A beautiful desk water set reward like this would be useful as well.

Over the years I’ve received a number of rewards for various things, employee of the month, contribution rewards, etc. Most of them have been inexpensive wooden plaques that I wouldn’t hang anywhere, so really they were a waste of money.

When considering offering your employees some sort of reward think about something they could reuse, or something that is like a work of art. For instance I saw these beautiful Art Glass Trophies online. They are really stunning pieces of art that I would have enjoyed having on my desk or bookcase in my office area. There are also stunning Crystal Awards for executives. They can come in the form of a bowl, vase, and my favorite was a desk water set. That would be really useful. You could fill it up in the morning and sip on the water throughout the day, without having to leave your desk.

There are all kinds of small rewards that double as something useful for your desk including nameplates, business card holders, and pen sets, so why give them a dorky plaque that has no other function than to clutter their walls?

If I had any employees, other than myself, which I do hope to have some day. I would definitely choose something useful for them rather than something that goes to Goodwill the next time they move or clean out their cupboards.