Certificate Of Achievement Template | Free Download

Employee recognition is vital to the success of your business. If you don’t complement your team when they exceed your expectations, they’ll begin to think their work is undervalued. When that happens, low morale and a dysfunctional team dynamic are not far behind. That’s why it’s essential to shine the spotlight on a job well done.

One easy way to do this is to award a certificate of achievement. In this article, the experts at Sling show you why and how to set up your own certificate of achievement program, and give you five tips to make the certificate something special. We’ll also provide a free certificate of achievement template to get you started.

First, let’s discuss a few key reasons to award a certificate of achievement on a regular basis.

Reasons To Award A Certificate Of Achievement

There are many reasons to award a certificate of achievement. These reasons vary from business to business—and even from team to team. Below, we’ve assembled the most common motivations for establishing your own awards program.

It’s An Honor For Your Employees

A certificate of achievement is really nothing more than a vehicle for recognition. Honestly, you could give out a “brick of achievement” if you wanted to. It’s really all about the honor you give to your employee(s)—not the tangible object they can hold in their hand. The honor is what drives them to work hard when the job becomes difficult.

It Reinforces High Standards

When you award a certificate of achievement to an employee, you also reinforce the high standards that prompted the award. That helps your team see what is acceptable, what is good, and what is great.

Recognizing Achievement Inspires Other Team Members

When you highlight the achievements of an employee (or group of employees), the other members of your team see that they can do it too. This inspiration drives them to reach for success during their next project.

Employees Can List The Certificate Of Achievement On Their Résumé

Another benefit of handing out a certificate of achievement is that employees can list those accolades on their résumé. You may not want to think about your team members moving on to bigger and better things, but it’s always a possibility. A certificate of achievement is a significant addition to the key accomplishments section of any résumé.

A Certificate Of Achievement Is An Opportunity For A Ceremony

Want to show your appreciation for your employees’ hard work? Throw a party! During that party, take a few moments to hand out a certificate of achievement for specific accomplishments during the weeks or months before. This idea is especially useful at the end of a project before the next project begins.

How To Set Up Your Own Certificate Of Achievement Program

No two achievement programs are the same. You should tailor the specifics to the needs of your team and your business. Below is a rough framework for setting up your own certificate of achievement program.

1) Set Your Goals

Set up goals that, when reached, merit an award of recognition. Be as specific as possible so it’s easy to see when the employee(s) accomplishes the goal.

2) Establish A Time Frame

This often depends on the type of goal you’ve set. Time frames can range from a week or two for smaller accomplishments to months, or even years, for larger accomplishments.

3) Monitor Your Employees’ Progress

Whether you’re keeping track of one employee or an entire team, it’s vital to monitor their progress. That’s the only way you’re going to know if they succeeded in reaching the goal.

4) Plan The Awards Ceremony

If you hold too many awards ceremonies, it diminishes the impact of the recognition. We suggest only distributing certificates of achievement two or three times during a twelve-month period (every four to six months).

5) Keep Track Of Each Certificate Of Achievement Award

Keep a photocopy of each certificate awarded in the personnel file of that employee. This gives you an easy reference, meaning don’t have to rely on your memory for who was awarded what honor and when.

Tips For Creating Your Own Certificate Of Achievement Template

1) Proofread So There Are No Spelling Or Grammar Errors

There’s not much text on a certificate of achievement. Even so, always proofread the certificate at least twice for spelling and grammar errors. After you proofread the certificate, have another person read through it once or twice to catch any errors you may have missed.

2) Print The Certificate In High Resolution

Your certificate of achievement is most likely going to be one page. What’s more, it’s probably going to be mostly text. Because these certificates are relatively simple from a visual standpoint, you can afford to print them in the highest resolution possible.

3) Print The Certificate On Quality Paper

Quality paper makes the certificate look and feel more valuable. We recommend a 100-percent cotton, 32-lb parchment-type paper for maximum appeal. Talk to the professionals at your local office supply store or print shop and they can guide you toward a specific product.

4) Print The Certificate In Color

Color makes everything look better. We suggest printing at least part of the certificate in an eye-catching hue. The text should be black for easy reading, but other areas of the certificate (like the borders and images) can be red, blue, orange, green, or any combination thereof.

5) Include An Image On The Certificate

Communicate your appreciation with a heartfelt message, but be sure to include an image of some kind as well. The image doesn’t have to be a picture, per se. You can opt for a sticker, stamp, or embossing if you like the look of those better.

Free Certificate Of Achievement Template

To help you get started planning your own achievement awards program, the experts at Sling have created a certificate of achievement template. You can use this template “as-is” or modify it to fit your business’s specific needs.

Don’t Let Employee Achievement Go Unnoticed

Whether you choose to use the above certificate of achievement template or not, the bottom line is that you should never let a good job go unnoticed. At the very least, commend the employee for a job well done.

Doing so will help your team see the value of their efforts and reinforce your standards and expectations. That’s good for your employees’ morale and engagement. It’s good for your manager/employee relationship. And it’s good for the success of your business.

For more free resources to help you manage your business better, organize and schedule your team, and track and calculate labor costs, visit GetSling.com today.

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This content is for informational purposes and is not intended as legal, tax, HR, or any other professional advice. Please contact an attorney or other professional for specific advice.

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