A 60-person company that names one Employee of the Month each month recognizes 12 people a year. The other 48 employees watch from the sidelines. That gap is why many programs lose trust within a year.
An employee of the month program still works with published criteria, a fair selection process and rewards people want. This guide covers six setup steps, a scoring rubric, reward ideas and real policy examples. It also includes a nomination form you can copy.
BRAVO, an AI-powered employee recognition and engagement platform by WorkHub, supports the recognition that surrounds the program. The sections below keep the program itself fair and simple.
What Is an Employee of the Month Program?
An employee of the month program is a recurring process that names one outstanding employee each month against set criteria. The winner receives a reward, public recognition, or both. The structure is what separates it from casual praise.
Three parts turn it into a program: published criteria, a repeatable selection process and a defined reward. Remove any one and employees read the result as favoritism. The monthly rhythm adds visibility, because the whole team sees what good work looks like.
| Element | Weak version | Strong version |
|---|---|---|
| Criteria | “Best attitude,” decided by one manager | Four published criteria with a scorecard |
| Selection | One manager picks alone | Nominations reviewed by a mixed committee |
| Reward | The same prize for everyone | A short menu the winner chooses from |
| Visibility | A mention in one meeting | A channel announcement that names the reason |
Most programs run monthly. Quarterly cycles suit small teams with few standout moments. Consistency matters more than frequency, and a skipped month hurts trust more than a slower schedule.
An employee of the month recognition program works best as one layer of a wider employee recognition program.
How to Run an Employee of the Month Program in 6 Steps
Run an employee of the month program in six steps. Set the goal, write the criteria, open nominations, score entries, announce the winner and review the results. Each step takes little time once the first cycle is set up.
- Set one goal. Decide what the program should change, such as service quality or peer collaboration.
- Write four or five criteria. Tie each one to a behavior people can observe.
- Open nominations for a fixed window, for example the 1st to the 20th.
- Score entries against the rubric and pick the winner with a small committee.
- Announce the winner with the specific reason, in a channel everyone sees.
- Ask for feedback after the first cycle and adjust the rules.
Set Employee of the Month Criteria People Can Observe
Good Employee of the Month criteria describe behavior, not personality. “Helps teammates unblock their work” is observable, but “has a great attitude” is not. Publish four or five criteria before the first cycle.
| Criterion | What to look for | Suggested weight |
|---|---|---|
| Results | Goals met or exceeded this month | 30% |
| Teamwork | Specific help given to colleagues | 25% |
| Values | Behavior that matches a stated company value | 25% |
| Customer impact | A named outcome for a customer or internal client | 20% |
Score each nomination from 1 to 5 per criterion, multiply by the weight and rank the results. Adjust the weights to match your goal. Ties go to the nomination with the most specific evidence.
Choose Who Picks the Winner
A mixed committee beats a single manager. SHRM’s sample policy uses a selection committee of management and non-management employees, chosen each year by HR (SHRM sample policy).
The same policy lets any non-management employee nominate, including self-nominations. It collects nominations from the 1st to the 20th of each month. It also limits each person to one win per calendar year.
Announce the Winner and Share the Reason
Announce the winner in the channel where everyone already works, and give the reason in two sentences. A named reason shows the team what good work looks like. A bare name teaches nothing.
Use this nomination form as a starting point:
- Nominee name and team
- Nominator name (self-nominations allowed or not)
- What the nominee did this month, in two or three sentences
- The result: who or what benefited
- Which published criterion it matches
- Evidence: a link, a number, or a colleague who saw it
Employee of the Month Rewards and Incentives That Work
To reward an Employee of the Month well, make the reward specific, fast and chosen by the winner. Deliver it within days of the announcement, because a late prize feels like an afterthought. Offer a short menu of three or four options so the reward fits the person.
| Reward type | Examples | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Paid day off, flexible hours for a week | Teams with heavy workloads | Coverage planning |
| Money | Cash bonus, gift card | Hourly and frontline staff | Tax treatment, so ask payroll |
| Growth | Course, conference pass, mentoring hour with a leader | Early-career and ambitious staff | Budget approval |
| Experience | Dinner, class, event tickets | Office and hybrid teams | Access for remote employees |
| Status | Reserved parking for a month, a named spot on the intranet | Campus and office sites | Low value if nobody wants it |
| Giving | Charity donation in the winner’s name | Values-driven teams | Winner consent |
Low-cost rewards still land when they are specific. Both the SHRM sample policy and USF’s program include a reserved parking space for the month. Pair every reward with a note naming the contribution, or it reads like a raffle prize.
Cash needs one extra check. USF’s program adds its $50 lump sum to the winner’s pay, reported on the W-2 (USF program page). Ask your payroll team how your company treats cash awards before you promise one.
For more options, see these employee reward ideas grouped by reward type.
Still tracking nominations in a spreadsheet?
See how BRAVO handles peer recognition and rewards inside Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Book a Free DemoEmployee of the Month Program Examples From Real Policies
Real employee of the month programs make the same four design choices. They set who can be nominated, who selects, how often one person can win and what the winner receives. The table compares three published programs as reviewed in October 2026, so check each page for current terms.
| Program | Eligibility | Selection | Winner receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHRM sample policy | Full-time and part-time regular employees, one win per calendar year | Nominations from any non-management employee, reviewed by a mixed committee | Intranet recognition, a reserved parking space for a month, entry into the employee of the year pool |
| Georgia Southwestern State University | Faculty and staff who go beyond usual job expectations | HR director coordinates; nominations close on the fourth Thursday; runs August through April | $100 per month, $300 for Employee of the Year, features on the website and campus signage |
| USF St. Petersburg | Staff employed at least 6 months, with no corrective action in the past 6 months | Nominator needs direct knowledge, no anonymous entries, unit director signs off | $50 lump sum, a designated parking space, recognition on the HR website |
Sources: SHRM, Georgia Southwestern State University, USF.
USF limits nominations to achievements from the last 60 days, which keeps entries current. A tenure or conduct filter protects credibility but can shut out new hires. A cap of one win per calendar year, as in the SHRM sample, prevents repeat winners.
Copy the pattern, not the prize. A university can pay $100 and a startup can pay in time off. What matters is that the rules are written and the same for everyone.
Why Employee of the Month Programs Fail and How to Fix Them
Employee of the Month programs fail when employees believe the outcome is already decided. Five problems cause most of that distrust, and each has a simple fix.
| Problem | What employees see | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat winners | The same names every quarter | Cap wins at one per person per calendar year |
| Favoritism | Winners are the manager’s favorites | Use a mixed committee and written scorecards |
| Vague criteria | Nobody knows how to qualify | Publish criteria before the first cycle |
| Mismatched rewards | A prize nobody wanted | Let winners choose from a menu |
| An ignored majority | Twelve winners, everyone else unseen | Add a peer recognition layer |
Competition can backfire on teams that depend on each other. When the work is collaborative, run a Team of the Month award. Keep individual awards for roles with measurable personal output.
Remote and hybrid staff need the same visibility. Announce winners in Slack or Microsoft Teams, not only in office meetings. Accept written nominations so people outside the office can take part.
Employee of the Month Alternatives That Reach More People
A single monthly winner reaches at most 12 employees a year, so most programs need a second layer. Three alternatives close the gap: team awards, values-based awards and peer-to-peer recognition.
Team of the Month
A Team of the Month award recognizes a group for a shared result, such as a product launch. It lowers internal competition and fits work where no one person owns the outcome. Use the same criteria and the same nomination form as the individual award.
Values-Based Awards
A values-based award names a company value and recognizes the person who showed it. It rewards behavior that results alone miss, such as mentoring or honest feedback. Several winners can share one month, which widens the pool.
Peer-to-Peer Recognition
Peer recognition lets any employee thank any colleague at any time. It gives the committee evidence beyond a manager’s memory and reaches people who never get nominated. Read more in this guide to peer recognition in the workplace.
For a full comparison of award formats, the workplace recognition guide covers each type. If “Employee of the Month” feels dated, these recognition award names offer fresh options.
How to Measure an Employee of the Month Program
Measure an employee of the month program with four numbers: nomination rate, winner spread, repeat-winner rate and a fairness score. Review them every quarter and set a baseline in the first two cycles.
| Metric | How to calculate it | What a weak number suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Nomination rate | Nominations received per month, divided by total employees | Staff don’t know the program or don’t trust it |
| Winner spread | Winners by team and role over 12 months | Some teams are overlooked |
| Repeat-winner rate | Employees who won more than once, divided by total winners | Selection favors the same people |
| Fairness score | Share of employees who agree “winners are chosen fairly” in a 5-point pulse survey | Criteria aren’t credible |
Winner spread is the most revealing number. If most winners come from one department, either the criteria favor that work or other teams lack visibility. Fix the criteria first, then the communication.
Ask the fairness question in a short pulse survey. BRAVO Voice, the survey product inside BRAVO, can run it each quarter. Compare each result with your baseline and act on the lowest score first.
How BRAVO Supports an Employee of the Month Program
BRAVO supports an employee of the month program with recognition, rewards and surveys in Slack and Microsoft Teams. Employees send recognition where they already work. HR can see who gives and receives it.
Recognition data helps with the two hardest parts of the program: finding candidates and spotting overlooked teams. Peer recognition sent during the month shows who colleagues already value. The committee then scores with evidence, not memory.
BRAVO Points reward recognized work, so a winner’s reward can come from the rewards catalog instead of a manual purchase. BRAVO doesn’t pick the winner for you. Your criteria and your committee do that.
Learn more about BRAVO rewards and recognition or explore the wider employee engagement software platform.
Run Your First Employee of the Month Program Cycle
Start with one cycle: publish four criteria, open a nomination window and score entries with a mixed committee. Announce the winner with a specific reason, and let them choose the reward. After the first quarter, review the four numbers and fix whatever employees question first.
A fair employee of the month program recognizes one person well and shows everyone what good work looks like. Add peer recognition between winners so the other employees count too.
Want to see how a monthly winner and everyday recognition work together? Book a free BRAVO demo and map your first cycle with the team.
FAQs
Use a published scorecard with four or five observable criteria and score every nomination against it. Let a mixed committee of managers and non-managers review the entries. Limit each person to one win per calendar year, and announce the reason so employees can see the standard applied.
Good rewards are fast, specific and chosen by the winner. Offer a short menu, such as a paid day off, a gift card, a learning budget or a charity donation. Deliver the reward within days of the announcement, and add a note that names the contribution.
Run it monthly if you can recognize a different person each cycle without stretching the criteria. Small teams can switch to quarterly cycles to keep each win meaningful. Consistency matters most, because a skipped month damages trust faster than a slower schedule.
Use four or five observable behaviors, such as results, teamwork, company values and customer impact. Describe each criterion in one sentence, and publish the list before the first cycle. Avoid traits like attitude, which different managers judge differently, and apply the same list to every role.
Yes, a Team of the Month award suits collaborative work where one person’s result depends on others. It reduces internal competition and spreads recognition across more employees. Keep individual awards for roles with clear personal output, and run both so people see different kinds of contribution.
Announce winners and accept written nominations in the channels remote staff use, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams. Choose rewards that work anywhere, such as digital gift cards, paid time off or learning credits. Check winner spread across locations every quarter.
He is an SEO strategist and content writer focused on employee engagement and SaaS marketing. He creates data-driven content that ranks on Google and AI search while helping businesses improve motivation, productivity, and retention.
