Regular employee recognition motivates employees and improves work culture.If you are looking for fun, new ways to recognize your employees, this article has nearly 200 award ideas.
Top Performer Awards
Hopefully, every position you have in your company has a performance metric so employees know which activities are priorities. These top-performer awards can recognize any employee for excellence regardless of the position.
Superstar Award
110% Effort Award
212 Degrees Award
Shining Star Award
Key Contributor Award*
Stellar Success Award*
President’s Circle Award
Executive Award
Standing Ovation Award*
Surpassing Everest Award*
Your Success is Well-Earned Award
For Always Reaching Out Award
Most Determined Employee
Stand Out Performer Award
MVP (Most Valuable Player) Award
Top-Flight Award
Star Employee Award
The Tip Your Hat Award
Most Goals Achieved Award
18 Peer Recognition Awards
Peer recognition motivates employees more than manager recognition (link to article). Build a culture of peer recognition by encouraging teams to vote for the employee that best qualifies for these awards. Then provide a budget so they can choose gifts for the winners!
Hip Hip Hooray Award
Team Player Award
Three Cheers Award
Sidekick Salute Award
Thumps Up Award
Stellar Success Award
Tip Your Hat Award
High Five Award
PROPS Award
Ripple Effect Award
You’re a Gem Award
Key Contributor Award
On Point Award
Galactic Gratitude Award
Associate Appreciation Award
Hero Award*
Spotlight Award*
Capital Achievement Award*
Customer Service Awards
Great customer service creates loyal customers and raving fans. Customer service employees don’t bring in the same revenue that salespeople bring. Instead, they can save their employers greater revenue by retaining customers. Recognize your employees that give exemplary customer service with these awards.
Circle of Joy Award
First Class Service Award
Chief Happiness Director Award
Star Service Award
Consider it Done Award
Calmer of Storms Award
Fire Fighter Award
Platinum Service Award
Client Comforter Award
Customer Kudos Award
Above and Beyond Award*
Customer Hero Award
Diamond Service Award
Customer Whisperer Award
Hyper Helper Award
Outstanding Service Award
Incomparable Service Award*
Calmer of Storms Award*
The Ripple Outward Effect Award
Recognition Club Awards
Recognition clubs are performance clubs that employees who meet certain performance standards become a part of. They are exclusive and communicate the added dedication and hard work members paid to qualify.
Circle of Excellence Award
Hall of Fame Award
Diamond Club Award
Honor Club Award
Sky High Club Award
Eagles Soar Club Award
Five Stars Heroes Club Award
Limelight Club Award
Capital Achievement Award
Hero Award
Spotlight Award
Leadership Club Award
25 Great Leadership Awards
With great leadership, teams and departments succeed. It’s important to recognize great managers and employees who demonstrate great leadership without a formal job description.
Leadership Award
Ace of Initiative Award*
Best Team Leader Award*
Executive Award*
President’s Circle Award
Leaderboard Award
Diamond Club Award*
Circle of Excellence Award*
Hall of Fame Award*
Hero Award*
Paramount Achievement Award*
Pinnacle Award
The Motivator Award*
Summit Award
All You Have Done Award
Chairman Award
Executive Choice Award
You Inspire Us All Award
Key Contributor Award
Above and Beyond Award
Ace of Initiative Award*
Your Dedication Never Goes Unnoticed Award
Unmatched Dedication Award*
The Dumbledore Award*
Mountain Mover Award
The Growth Driver Award
Sales Award Names
Great salespeople lay the foundation for the company’s growth. Often considered one of the essential roles, sales positions get recognition more often than any other position. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun with sales awards. Here are 18 sales award names to call out your superstars!
Chief Closer Award
Unparalleled Performance Award
Sales Frontrunner Award
Big Kahuna Award
Sales Attainment Award
Sales Frontier Award
1st Position Award
Unmatched Dedication Award
Exceptional Salesmanship Award
Best Performer Award
Gold/Silver/Bronze Sales Attainment Award
Ace of Initiative Award
Key Contributor Award*
Attention World, Success is Here Award
All You Have Done Award*
Standing Ovation Award
Most Sales Made Award
V12 Award
17 Retirement Awards to Celebrate Your Retiring Employees
When an employee retires, it creates a wonderful opportunity to recognize the years of service they have given your organization. It also allows you to send them off on a high note and feel gratitude for their contributions. It’s also a way to show your team that you value loyalty and longevity.
Retirement awards are one of the ways to express your appreciation for your employees. Take a look at our top 15 award names for retiring employees.
- Chief Closer Award
- Going Out on Top Award
- Good Luck and Goodbye Award
- Exiting in Excellence Award
- We Bid You Adios Award
- Remarkable Dedication Award
- Dedication and Service Award
- Leaving a Legacy Award
- Heroes Are Remembered, Legends Never Die Award
- Permanent Recess Award
- Farewell Friend Award
- Start of a New Journey Award
- Missing the Master
- Departing Dignified Award
- Extraordinary Service Award
- Silver Shield Service Award
- Fun with 401k Award
Don’t forget to send your retiring employee off with an unforgettable retirement party or a virtual retirement party your employees will love.
15 Funny Award Names
Funny award names makes recognition fun and new. It’s so exciting that we compiled a list of 200+ funny award names, including many awards our team came up with! Here are a few of our favorite funny award names.
Squirrel Award: Has the greatest stash of stuff in their desk
The Email Vigilante: For the employee who always responds immediately to emails
Person most likely to secretly love the annual budgeting process
It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere: Most eager to quit working
Hallmark Award: For always remembering everyone’s birthday
High School Musical Award: For being the most likely to burst into song
Lady Gaga Award: Always pushing dress code
Running with the Bulls Award: Biggest risk taker
Wikipedia Award: Always has an answer, right or not!
Old Faithful Award: Always dependable
Most likely to break the internet
Hundreds of Tabs Open Award
GPS Award: most likely to know where anyone is
Holiday Royalty: Always has their space decorated
Busy Bee: This person doesn’t have time for this award
10 Employee Volunteer Award Names
Every workplace has altruistic employees who show their devotion by helping, assisting, and mentoring others in the office. Service is a strong appreciation language for many employees. Recognizing them for all the big and little things they volunteer for shows your appreciation for them!
Round of Applause Award
Hot, Skip and Jump On It Award
All for one, One for All Award
Constant Contributor Award
Making the Difference Award
Getting Busy With It Award
Positive Participator Award
World Changer Award
Jump Right In Award
Incomparable Service Award
20 Above and Beyond Award Names
Recognizing employees that go beyond the call of duty improves company culture, raises employee happiness and encourages similar behavior. These 20 award names are meant to inspire you when it’s time to say “Thanks!”
Cloud 9 Collaborator Award
Exceeding Expectations Award
Look Out World, Success is Here Award
Exceeding Mt Everest Award
Hyper Helper Award
They Did What? Wow! Award
Wow Award
Hyper Helper Award
Beyond the Call of Duty Award
Respect Award
Excellence Award
High Five Award*
Recognition Award
Cruising it and Crushing It Award
WOW Award
Ace of Initiative Award
Highest of Fives Award
Going Beyond Award
Unparalleled Performance*
Most Committed Employee Award
Team and Teamwork Award Names
It’s not just individuals that need to be rewarded. Great teams need recognition also. Studies show that when individuals are treated as part of a team they perform better, even when they don’t meet their team.
All for one, One for All Award*
Ripple Effect Award *
110% Effort Award*
212 Degrees Award*
Tremendous Impact Award
Best Team Player Award
Team Impact Award
Team Awesome Award
Best Character and Behavior Awards
Great employees are worth their weight in gold. These awards provide a fun way to recognize employees for their individual strengths.
The Idea Generator Award
The Brainiac Award
The Trend Setter Award
The Motivator Award
Expert Accuracy Award*
Positive Participator Award
The Dumbledore Award
Calmer of Storms Award
Most Likely To Go The Extra Mile Award
The Funniest Award
Best Personality Award
Most Stylish Award
10 Perfect Attendance Award Names
Attendance often reflects an employee’s engagement, but it’s not a perfect indicator. Employees have personal needs that require even the most engaged employee to take time off. And, awarding for perfect attendance can encourage employees to play the system.
Instead, it makes sense to recognize employees who are “present” while working—engaged employees who don’t get distracted. Or recognize employees who communicate well when they need to take time off.
Immaculate Attendance Award
Aces All Day Award
All Day Every Day Award
Perfect Presence Award
Superb Showing Award
Prime Participation Award
Absolute Attendance Award
Best Attendance Award
Fewest Sick Days Taken Award
Longest-Running Employee
12 Welcome New Employee Awards
As many as 20% of new employees leave in the first 90 days. Considering the time, resources, and cost of hiring an employee is a sad statistic. Recognize your new employees and help them to feel like part of the team from Day 1. Plus, check out these 11 award names for new employees:
Welcome to Awesome
Draft Pick Award
Initiated Award
Bright Beginnings Award
Future is Bright Award / Bright Future Award
Fast Starter Award
Welcome to Our World Award
New Contributor Award
Welcome and Wanted Award
Good Addition Award
Rockstar Rookie Award
Super Starter Award
5 Safety Award Names
Even if your business isn’t high-risk, chances are, at least some of your employees have riskier roles. Custodial, maintenance, construction, operators, and builders are a few employees who often see higher injury instances.
Check out these ideas to recognize employees for staying safe and following operating procedures!
Superbly Safe Award
Safety Star Award
Expertly Accurate Award
Silver Shield Award
Constant Caution Award
10 Engineer and Scientist Recognition Award Ideas
Engineers are the backbone of product development and software development. They provide the building blocks of design. Many employers rely on engineers to keep systems working smoothly. We’ve put together some engineer-specific awards so you can recognize your scientific and mathematically-minded employees for all the problems they prevent!
You never Argon when we need you: Perfect attendance!
Boiling Water Award: You will be Mist (for those retiring or moving on)
Anti-Gravity Award: You never put down a task that needs doing!
Argon Award: For never reacting to drama!
Mushroom Award: For being such a Fungi!
Photon Award: For always Traveling Light on business trips
Proton Award: You are always positive!
Chemist Award: For always having the right solution!
Scientist Award: For Periodically Telling Funny Jokes
Programmer Award: For fixing problems in ways we don’t understand
About Thanks
Thanks is a leading provider of a recognition-based platform that increases communication, builds teamwork, and makes recognition a part of company culture. Fast, easy and simple Thanks makes it easy to bring data-driven employee recognition to your entire organization. O.C. Tanner purchased the Thanks platform in 2019 to fulfill the recognition needs of smaller businesses.
Thanks customers benefit from the same decades of research in employee motivation and company culture that O.C. Tanner enterprise clients enjoy, but in a product that is geared for fast, easy and simple deployment. Whether you’re starting a recognition program or improving and expanding on what you already have, Thanks has everything you need to engage your people with effective, scalable recognition.