
201. The Icosahedron Award (20 Years)
202. The Platinum Star Award (25+ Years)
Appropriate workplace behavior and alignment with a company’s values are key to building and maintaining the company's stellar reputation. Studies go as far as to suggest that poorly behaved employees are the greatest liability companies face because of the potential harm the former can do, including spreading false information, refusing to follow orders, and disregarding company policies.
If you have employees with good behavior and values in your company, make sure they know they’re valued by awarding them with any one of the following titles:
203. The All-Star
204. Ultimate Team Player
205. Caught in the Act of Caring Award
206. Highest of High Fives
207. Guts & Grit
208. Shining Star Award
209. Exceeding Expectations
210. Cloud 9 Collaborator
211. Exceeding Everest
212. The Guiding Light Honor
213. The Tip of the Spear Award
214. Mr./Ms. Beyond Expectations
215. The Attainer of Targets
216. The Holy Heart
217. To The Moon and Back
218. The 'We Thank You. Our Customers Thank You' Award
219. The Social Contributor Award
220. The Moral Hero
New team members feel confident and thrive when they feel part of a workforce that values and appreciates their contributions. In turn, they work tirelessly to ensure your company meets its organizational goals, has a loyal base of engaged customers, and hone themselves into becoming an asset to your company.
Below, we’ve listed a few employee award titles you can use to appreciate top-performing new hires (employees that have done remarkably well within their first month, quarter, or year of joining the company).
221. Rising Star
222. Bright Beginner
223. Fresh Skills
224. New Kid on the Block
225. Amazing Addition
226. Rookie Rockstar
227. Dashing Debut/Superstar Debut
228. Rookie of the Month/Quarter/Year
229. Budding Star
230. Exceptional Hire
231. Fast Starter
232. Here to Ace it
233. Recent Treasure
234. Better Every Day Award
235. Emerging Leader
236. Notable Newcomer
Office mentors help other employees reach their full potential while promoting their personal and professional development. They are supportive and friendly individuals (usually at the higher level) whom employees can turn to for advice; thus, making fewer mistakes and gaining more confidence while working on the job.
If you have a system where you assign mentors to employees, check out our top award title recommendations to recognize their efforts:
237. The Strongest Shoulders Award
238. The Outstretched Hand Award
239. The Most Mentees Promoted Award
240. The Most Compassionate Colleague Award
241. The Formidable Foundation Award
242. The BTS Performer
243. The Silent Shoulder to Lean On
244. You Inspire Us All
245. Mentor with the Most
246. The Mentor Band-Aid
247. Mentoring Champion
Healthy teamwork enables team members to share ideas and responsibilities. In turn, this reduces any undue stress, allowing everyone to focus on completing their tasks meticulously and quickly. Teamwork builds morale, and appreciating successful teams makes each team member more engaged at work.
Here are our top suggestions to recognize the best teams at your company:
248. Force to Reckon With
249. The Super Squad
250. The “Here to Win It” Squad
251. Ace Alliance Award
252. Dream Team Award
253. League Of Superheroes
254. The Dream Team
255. The Fist Bump Award
256. Ace Alliance
257. Synergic Force
258. Force To Reckon With
259. Squad Goals
260. Champion Club Award
Top SSR Tip: You can use employee engagement software to track the goals of teams to identify your top-performing teams. What's more, this tool can help you determine which teams have higher flight risk and which team members need more guidance to meet company expectations.
Your employee recognition program doesn’t have to be all serious. You can add a few awards for fun, celebrating the eccentricities of employees and commemorating inside moments. This can be an excellent move to build a healthy company culture, where employees feel comfortable with each other and are free to be themselves.
Here are a few examples of funny employee award titles:
261. The Lifesaver/Team Lifeguard Award
Got someone on your team who constantly reminds employees about deadlines, double-checks the food, is paranoid about missing documents before a meeting, or anything similar? Give them the Lifesaver or Team Lifeguard award.
262. Walking Encyclopedia
For the employee who knows everything—from trivia to fun facts—or at least thinks they do.
263. The “Should’ve Been in the Music Industry” Award
Give the award to the music buff of your company who’s always sending the latest songs on the company Slack channel and is ever ready to be the in-house DJ for any office party.
264. Company Parent
For the employee who remembers every little information and celebrates every occasion. From celebrating birthdays and anniversaries to always having a first-aid kit when needed, this person is your caring office parent.
265. Wizard of Words
The Wizard of Words is the employee who knows all the synonyms and acronyms and has never failed a round on Wordle.
266. Mr/Ms. Never On Time
Share some laughs with everyone by putting the spotlight on that one employee who’s never on time.
267. Snacker Supreme
From cookies to candy to munchies, the Snacker Supreme is the employee whose drawer is always full of delicious snacks.
268. The Epic Chef Medal/The Office Masterchef
Say thanks to the employee who’s always cooking and baking delicious food, and is more than ready to share their tasty treats.
269. The Fastest Email Responder Award
For the employee who (probably) holds the world record for responding to emails faster than anyone.
270. The Iron Man/Woman
Got any gym buffs in your office? Felicitate their muscles and strength with this title.
271. Galactic Gratitude Award of Yoda
For that employee who cannot stop saying thank you.
272. Hyper Helper Award
This award is perfect for the employee who lives to help others. Whether it’s fixing a project problem, talking to the CEO, or carrying documents, this person is always happy to extend a helping hand.
273. Best Victory Celebrator
Got someone who loves to celebrate victories, big or small? Have them do their fun victory dance when they receive this award.
274. Running The Marathon
Give this award to employees who have been working with your company for five or more years and are still an integral part of the team.
275. The Collared Diamond
Time and pressure turns coal into diamonds. In the same way, time and the work pressure endured by employees eventually make them incredibly good at what they do. Identify such skilled employees, and give them this award acknowledging their growth.
Also Read: Employee Retention Statistics and Trends
Conclusion
Recognition awards acknowledge and add value to an employee‘s efforts and works. They’re also proof for employees that they can later show off to their peers or friends, but more importantly, the titles create a positive working atmosphere and elevate your company culture.
We hope our (very) extensive list of employee recognition awards and employer award titles is enough inspiration to help you get started. If you want to enhance your company culture and improve employee retention further, choose from the best employee recognition software options that let you personalize your employee recognition system.
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