The owners and executives commonly get the credit whenever a company reaches and achieves a profit at the end of the year. They are the ones who receive the fruits of the success and accomplishments of the business.
By contrast, the employees tend to be forgotten, leaving a sour taste in their mouths. The lack of recognition can lead to high turnover and counterproductive work behavior, leading to the possible worst-case scenario for any business.
To avoid that, several companies nowadays organize recognition events. They publicly acknowledge their staff by giving awards to worthy employees during these events. They often use plaques for awards to recognize their efforts and hard work.
This article includes everything vital about plaques awards in Singapore. Continue reading to find out the key advantages and benefits of giving plaques awards to employees!
What Are Plaque Awards?
Plaques are ornamental tablets that are used to commemorate someone. They are a way to say thank you or to acknowledge someone’s outstanding achievements.
Employees can artfully display these awards to show off accomplishments. They can also create a personal ‘hall of fame’ to inspire and motivate others and themselves.
Plaques are customizable. They can include the recipient’s name, date, time stamp, and achievement. Sometimes they can include relevant images and logos too.
Custom-made award plaques are usual in businesses, organizations, and schools. The most common use of it is corporate recognition awards given to employees. They can hang it on their walls, free for them to admire for years to come.
These ornamental tablets deliver a solid message to employees and staff. The company appreciates their work behavior and performance. It is a fancy way to tell them that their efforts are valued and appreciated.
Recognition plaques are aesthetic and meaningful decorations. One that can show off a team or individual’s contributions.
What Are Plaque Awards Made Of?
Plaques awards in Singapore are made of a wide variety of materials. May it be wood, glass, metal, crystal, ceramic, stone, or acrylic. Glass and crystal plaque awards usually express value and importance.
Meanwhile, eco-friendly plaques use recycled glass or salvaged wood. These materials can help express authenticity. The most typical materials are metal and wood. They also tend to cost the cheapest.
What Are Various Types of Plaque Awards?
Companies need to know that there is more than a single type of plaque. There is a wide range of selections to choose from. It is a definite guarantee that all companies can find a plaque that suits their corporate culture and brand.
- Glass Plaques
Glass plaques are light and slim awards that can blend with any interior. This type of plaque is affordable and more lightweight than wood plaques. Except for special requests, there is no standard or average size for glass plaques.
There are various designs for glass plaques. Most companies would opt to incorporate their brand colors.
- Artistic Plaques
These kinds of plaques are creative, vibrant, and colorful. They can be created using a variety of colors, shapes, and patterns to communicate a message. Artistic plaques are the type to display on a shelf or glass cabinet.
- Certificate Plaques
It is the primary type of award-giving plaque. Certificate holder plaques are given in award-giving programs, particularly during community-based events or seminars.
Companies also award them to employees. Some certificate holders are covered with stylish and artistic holders. It emphasizes their esteemed appearance.
- Wood Plaques
As its name applies, Wooden Award Plaques are ornamental tablets made of wood. They usually come in mahogany, rose types, or walnut wood. The primary concern for this type of plaque is the packaging or spray of the wood.
A good quality package and well-treated wood plaque can withstand a lot. That includes the test of harsh weather and time.
Wood plaques come in different sizes, shapes, and designs.
- 3D Crystal Plaques
3D plaques are unique and unorthodox. They also are expensive and take more time to complete and produce. There is usually an image inside the crystal for this type of plaque.
This plaque-type comes with either a lighted or rotating base. There are times it comes without one.
Why Use Plaques To Award Employees?
Awards can convey and mean several things. For employees, they express the company’s endless gratitude and appreciation. Plaques are a definite favorite means of awarding workers. There are specific reasons behind a company’s choice of using plaques awards in Singapore.
- Customizable
There is something special about receiving a plaque of gratitude with gorgeous engravings. Personalization of a plaque award includes engraving the recipient’s name and achievement.
It is a clever approach that makes the plaque more distinctive and relevant. It also makes the receiver feel genuinely appreciated and respected.
Large companies often do this to mark retirements. They also use it to reward teams of employees who accomplished a huge feat or project.
- Available In Various Materials
The choices are much larger for plaques. It makes it easier to find suitable material. Plaques typically use wood, glass, plastic, acrylic, and metal.
Additionally, companies can add special effects and designs to the plaque. It helps enhance its aesthetic. Giving much thought to the design and material will give employees the impression that they are valued.
Printing and engravings are used to inscribe characters to the plaque.
- Meaningful
Plaque awards can be impactful to recipients. It is a tangible reminder of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to their work.
These plaques can become cherished heirlooms and prized possessions. They can have a long-lasting effect and impact on someone. These rewards can motivate an employee to work harder and become better.
- Versatility
A good incentive in using plaques as awards is their versatility. Plaques can hang on a wall or be placed above a cabinet or table. It offers the recipient more options. They can display their plaques without taking up too much desk space.
- Cost-Effective
Plaques are more affordable compared to trophies. Even with a tight budget, a small company can still buy a bulk of customized plaques without breaking the bank.
The messages inscribed or engraved in the plaque can be personalized based on the recipients’ achievements.
What To Include In Plaques?
Photography: Kusak Crystal
Custom-made plaques are tools that can communicate and express a personal message of appreciation. To help, these are the specific guidelines to consider:
1. Name
Plaques must include the name of the recipient. Add their title as well for more personalization. These little details make a plaque more personal and unique.
2. Reason
Include the reason why they are being recognized. May it be the event, achievement, special milestone, or trait the recipient possesses. Some companies also describe the qualities or efforts made.
3. Time Stamp
Plaques need the time, date, and location as well. It is to add context to the plaque.
4. Additional
For additional information, companies usually add their brand logo. A lot also mentions the organization or company name. Some would include the sponsor or donor to express gratitude and give credit.
Benefits of Awarding Plaques To Employees
To maintain a positive workplace, company leaders must go out of their ways to cherish and value their employees. There are different methods to show appreciation — from giving extra bonuses to treating the whole office to pizza or lunch.
One effective and efficient way to go about it is by awarding plaques. Here are 12 benefits to giving plaques for awards to employees:
1. Better Office Morale
Recognizing employees’ hard work and improvement does wonders for a business. It creates a more positive workspace and helps boost morale. Meaning, employees are happier and communicate more openly with one another.
It encourages them to approach management with concerns, feedback, and suggestions. By giving out plaque awards and organizing recognition events, employees have another reason to perform better.
They also stay focused and interact more with their coworkers.
2. Increased Productivity
Implementing reward programs and events is a way to tell employees that they value their work. Through this kind of program, employees will understand the standards they need to work under and what work is above average and not.
Letting them be aware of these critical factors as they can help them improve their work quality and productivity since they will aim for the award and recognition through the event.
Companies with no reward programs tend to receive lackluster work from staff and employees.
3. Builds Teamwork
Company and corporate awards help establish teamwork and interpersonal relationships among staff. Creating and producing recognition-worthy work to help the company offers a sense of unity and camaraderie.
Employees who want to have their work recognized will be more willing to cooperate with others.
Those companies with no recognition programs tend to have employees that are less willing to work with each other. With their efforts not being recognized, they will see no point in assisting or helping others.
4. Encourages Friendly Competition
It is always good to foster a healthy sense of friendly competition in a workplace. In the bigger picture, this ‘rivalry’ will serve to see who can create the best quality work consistently and efficiently. It will increase the quality of work, at the same time, improve the skills of employees.
5. Attracts Talented Employees
It is no secret that organizations and companies like to boast about their talented and happy workforce. It is a way to attract top talents to work for them. Compensations and benefits can lure them, but some might want more than that. It is where employee recognition and plaque awards come into play.
If a company has a work culture of recognizing employees and organizing awards nights, the outside world will probably hear about it too. How?
Many employees who receive plaques trophies will share them on their social media. That alone is free advertisement for a company and brand, drawing in more potential customers and employees.
6. Stronger Loyalty
A company’s brand is vital to consumers. It displays the goals and corporate values of a business. The brand also holds great importance within the company.
If a workforce is in-tune with what the company is trying to achieve, it will likely reach its customers. If a company knows how to recognize its employees, it will build stronger brand loyalty. They will probably address and present the company in the best light when brought up in casual conversations with other people.
7. Better Image To Future Clients
Clients prefer working with companies that know how to value their employees. They have a more positive workplace with happy employees that can produce better and higher quality work.
It would benefit a company immensely if potential clients visit their office and see long lines of plaques hanging on walls and employee cubicles. It would serve as a warm welcome to see genuine smiles on employees’ faces.
8. Low Turnover
The biggest possible challenge for every company is retaining its employees. They would have to find ways to keep their best performers and workers from joining other companies.
Looking for their replacements would also mean allocating more time and money to train them. One of the reasons employees would leave a company is that they feel like they are not being appreciated. It would make them want to resign.
Creating a respectful and positive work environment that recognizes the performance of its employees is one of the best benefits of company awards.
9. Improves Engagement
Employees come for work every day. Are they working as hard as they can to achieve results, though? When employees go through a repetitive cycle, they find it hard to get motivated or engaged with work. Plaques that remind employees why they show up for work can help boost motivation!
10. It’s Fun!
Not everything in an office should result and lead to monetary benefit. Just the thrill of sharing and bonding with other people can go a long way. Creatively presenting plaque awards will help make great memories for employees.
It could be a special night at a banquet hall or ballroom with a band and delicious catering. It could also be low-key, like a gathering in the office with food.
11. Public Support and Reputation
Giving out plaques during recognition programs is a blatant way to express support. It is the company’s way of publicly supporting its employees. It could also be a positive contribution to the organization or company.
Recognition plaques can also equate to the legacy of a business. It can trace achievements over time as these awards are updated with new names and contributions.
12. Shows Company’s Willingness To Put An Effort
Acknowledging someone’s effort should be encouraged. Verbally acknowledging an employee is a good thing, but why not go the extra mile? It would count much more to them.
After an achievement, receiving a plaque award is a huge motivation boost for employees. A casual ‘job well done’ or ‘you did great’ can improve morale in an office.
A plaque award though? It can serve as a more powerful tool to urge staff and employees to work harder for better results.
Other Uses Of Plaque Awards
There are more ways to use plaque awards. It is not only for acknowledging hard work and expressing gratitude to employees. One can use them in other ways. Here are four other common uses:
- Acknowledgment Gift Or Donation
A typical use of plaque awards is giving them out as an acknowledgment gift. It could be for significant donations to charities or organizations. They are also a form of gratitude for guesting on a special program. It could also be a thank you for giving a talk at an event.
- Recognizing Special People
Apart from business or corporate use, plaques can show appreciation for personal reasons. One can give this as a special gift for someone during their birthday or holiday. People can give them as a thank you to parents, partners, or friends (ex. “Best Mom In The World” or “Most Supportive Sibling”)
- Awards In Competitions
In every competition, participants fight to win the top prize. Aside from cash, the typical first or grand prize award in contests are plaques. These ornamental awards recognize the winners who shared their talents and skills.
Competition is a loose term that could mean several things. These could include sports competitions, academic-related contests, community events, or even film festivals.
- Academic Achievements
Schools are typical users of plaques, as well. They use them as a way to recognize outstanding students and talented athletes. They also give it to hardworking faculty or staff and generous donors. Plaque awards for school contributions are also excellent for recipients to take home! These can remind them of their effort that served a larger purpose or entity.
How Much Do Plaque Awards Cost?
How much do plaques cost is a question that companies and businesses, especially small ones, would be interested to know the answer to. The price range differs depending on the plaque’s material, size, and shape.
The average price of a single plaque falls around $20-$250. The more specially-designed or customized a plaque is, the more expensive it will get.
Factors to consider regarding costs:
- The number of plaques needed
- Marking for personalization (UV printing, engraving, etc.)
- Style of the presentation box
- The design
- The deadline
Other Alternatives To Plaques
Plaques are not the only way to recognize employees. Companies can use other alternatives as well.
Trophies
Trophies are a close alternative to plaques. However, this choice tends to be more expensive, especially for a large company. The main advantage of using trophies is that they are sturdier. They are also more prestigious-looking.
Certificates
Certificates are the cheapest alternative to plaques. They are also the easiest to mass produce and make. Admittedly, they are not the most appealing type of recognition award. They can still make an employee feel appreciated.
Companies can make them extra special by personalizing the design and content. They can also give them out in good-quality frames.
Special Gifts
Nowadays, some businesses also give corporate gifts to their employees. There are a limitless amount of options to choose from. It could be a beautiful wristwatch, gift checks, branded wine, or a fruit basket.
Admittedly, this is less traditional than plaques. Corporate gifts, though, can be more valuable and functional. Employees will find more use of them.
Money
Another less common alternative is money. Few companies would give out special bonuses to recognize achievement or hard work. It might also be a more effective motivator for employees to do better.
Verbal Compliments
Words can hold power and strength. Acknowledging someone verbally for doing a good job can also increase morale. It might seem like a small and simple gesture but it can do wonders if used often.
It is not all about physical rewards. Genuine verbal affirmations and compliments can make someone’s day.
Conclusion
Custom awards and trophies have become common in recent years. Several environments, occasions, and workspaces use them as a reward system. By now, there is no denying the positive power corporate plaques and employee recognition holds.
Plaques awards in Singapore can aid a company in achieving its goals. They also create a competitive environment with a friendly and positive spin!
Those looking to order corporate awards can visit Alvin Sports for more details!
