Employee of the Year Awards: Picking the Winner and the Award

By , CRP, Vice President, Sales and Service

An employee of the year award goes to one person for the best performance of the year, usually chosen from a shortlist like the 12 monthly winners, which makes it the most selective award most companies give. Awards.com builds that top honor in crystal, glass, plaques, and trophy-style pieces. The most common mistake is ordering the same award used for employee of the month. When the yearly award looks like the monthly one, the room reads it as a 13th month, not the year's highest recognition. Pick it well and it stays on the winner's desk long after the ceremony.

Employee of the Year Award Ideas

The best employee of the year award reads as a clear step up from the monthly piece. Crystal, an individual plaque, and a trophy-style piece each do that in a different way.

Crystal and Glass Employee of the Year Awards

Crystal and glass are the default top honor. Optical crystal is lead-free, takes deep sandblast etching, and has the weight and clarity that reads as significant, though it can chip, so it lives on a desk. The Norwood Award, from $132.50, is a substantial blue-accented crystal for the year the winner should get the biggest piece in the program. For art glass with more color, the Surfside Award, from $96.50, keeps the yearly award distinct from the crystal you hand out at other milestones. Browse the full range of crystal awards and glass awards.

Employee of the Year Plaques

An employee of the year plaque comes in two forms, and many programs use both. An individual plaque like the Gemstone Rosewood Plaque, from $74.50, goes home with the winner. A perpetual plaque stays in the lobby and adds a new name plate each year, so the record of past winners builds where everyone passes it. The Oakleigh Vert Perpetual, from $182.50, holds a run of years on one board.

Employee of the Year Trophies

For teams that want something that reads as a trophy on a desk, a star or metal piece does the job. The Arlington Star Award, from $174.50, is a tall crystal star on a black base that stands up at the podium and after it. See more star awards.

Some companies add a personal gift alongside the award. Keep it as an addition, not a replacement, and see personalized corporate gifts to pair with it.

Employee of the Year Criteria

Set the employee of the year criteria before nominations open, not after. Criteria written once a favorite has emerged read as justification, and staff notice. Pick 3 or 4 and name them: results against goals, impact beyond the person's own role, living the company's stated values, and peer nominations. A list of 10 dilutes the honor.

Decide who picks, too. A panel, a peer vote, or leadership choosing from the monthly winners each work. A peer vote earns buy-in but can slide into a popularity contest; a leadership pick is cleaner but can read as political.

Tenure is not a criterion. Long service is a different award with a different piece, so recognize it with years of service awards rather than folding it into performance. If you are building the whole program and not just one award, our employee recognition program guide walks through it.

Employee of the Month vs Employee of the Year Awards

A lot of programs run both on one structure: a perpetual plaque that gains a name plate each month, then a keepsake for the year's winner. The two should not be the same piece. The yearly award steps up in material or size so it ranks visibly above the monthly one, which is the point of having both.

For the monthly side, see employee of the month plaques for the perpetual board and employee of the month awards for the piece that goes home. Our employee of the month ideas guide covers running that program month to month.

What to Engrave on an Employee of the Year Award

One line naming what the person actually did beats 4 lines of generic praise. Build the plate around the achievement, not around adjectives.

NORTHWIND LOGISTICS
Employee of the Year 2026
Dana Ellison
For turning the returns backlog into a 2-day promise the team now keeps

Engrave the year large enough to read across a room. Engraving is free on every award, and you approve a proof before we make anything. For more phrasing, see our employee of the year award wording examples.

When to Order for a Year-End Awards Ceremony

The catch with this award is that the winner is not known until the vote closes, and the engraving proof needs the name. Awards.com sends a proof for your approval within 2 business days, then production runs 5 to 7 business days after you approve it, plus transit, roughly 2 weeks on a clean order. For a December ceremony, close the vote about 3 weeks out. See our guide to award engraving lead times for the full breakdown.

Employee of the Year Award FAQ

What are the criteria for employee of the year?

Pick 3 or 4 and set them before nominations open: results against goals, impact beyond the person's own role, living the company's values, and peer nominations. A short list keeps the honor credible, and tenure is not one of them.

What is a good employee of the year award?

A piece that reads as a step up from the monthly award: optical crystal, art glass, or an individual plaque the winner keeps. Awards.com engraves each one free and sends a proof before production.

Is an employee of the year award the same as a years of service award?

No. An employee of the year award recognizes the best performance of the year, while a years of service award recognizes tenure. They are different honors and usually different pieces, so most programs keep them separate.

What do you say when presenting an employee of the year award?

Name the specific achievement, say what it changed for the team, and keep it under 2 minutes. A concrete line lands better than a run of adjectives.

How far ahead should you order an employee of the year award?

About 3 weeks before the event. Close the vote first, since the engraving proof needs the winner's name, then allow a proof within 2 business days, 5 to 7 business days of production, and transit.

Can you give an employee of the year certificate instead of an award?

Yes. A certificate in an engraved frame is a lower-cost option that suits a smaller program, or a runner-up alongside the main award. Awards.com offers certificate frames for exactly that.

Related Awards and Guides

Employee of the year sits at the top of a bigger program. See years of service awards and employee of the month awards for the tiers below it, crystal awards and perpetual plaques for the top-honor material, and our leadership awards guide for managers and executives.