Employee Recognition Programs Keep the Presses Busy, Too!

Employee recognition programs bring tangible benefits to companies that implement them. Printers serving those customers have an opportunity to get more “share of customer” by producing printed products to support those programs.

Sure, as a print shop, you want clients to bring you their marketing communications, signage, packaging, and other critical projects to keep your presses busy. But what about something more seemingly mundane—printed products to support employee recognition programs? This is something we hear little about (especially from small and mid-sized companies), and yet the benefits of such programs are clear.

Among the documented benefits of employee recognition programs are...

Higher employee morale
Higher employee productivity
Higher employee retention

When these numbers go up, so do companies’ bottom lines. Happy employees are more productive employees, and when happy employees choose to stay at the company longer, that benefits everyone. It’s expensive to hire, onboard, and train new employees.

For printers, this is a huge opportunity to engage customers about a wide variety of projects, from promotional items to personalized gift boxes to signs and banners. Saying “thank you” to an employee can take many forms, and printers can help with many of them!

Data Around Employee Recognition

Let’s look at some of the most recent data around employee recognition:

63% of employees do not feel recognized at work, and 39% of employees don't feel appreciated at all. (Achievers, 2023)
Recognition is the third most important factor in employee satisfaction, after job security and compensation. (SHRM, 2023)
77% of employees stated that they would work harder if they felt better recognized. (TINYpulse, 2023)

Consequences of Poor Morale

What happens when this isn’t happening? When employees don’t feel recognized? As compiled in a terrific article by SelectSoftware Reviews:

Decreased job satisfaction: According to a survey conducted by the staffing firm OfficeTeam, 66% of employees would quit their jobs if they felt unappreciated.

Increased turnover: The same survey found that 51% of employees would leave their jobs if they did not feel appreciated.

Decreased productivity: A Gallup poll found that only one in three employees in the United States strongly agrees that they have received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days. This lack of recognition can lead to decreased motivation and productivity.

Increased workplace stress: A lack of recognition can contribute to increased stress and burnout in employees. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that employees who do not feel valued are twice as likely to say they are experiencing high levels of stress.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated

Creating an employee recognition program doesn't have to be complicated. Even something as simple as congratulating employees on work anniversaries can increase the average tenure at an organization by two years (O. C. Tanner). When the average cost of hiring and onboarding a new employee is nearly $5,000, that’s real money.

What are some ideas for using print for employee recognition? You know what your specialties are. Find a way to position what you produce as part of one of these programs. “Employee of the month” or milestone celebration banners; customized awards like personalized plaques and trophies; banners, posters, and table tents to decorate spaces for larger employee recognition events such as award ceremonies, team lunches, or holiday parties.

So use what you’ve got. After all, studies show that, while employees do prefer certain types of recognition over others, it matters a lot less what they receive than the fact that they were recognized in the first place.