Encourage collaboration and teamwork with a recognition program that is effective and enjoyable!
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Explore creative and engaging ways to reward employees for outstanding performance and company commitment with our fun ideas.
Recognizing and rewarding employees for outstanding performance is essential for sustaining high levels of morale, motivation, and engagement. When done effectively, employee rewards can reinforce desired behaviors, encourage a culture of excellence, and strengthen organizational commitment. This article explores fun ideas for rewarding employees in a way that suits various organizational cultures and budgets.
Recognizing employees for their contributions has a profound impact on overall workplace dynamics. Here's why it's essential:
Rewarding employees for good performance is essential to maintaining a motivated, productive, and engaged workforce. However, adding an element of fun to the recognition process shows appreciation and boosts morale, creativity, and a positive work culture. Here are fun ways to reward your employees for their outstanding contributions:
Nothing says “thank you” like a well-deserved break! Surprise your top performers with an unexpected day or half-day off. You can make it fun by adding a twist—have a “spin the wheel” with different time-off options, such as leaving work early, coming in late, or taking an entire day off. This gives the reward a playful element and an instant boost to employee satisfaction.
Throwing a surprise-themed office party can be an excellent way to reward team achievements. Choose a fun theme—such as “Hawaiian Luau,” “Retro 80s,” or “Superhero Day”—and let employees enjoy an afternoon of food, games, and music. Consider including an awards ceremony during the party where top performers can be recognized in front of their peers with playful and customized trophies.
Give employees vouchers for exciting activities they can enjoy outside of work, such as escape room experiences, movie nights, amusement park tickets, or even a fun cooking or pottery class. These activities allow employees to unwind while enjoying a unique experience that creates lasting memories.
Offer employees personalized swag bags filled with fun and quirky items that cater to their hobbies or interests. Think beyond the typical branded merchandise—include items like gourmet snacks, books, puzzles, tech gadgets, or even a subscription to their favorite streaming service. Personalization shows you’ve put thought into the reward and adds an element of surprise.
Let employees step into a leadership role for a day with lighthearted, fun responsibilities. They can enjoy privileges like choosing the team lunch, running a meeting, or making a decision that impacts the workplace for the day (such as changing the music playlist or implementing a dress-down day). This gives them a sense of autonomy and a fun experience while recognizing their contributions.
Reward your team with a day out for an exciting team-building adventure. Organize something unique, such as a scavenger hunt, outdoor adventure challenge, or laser tag competition. These activities allow employees to bond and have fun while celebrating their success, contributing to teamwork and camaraderie.
Host an in-office game show inspired by popular shows like Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, or Family Feud. Employees can compete in teams, answering trivia or company-related questions. Incorporate prizes for winners and top performers. It’s a lighthearted and fun way to recognize good work while involving the whole team.
Allow top-performing employees the opportunity to have lunch with the CEO or a senior leader. Make it fun by arranging the lunch at a unique or trendy local spot. This type of reward gives employees a memorable experience and the chance to engage with leadership on a more personal level, boosting morale and showing appreciation.
Transform the office into a fun and relaxing space for a day to celebrate success. Bring in massage therapists, set up a popcorn or ice cream station, and festively decorate the office. Employees can enjoy these perks while being recognized for their efforts in a casual, fun environment. You can also include creative contests like a “best-dressed” competition, office trivia, or karaoke.
For top performers, consider gifting experiences such as a weekend getaway, a spa day, or tickets to an exclusive event. Whether it’s a concert, sports game, or theater show, this type of reward recognizes their hard work and gives them something to look forward to outside the office.
While formal awards are common, adding a fun and personal touch can make a big difference. Create custom awards based on each employee’s unique traits, like “Master of Deadlines,” “King/Queen of Innovation,” or “Team Spirit Extraordinaire.” Present these awards in a fun ceremony where employees can celebrate each other’s achievements.
Upgrade your office break room to include some fun elements like a coffee bar, games like table tennis or foosball, or comfy chairs for relaxing. Announce the makeover as a special reward for the entire team’s hard work and allow employees to contribute ideas for the redesign. A lively and welcoming break room can be a long-lasting perk that motivates employees to perform well.
Celebrate employee achievements by organizing an office talent show where employees can showcase their hidden talents, whether it's singing, dancing, comedy, or magic tricks. Include fun prizes and awards for participants, and make it an annual event where great performers from the year are also recognized for their work.
Turn recognition into a game by setting up a mystery prize box in the office. When an employee is recognized for their excellent work, they get to select a sealed envelope from the box, which contains various rewards such as gift cards, office perks, or fun experiences. The mystery adds an element of excitement to the reward process.
Make employees feel special with personalized video messages from the leadership team or even the entire office. It could include highlights of their achievements, thank-you messages, and humorous or heartfelt moments. Sharing the video during a team meeting can turn the recognition into a fun and memorable event.
To ensure rewards are meaningful and impactful, it's essential to follow best practices:
Rewarding employees doesn’t always have to be a formal process. By infusing enjoyable and interactive components, you can establish a vibrant recognition culture that uplifts spirits and cultivates strong team cohesion. Whether it’s through personalized gifts, interactive games, or unique experiences, fun rewards help employees feel valued and motivated to continue performing at their best. Schedule a demo today and learn how Assembly can help with setting up a recognition program that will put appreciation at the heart of your company culture.
Small businesses can reward their employees with fun, cost-effective ideas such as personalized thank-you notes, a rotating "Employee of the Week" parking spot, or offering flexible scheduling options. Other low-cost yet enjoyable options include surprise office snacks, a themed dress-down day, or team outings like bowling or mini-golf. These rewards can build camaraderie and show appreciation without straining a smaller budget.
To make employee recognition more engaging, consider adding a surprise element or personalization. For example, create a "spin-the-wheel" game with various rewards like an extra day off or a lunch voucher, or offer experience-based rewards such as tickets to a local event or a fun activity like an escape room. Personalized trophies, custom swag bags, and even lighthearted awards can make recognition memorable and fun for the entire team.
Get creative with low-cost employee rewards by organizing in-office games like trivia or scavenger hunts, holding potluck lunches, or offering symbolic perks such as allowing employees to work from a preferred space for a day. You can also reward top performers with handwritten notes from senior leadership or provide free professional development opportunities. These ideas are thoughtful, budget-friendly, and can effectively show your appreciation.
Fun rewards boost employee engagement by making the recognition process enjoyable and inclusive. These types of rewards promote a positive work culture, enhance team spirit, and make employees feel more valued. When employees receive rewards that are both meaningful and playful, it increases their sense of belonging and motivates them to perform at their best, leading to improved productivity and retention rates.
Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.
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Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.
There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.
Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.
The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.
We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.
Yes. We offer a completely free plan for up to 50 team members. This plan is intended for teams or organizations that are looking to get started with an employee engagement tool. Keep in mind, this plan is limited in features.
All customers can open an Assembly account for free and get started without a credit card. Then you can change plans as necessary.
At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.
The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.
We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.
For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.
If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.
If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.
Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!
While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.
Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.
Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.
That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.
They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.
No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.
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