Professional Employee Recognition Letters (MS Word)

An employee recognition letter is an effective tool used by the employers to appreciate their employees for their hard work. The employees will definitely feel pleasantly surprised when their employer awards them with a recognition letter for their hard work. Moreover, when they know that their boss realizes and recognizes their efforts, it encourages them to work even harder.

What is a recognition letter?

A recognition letter is given by an employer to their employees for performing beyond expectations. The main purpose of this letter is to appreciate the employee’s effort and hard work that they put into achieving their goals at work. For example, when the employees successfully completed a project, you award this letter to them to show your gratitude.

In the process of employee recognition, composing and awarding the recognition letter is an essential part. When you send this letter, it assists you in establishing stronger relationships and healthy culture in your company. When you express your employees that you recognize what they do, this makes them feel better about themselves. It also encourages them further to maintain their enthusiasm.

Before writing a recognition letter, what should you prepare?

Before writing the employee a recognition letter, you should brainstorm on some topics that you want to address. To get a better idea of what to write and how to format the letter, you may look at letter of recognition examples. If you are planning to write a letter, below are some questions that you may ask yourself;

• When you try to recall what your employees have done, what achievements or projects immediately standout?
• When employees apply to their work, what qualities or skills they possess?
• What’s it like to work with this specific employee every day?

The importance of an employee recognition letter:

Employee recognition letter motivates and inspires the employees. When they receive this letter, they realize that you value them and the company hasn’t unnoticed their dedication to their job. The recognition letter effects the overall performance of an employee positively so it acts as a morale boost.

Your turnover rate may be get lower by recognizing your employees for their hard work. Furthermore, this letter builds an effective relationship between you and your employee. Your work environment become more personable by having this formal recognition letter. Also, your employees feel open to communicate with you regarding their needs or concerns.

Different types of recognition letters:

There are different types of recognition letters on the basis of the purpose of the letter, the message you want to convey, and the position of the employee you’re awarding the letter to, and so on. Let us discuss the most common types you can select from;

Informal letters

This type of recognition letter recognizes the particular contributions of an employee. Awarding this letter makes the employees feel awarded and recognized. You don’t have contributions of an employee with this letter. The employee would appreciate the letter more if you attach some gift with it like a bonus check.

Semi-formal letters

It has a more formal composition than the informal one. Employees with higher positions like officers or managers are awarded this type of letter. Likewise informal letters, if you attach some gift with it, the letter will become more meaningful.

Formal letters

As its name implies, it has a formal style and format. Award this type of recognition letter to managers and other employees with high positions in the company. It doesn’t matter how high an employee’s position is, they must awarded with such letters. By receiving this letter, they would feel that they are doing a great job of managing their department or subordinates. Surely, the gifts come up with this letter would have a higher value.

Thank you letters

In showing appreciation to your employees, thank you letters are very effective. You may not know exactly how other employees feel in case you’re at the “top of the food chain” at work. By awarding this letter, you express your gratitude and appreciation. This will have a powerful effect on the motivation of your employees.

How do you write an employee recognition letter?

Almost all companies have an employee recognition process. Awarding a recognition letter would provide a huge and lasting impact on the positivity and productiveness of the workplace. As an employer, there is no better tool than the recognition letter for you. Thus, this makes your employees feel good about themselves, the company, and all of the objectives you’re trying to achieve.

An employee recognition letter awarded to an employee will motivate them and keep them encouraged. When employees know that you see and appreciate all of the efforts they put into their tasks, they work harder. Employee recognition will boost the morale of your employees and your company from letters to gifts, and bonuses. Moreover, tokens of gratitude like letters and simple gifts won’t cost you much.

As part of the recognition process, if you can’t afford to award gifts to your employees then you can always make a letter of recognition example for them. You should adopt the habit of awarding recognition letters to your employees on a daily basis. Also, when you see that your one of your workers deserves it. Some employees appreciate these letters so much that they place them in their office spaces for a long time.

Furthermore, never make your letter complex or elaborate. But, you have to cover certain things to get the results you’d like the letter to get. Below are some tips that you should follow;

• During describing the employee’s behavior, use specific details that you would like to encourage.
• For the work employee has done or for their contribution to the success of your goals, show your gratitude to them.
• You should draft the letter and award it to the employee jut after he performed the task or exhibited the behavior.
• It’s up to you whether you print the letter out, write it by hand on a cardstock or email it to your employee.
• For the employee and for the achievement, personalized the letter rather than send a template that’s the same for everyone.

What are some other ways to recognize your employees?

You may try the following in case you want to use other ways to recognize your employees;

Provide them some shout-outs

Employees feel good about themselves when they know that they’ve done a good job. If you shout-out their accomplishments to for everyone at work to hear then this leaves a great effect on the employees. They feel great about their effort.

For personal or professional development, give them fun opportunities

Giving your employees a break from work is another effective way to recognize their efforts. Assign them some fun activities as a reward. Before assigning these activities, you should inform them that you are doing this in recognition of their great efforts to workplace.

Bring them out to lunch

If you are working with a team for a specific project and when the project gets completed successfully then to take your employees out to lunch would be an excellent reward. This way, you can also talk them about things other than work.

Hosting a party or fun competition at workplace

You should appreciate your entire team not just a single person and for this, host a party or a fun competition at work. Also, you can arrange a potluck in case you don’t have enough budget to throw a party. Take a break from all the stresses of work and enjoy with all of your employees.

Motivate recognition among employees

When the employees get recognition from their supervisor, manager or one of the company’s executives, they would highly appreciate it. Getting involve everyone in the recognition process is another way to show your recognition. Again, if you are working with a team them provide them enough opportunity to recognize each other.

The benefits of giving recognition letters to the employees:

There are various benefits of giving letter of recognition to the employees. Some of them are as follow;

• The performance of the employees gets improved after receiving letter of recognition. They become more responsible and creative which results in increased productivity and higher product quality.
• When you send the employees this letter at the right time, they realize that you care about them and they in turn will care about the company. If you recognize the efforts of your employees then they become more willing to work overtime or get involved in the challenging projects. The companies who have recognition programs, their employees feel better about themselves and their jobs.
• The main reason of employees leaving their jobs is not feeling appreciated. That’s why, those companies have better turnover rate that have a strong employee recognition culture and program.
• In addition, the life-work balance of employees get improved when they feel acknowledged and respected. They also feel calmer and establishes better relationships with their colleagues. The absenteeism decreases and the HR processes become smoother by investing in recognition.
• Letter of recognition leaves a positive effect on customer satisfaction because the appreciated people care for their job and the product or services they provide. The clients automatically get attracted to your business when they see improvement in product and service quality.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, an employee recognition letter is the easiest, simplest, and cheapest way to show your appreciation, gratitude or recognition to your employees. This letter would be ideal for the employee with the lowest position to the one holding the highest position. Awarding this letter is an important part in the process of employee recognition.

FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)