Baudville has been active on Twitter for almost a year. We post tips, offers and content that’s relevant to employee recognition and engagement. My favorite thing about Twitter – other than engaging with interesting and knowledgeable professionals – is discovering and sharing new content. 

On any given Friday, you’ll see a multitude of tweets including #followfriday or #ff for short. Follow Friday was started by a single Twitter user who wanted his friends and followers to each suggest a person to follow, and the trend grew. Follow Fridays have been going on for over a year now. In social media years, that’s old! 

This week, I wanted to share a few articles and Twitter accounts with you through my own expanded version of Follow Friday. I’ve listed a couple interesting articles from the week and the author’s Twitter account. If you decide to join Twitter, you’ll already know who to follow!

"What HR Can Learn from the Oscars" by @jpelliotphd

On his blog Managing the Curve, JP Elliot shares his insights into the true significance of the Oscars and – shocker – it’s not the fashion. It’s the recognition. For Hollywood, winning an Oscar marks the pinnacle of a career. Achievement awards can hold the same cultural significance in your organization, too. Read JP’s article for his tips to create your own award program.

"Working on your bracketology? The boss hopes not!" from the San Francisco Chronicle

Sunday is selection day for the NCAA men’s basketball championships, and next Thursday and Friday rival Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) for loss of productivity in the workplace. Although employees may spend work time filling out brackets and checking game scores, the common activity improves employee morale and camaraderie. Is the trade off worth it? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment. 

The Forum for People Performance Management on Twitter @FORUMForPEOPLE

The Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement has long been one of my go-to sources for valid research on employee engagement and motivation. Their Twitter account updates followers on their latest research topics, reports and relevant articles. A great follow for anyone on the lookout for workplace motivation strategies. 

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her daily Employee Appreciation Day tips and weekly deals by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.

Employee Appreciation Day was Friday, I’m proud to report that, at Baudville, we did it right! The day was a huge success!

Our Baudville Winter Olympics provided a great day of team building, improving employee morale and had employees feeling appreciated all over the place. We had fun. We laughed. We celebrated. And most importantly, we ate.

Why does Employee Appreciation Day work for us? Because we don’t do it just one day a year, but we make employee appreciation a fun part of our culture. Planned employee celebrations and events (like our Winter Olympics) can be vital to an organization’s culture. Hosting these events sends a message to employees that you value them personally as much as you value their business results.

If you celebrated Employee Appreciation Day, great! Hopefully our content and resources helped. Now that you’ve had one great day of appreciation, try to make it two. Equip yourself with a manager tool that provides multiple recognition items you can hand out on a regular basis. You can save 15% on all our manager tools by becoming a fan on Facebook.

And the next time one of your employees does something outstanding, recognize it. You won’t even have to give out a gold medal (like we did). A handwritten note will do just fine.

To see highlights from our Winter Olympics Employee Appreciation Day, check out the pictures on Facebook or Flickr.

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 Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her daily Employee Appreciation Day tips and weekly deals by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.

Tomorrow is THE BIG DAY. We’ve been talking about Employee Appreciation Day for five weeks, and it’s finally here! Hopefully our webinar, blog posts, articles and ideas have fueled your passion for employee appreciation!

Now that Employee Appreciation Day is upon us, we want to know how you’re celebrating. Tell us what kind of activities you did, what gifts you gave out, and what your theme was for the day. You can post your comments on our blog or Facebook page. Be sure to take pictures, and post those, too!

We strongly believe that one of the best places to get ideas for employee recognition is from your peers. So don’t be stingy! Share all those great ideas!

We’ll get the sharing started with a preview of what’s in store for our Baudvillians. We’ve seen several articles about using the momentum of the Olympics to keep employee spirit and morale high at work, and we’re acting on it!

Tomorrow, we’re hosting the Baudville Winter Olympics for our Employee Appreciation Day celebration. All employees have been assigned to one of eight teams. Each team is assigned a color for its identity, and we passed out colorful bandanas to serve as “uniforms.” We made sure to create cross-departmental teams, so employees will interact with peers they may not typically work with. Teams are already getting into the competitive spirit! Bandanas are proudly displayed on desks and cubicles and some rowdy team members have started singing their team's praises. Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day!

There’s a schedule of six events, and at the end of the day we’re hosting closing ceremonies complete with awards! To keep up the team’ strength, we’re having lunch catered by Moe’s Southwest Grill - a Baudville favorite for lunch. It’s quite a treat!

I can’t share many more details right now, but I’ll be sure to give you a complete summary next week!

Enjoy Employee Appreciation Day!

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her daily Employee Appreciation Day tips and weekly deals by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.

In a rare bout of late night TV watching, I saw Jimmy Fallon’s thank you note skit for the first time Friday night. Apparently, it’s a regular part of the Late Night Show (unknown to me since the show airs way past my bedtime) and pretty popular (it has its own Facebook page).

As a recognition specialist, I silently rejoiced as Jimmy wrote thank you notes to the Olympics. After all, if Jimmy Fallon thinks thank you notes are cool, hopefully managers and supervisors will jump on the bandwagon, too!

Again and again I hear stories from employees about how a simple note from a manager made an individual feel valued and appreciated. In one particularly memorable story, the individual received a letter of praise from the company’s founder and president. It was a big deal because the company culture revolved around this person, his character and values. The employee framed the letter and still displays it at his desk, years later.

Friday is Employee Appreciation Day, and we’ve been talking about this holiday a lot around Baudville because we know it can have a big impact on how employees feel about their jobs and their employer. Celebrating Employee Appreciation Day doesn’t have to be a large production. It simply needs to be sincere.

Take a lesson from Baudville (and Jimmy Fallon!) and write a thank you note to each of your employees for Employee Appreciation Day. Have all the cards waiting on their desks when they come in Friday. The surprise will make the appreciation memorable long after Employee Appreciation Day has past.

Give employees flair for their desks with your handwritten thank you notes.

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her daily Employee Appreciation Day tips and weekly deals by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.

Hello everyone! You may not know me well since I have not been an avid contributor to the Baudville blog, but I have something that I am really excited to share with you all!

Over the past couple of months, we have been working very hard to create Product Videos. Product Videos showcase all the elements of a product and explain how to use it as a day-to-day recognition tool. We are very excited to launch a handful of them now, and we are continuing to add more, so stay tuned.

Look for the icon on the product pages and click on the link to learn more about the product. You can also watch the Product Videos on our Facebook page or YouTube channel.

The products that now have Product Videos are:

• Cheers Kits & Caboodle
• Pintastic Managers
• Shout Outs
• Spot On Peer Recognition Program
• Recognition Binder

I ran across this quote over the weekend:

"Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." -Voltaire

Hmmm, Voltaire knew a thing or two about employee recognition!

Whether intended or not, all organizations have a culture—that is, shared attitudes and values that are conveyed among all members of an organization. A culture can be clearly defined, or just something that is “in the air.” And it can be positive or negative. I’ve seen both, for sure.

It goes without saying that we want our corporate culture to be rooted in positivity. But it’s more than just about having happy people. A clearly defined culture allows employees to know what is expected of them and what to expect from their organization (and, well, that’s just efficient!). Recognizing and appreciating employees is a strategic way to set those expectations.

If your culture is hanging in limbo—or worse, negative—then celebrating Employee Appreciation Day may be the first step in turning that around. Kurt, our Director of Positive Mojo, shares some great ideas in our first Recognition TV Webisode. Click here to watch this 15-minute video for free right now!

My favorite point that Kurt makes is that Employee Appreciation Day is just the beginning. Regular employee recognition and appreciation, not just on one day of the year, is a tactic for reinforcing the attitudes and behaviors that define your company in a positive light and build the strong employees that ultimately help make your company a success.

In addition to Kurt’s helpful hints, you can also check out our Recognition Tool Finder and the Manager Tools sections of our web site for more great ideas for Employee Appreciation Day and beyond!

Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than eight years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

We broadcasted our first webinar this morning live on Ustream and had a great turn out! If you weren’t able to attend, don’t worry! You can view the recorded version in any number of locations: in the Recognition TV section on our website, Baudville's Facebook fan page, or on Baudville's ustream channel!

I showed a lot of different Baudville products in the presentation, and I wanted to make sure you could find them for your Employee Appreciation Day planning.   

• Candy bars, Fun Treat Gift Bags and mints can all be found in the edible gifts section of our website. PLUS, Facebook fans save 15% this week only!
• Scratch off cards and coupons can be found in our Recognition Binder. You can use the other tools after Employee Appreciation Day to keep the positive mojo rolling!
• You Rock rock. Need I say more? This thing is fun!
• To find the lapel-pin card combo I showed earlier, check out our Pintastic Managers. Watch the product demo video for a quick how-to training session.
• The Pad of Fun is full of activities like mad-libs and cross words that make recognition fun and easy for you.
• And don’t forget notecards for all those handwritten notes you’ll be writing!

Like we said during the webinar, if you have any Employee Appreciation Day questions that didn’t get answered during the broadcast, email them to us at recognition@baudville.com, post them as a comment here or on Facebook. Our recognition specialists will respond to every question!

More great Employee Appreciation Day ideas are available on our blog, in our Recognition Resource Center and on Facebook. You have all the tools necessary to have a memorable Employee Appreciation Day. Now start recognizing!

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On the surface, Kurt is Baudville’s mild-mannered Director of Sales, but when it comes to recognition, he quickly turns into the dashing Director of Positive Mojo. Using his powers as a Certified Recognition Professional, Kurt infuses his team with recognition knowledge and experience, while encouraging them to practice daily recognition with his energetic and creative flair. We’re pretty sure there’s a cape hanging from the back of his door

When it comes time to plan for Employee Appreciation Day, I always recommend making manager-to-employee handwritten notes a part of the day.  My enthusiasm for this simple act of appreciation comes from my experience at Baudville.

Each Employee Appreciation Day, I've always started the day by finding a handwritten note from my manager on my desk.  I still have each of these notes (and many others) stored away for safekeeping because the personal note reminds me that I'm a valued part of the team.

As you prepare for Employee Appreciation Day, – only 16 days to go! – you may want to start writing your notes of appreciation early, especially if you have a large team. I’ve put together 8 steps that you should follow when writing each note. Follow my guide, and your employees will be saving their notes for safekeeping, too!

If you’re looking for more ideas to make Employee Appreciation Day personal and meaningful for your employees, sign up for our live video webisode this Thursday at 11:30am EST. You can register on our website!

1. Begin with the recipient’s name.

2. Say “Thank you.”

3. Be specific about what qualities in the recipient you appreciate. 
    “The dedication you put into every project…” 
    “Your positive attitude…”

4. Discuss the impact of the behavior or action. 
    “Your effort keeps our projects on time and under budget.” 
    “Your creative thinking keeps the team energized with new ideas.”

5. Connect the behavior to the company’s goals and mission. 
    “Thanks to you, we’re sure to meet our goals!”

    “You’re a great leader.”

6. Say “Thank you” again.

7. Wrap up your thank you note with an appropriate sign off. 
    “Keep up the great work!” 
    “Cheers!”

8. Sign your name.

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her daily Employee Appreciation Day tips and weekly deals by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.

We all love receiving gifts. And giving a gift is a unique way to let someone know you were thinking of them. Each gift we receive carries a significant message. We know that the giver was thinking about us, spent time choosing the right item and used hard-earned resources to give it to us. That’s a lot of thought and effort!

Everyone is on a budget these days, and gift-giving has likely taken a back seat to more pressing priorities. However, like the good bargain shopper that I am, I would advise that you can find a great gift at a great value as long as you know where to look.

To make a big, positive impact on your employees, celebrate Employee Appreciation Day by giving gifts to your employees. It doesn’t have to be big, name brand or trendy – it just needs to be thoughtful. Like giving a new travel mug and a coffee gift card for your employee who walks in everyday with, not one, but two Starbucks coffees. Or a fresh bag of candy for your employee who always has a full candy dish that she’s willing to share.

After all, it truly is the thought that counts when it comes to gift giving.

We think employee gifts are a pretty important element of Employee Appreciation Day, and Baudville is making an effort to make gift giving affordable for all managers. Each week leading up to Employee Appreciation Day, we’ve got special discounts and offers for our Facebook fans. This week, you can save 15% on all mugs, so you can give your team a fresh cup of coffee. The offer is only available on our page, and you have to act quickly because it’s only valid for a week. We also just discounted nearly 200 items on the Clearance section of our website.

You can even get help selecting just the right Employee Appreciation Day gift with our Gift Finder tool on our website. You input your gift criteria, and we’ll suggest products we know your employees will love. 

So put on your bargain shopping hat, shop responsibly, be sincere, and make a big impact on Employee Appreciation Day!

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her daily Employee Appreciation Day tips and weekly deals by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.

I’ve been getting pretty excited about Employee Appreciation Day, but I’m probably even more excited for our first webinar that we’re hosting on February 18th. We’ve been talking about webinars for quite a while around Baudville, and it’s finally becoming a reality!

I’ll readily admit that I’m a webinar junkie. I love all the free information and education I can get from the convenience of my own desk, but sometimes those hour long presentations can become a little dull. That’s why we decided to infuse Baudville’s webinars with a little positive mojo.

Instead of scrolling PowerPoint slides, our webinar will feature our Director of Positive Mojo, Kurt, broadcasting LIVE from his office on ustream.tv. You can watch Kurt via video as he shares ideas for Employee Appreciation Day – complete with props! Plus, you can chat with Kurt and attendees via Twitter or on the site’s chat room to ask questions, pass along ideas or simply say hello. We think it’ll be pretty cool!

We’re calling it Recognition TV and next Thursday is our first webisode where Kurt will share Employee Appreciation Day ideas for the upcoming recognition holiday. Register on our website now to attend. I hope you’ll join us!

For a small taste of what our webisode will be like, view Kurt's "commercial"!

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Cori is a Certified Recognition Professional at Baudville and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her daily Employee Appreciation Day tips and weekly deals by becoming a fan of Baudville on Facebook.