Employee Years of Service Awards Collection
Did you know that milestone awards increase employee retention? Employees stay two years longer at companies that honor employee anniversaries, and consistent, high-quality programs see a 2x increase over that. Work anniversary awards are also 3x more effective at employee engagement and retention than costly employee benefits such as 401k matching and healthcare packages.
What are years of service awards?
Years of service awards recognize an employee's dedication and commitment at key milestones, such as one, five, or 10 years. These awards celebrate contributions and loyalty, showing appreciation for long-term service and commitment to the company.
Build a committed and enthusiastic culture in your organization by honoring dedicated employees' anniversaries. Our exclusive collection of years of service awards allows you to celebrate those special milestones with customizable trophies and plaques.

Show your most loyal and dedicated team members that you care with thoughtful work anniversary gifts to commemorate their work for your company. Years of service awards from Successories fit any budget, so you can keep employees motivated, happy, and productive as they continue to work for your company.
Shop a wide variety of year of service awards below, including customizable options for truly unique gifts.
Benefits of Giving 5-, 10-, or 20-Year Service Awards
Do you know the average employee tenure within your organization? Knowing this information and recognizing service milestones in your company could lead to lower turnover rates and a more robust company culture.
Your employees exchange their time for work that helps your organization succeed. This dedication deserves to be recognized on a regular, timely basis. Service anniversary awards show appreciation for your employees' commitment to your company and their performance.
Keeping productive employees at your business is vital to sustaining your bottom line. Replacing an employee costs more than 15% of their annual salary and over 200% of their annual salary for highly educated executive roles. Businesses with strategic recognition programs offering company service awards report a lower turnover rate than companies without a program.
Other reasons to consider making years of service awards a regular part of your business recognition efforts include:
- The recipient feels valued. A personalized gift demonstrates to the receiver that your business acknowledges their role within your company, appreciates their work, and wants them to remain with your business because their efforts are valuable. A beautiful trophy-style gift is one a recipient can proudly display in their home or office, reminding them of the positive aspects of working for your company and further inspiring employee loyalty.
- Other team members have something to look forward to. Employee recognition can play a meaningful role in whether or not many top employees stay at your company. Besides conveying to everyone that you appreciate the work of long-term employees, recognition of a work milestone is an event employees look forward to and a reason to stay motivated on the job.
- Years of service awards strengthen relationships. Giving out company service awards alerts team members to their peer's contributions. Public recognition ceremonies, or even an email note accompanying an award, can indicate how your most dedicated team members are making a difference at your business. This increases the respect and appreciation they receive from their peers, which bolsters teamwork and employee satisfaction.
You can designate certain types of awards based on years served. The most effective recognition is personal, direct, and sincere. This personal touch acknowledges your employees' hard work, rewards them for their dedication, and inspires their peers to achieve the same. As long as those sentiments power the recognition given, years of service awards don't have to be expensive to make an impact.
Types of Years of Service Award Ideas
A career anniversary deserves to be recognized. Some ideas for years of service gifts to hand out include:
- Lapel pins: Lapel pins are easy and attractive to wear on the job or at events outside the office where an employee represents your company. These badges are worn proudly and spur interesting conversations, which bolster the perception of your business.
- Trophy awards: Great for handing out on a stage or at large events, trophy awards are substantial tokens of appreciation that carry literal weight. Recipients will be proud to show off these trophies to co-workers and clients.
- Decorative items: Years of service gifts, like personalized vases offer a personal touch and can be quite useful to recipients, while awards like praise pennants add more personality to an office and give recipients something to look forward to accumulating over the years.
You can get creative and personalize years of service awards by adding a unique message to the gifts. Giving out service awards is a winning solution for company-wide engagement, from improving the dedication of your most valuable employees to boosting the relationships among teams.
Find Employee Years of Service Awards That Leave a Memorable Impression
At Successories, we make giving meaningful recognition easy and affordable with high-quality service awards items your employees will cherish. For every occasion and for gifts that match the personalities and interests of the recipients, you can count on our diverse selection of employee years of service awards.
Shop based on your budget, and make anniversary awards for employees an integral part of a winning business strategy.
Employee Anniversaries are Important Occasions
Though it's important to recognize the quality of work, it is also essential to show appreciation for years of service.
As Kim Harrison noted for Cutting Edge PR,
"Some may believe that recognizing employees for their time served only emphasizes quantity rather than quality - the chair warmers rather than the achievers. However, the fact is that any significant length of service represents a major investment by an employee from their life. This choice of investment is something to be valued, especially when there is a comparatively high employee 'churn' (and cost of turnover) these days compared with the past."
Many companies operate service awards programs for this reason. A joint survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management and Globoforce revealed several key findings about service awards programs, including:
- The main goal of years of service programs is employee appreciation, but many such programs "still fall short of the mark for inspiration and quality."
- Companies that invest in years of service programs see better results.
The survey also found that 74% of companies say they have a service anniversary program. However, just 22% of these companies say their program is excellent, with 31% rating it as fair or poor.
Though the programs may not be as fully developed as many companies would wish, the intentions are noble. The survey found that the top reason companies have years of service awards programs is to appreciate employees, followed by increasing employee happiness or satisfaction.
The survey results show that while employers have lofty goals for their service awards programs, their content is failing to deliver. Let's look at ways companies can strengthen their service awards programs to better suit their employees' expectations.
Starting a Years of Service Awards Program
Before starting your service awards program, or revising your current one, find out what your employees think. Polls and simple email surveys are effective ways to understand how workers feel about recognition programs. With this data, you can create programs closely aligned with employee desires. Ask questions like:
- How would you rate the level of recognition at this company?
- Do you feel like the work you do is valued?
- What would an ideal service awards program look like to you?
Use this information to design recognition programs that strongly resonate with your professionals.
Choose the Years That Will Be Recognized
Employee longevity awards programs can't recognize every year of service - that would strain your budget and give the awards less meaning. So, one of your first tasks is deciding which years your company should recognize.
The SHRM/Globoforce survey found that:
- 90 percent of companies celebrated five-year anniversaries.
- 92 percent celebrated 10 years.
- 89 percent celebrated 20 years.
- 28 percent celebrate first-year anniversaries.
Traditionally, companies celebrate significant milestones, but it's also important to celebrate smaller anniversaries, especially in today's employment market where individuals stay at companies for shorter periods and job hop. It's recommended that companies with high turnover celebrate "mini-milestones," as it boosts employee engagement levels from the get-go.
When successfully implemented, employee anniversary awards programs can boost employee happiness levels and create a positive, inclusive work environment. Setting alerts in your HR, intranet, or other internal system can help you manage these dates and stay on top of recognition in a timely and organized manner. Your organization's success in employee service awards programs hinges on genuine recognition during major career milestones, which is why the timing of the special occasion matters just as much as the personalized awards of the recognition program.
Choose the Award and Manner of Celebration
When creating service awards programs, it's best to take a multi-tiered approach: give the employee a meaningful award and then recognize the individuals with an event and social recognition. This combination helps enhance the employee experience, creating a positive work environment and motivating workers to strive for continued excellence and help achieve overall organizational goals.
Below are some ways you can honor employees for their years of service milestones:
Give a heartfelt and meaningful gift
Employees celebrating service milestones shouldn't receive a generic, one-size-fits-all gift. Instead, customize the item to the individual. Work anniversary gifts such as crystal clocks, wine cradles, and vases are great for individuals celebrating 10-, 15-, and 20-year anniversaries. For annual work anniversary celebrations, personalized glassware, tech accessories, apparel, or plaques work well.
Write a note
A heartfelt note can mean the world to someone. According to the Harvard Business Review, OGO found in a survey that 76% of people save handwritten thank-you notes. Don't use a template or say the same thing you say on every note - personalize the message to reflect the employee's unique achievements and strengths.
Give a shared gift
Another idea for service milestones is something that the employee can enjoy with family or friends. For example, a gift card to a favorite restaurant or an experience for multiple people.
Throw a party
Reserve a meeting room to hold a party for the employee, with food catered. You can put together a presentation about the employee and their accomplishments. For major milestones, you can host the party at a local restaurant or function hall.
Give the social spotlight
Another great way to celebrate service milestones is through social recognition in the workplace. For example, Kim Harrison of Cutting Edge PR notes that you could give the employee a shout-out or blurb in the company newsletter or staff magazine or write a special post on the employee intranet or homepage.
Research shows that service awards programs are meaningful and powerful ways to recognize employees for their service. These programs boost employee morale and have long-term positive effects on the organization as a whole. With these tips, you can create effective service awards programs at your company.
Successories has everything you need to supplement your awards programs, from high-end gifts to stationery for hand-written thank-you notes.
Customer Favorite Years of Service Awards

Years of Service Lapel Pin Backer Cards
I love these cards! I attach a lapel pin and usually write a personal note on the back before I give it to my students at the end of their rotation.