June 1, 2016
How to Deliver an Employee Recognition or Awards Speech
There’s nothing worse than feeling unprepared for an employee appreciation speech. This is because a good employee recognition speech is one of the key factors in establishing a positive office culture. Fortunately, there are several resources you can use to help develop and deliver words meant to WOW!
Pulling off worthy recognition and awards speeches will make your employees shine. Additionally, you will feel confident that you’ve helped to create a positive experience for deserving individuals. Achieving a great recognition program is a challenging task, but the people at Terryberry Company would like to offer you the tools and support needed to create a WOW! workplace. Our goal is to aid you in offering nothing less than a stellar speech to your employees.
Ready to get started? Master the art of what to say during an employee recognition speech by listening in on Mike Byam, author of “The WOW! Workplace.” Or, scroll down to review our list of presentation tips.
Tips for Presenters of a Recognition Speech
As Terryberry’s Managing Partner and author of “The WOW! Workplace,” Mike Byam believes that timing is very important regarding recognition. Byam suggests that management recognize employees as close to the time of their achievements as possible. This practice drastically increases the impact and significance of presentations.
When it’s time to make the actual employee appreciation speech, the presenter should:
- Be specific and positive
- Clearly highlight why the recipient is being recognized
- Highlight the impact that his/her achievements have had on business
- Leave out any constructive criticism
- Refrain from making any unfair employee comparisons
Here are some additional guidelines for making an effective employee appreciation speech:
- Be sensitive of shy recipients
- Use humor with caution
- Avoid unintentional promises of continual employment
- Stay away from comments about race, gender, or religion
Selecting an Employee Recognition Speech Presenter
As for selecting a presenter, Byam suggests selecting the highest-ranking individual who has a personal connection to the recipient. This person should know the recipient’s job function and achievements and how his/her contributions have impacted the success of the business.
“An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure,” says Byam. Therefore, it is essential that the presenter also takes the time to prepare beforehand. This is so they can effectively relay the recipient’s achievement to both the recipient and the audience. “The words that you choose for an award presentation are as important as any part of the recognition process,” Byam shares. “We (Terryberry) encourage you to give that all the time and attention it deserves.”
Could you use some extra help with employee recognition speech preparation? Check out these additional resources from Terryberry:
- Award Presentation Cheat Sheet: keep all your facts and notes in one spot.
- Employee Recognition Event Checklist: make sure all the pieces of your event fall into place.
- Terryberry’s Webinar Recordings: get information on how to improve your recognition program.
Visit Terryberry’s Employee Recognition Resources & Tools page for more of our low-cost and no-cost workplace recognition solutions. Ready for more? See if Terryberry's employee recognition software is right for you!
