Everyone likes to be recognized for the work they do, whether they are paid to do it or volunteer their time. Choosing to provide your employees or volunteers with certificates of recognition can help them feel appreciated and motivate them to continue working with you. The certificate wording for recognition you choose depends on what you are recognizing your staff for and how much information you want to include.

What Is a Certificate of Recognition?

A certificate of recognition, or a certificate of appreciation, shows a staff member or volunteer that you notice the work they do and that it has a valuable impact on your company. You may provide employees a certificate of recognition, either individually or as part of a team, for such things as:

  • Delivering exceptional results.
  • Having the highest sales.
  • Meeting and exceeding goals.
  • Going above and beyond their regular job duties.
  • Volunteering the most hours.
  • Finishing a project.
  • Dedication or service to the company.
  • Exemplary leadership.

You can even have certificate of recognition content that is general to a job well done or enthusiasm. You can decide what parameters your employee or volunteer must meet in order to receive a certificate of recognition. No matter what it is, providing them a certificate will make them feel seen, appreciated and encouraged to keep doing a good job.

Certificate of Recognition Content

Once you know what types of recognition certificates you want to distribute, you must decide the certificate of recognition content you want to include. Much of the certificate wording for recognition will be the same no matter what you are awarding. Certificate wording for recognition should include:

  • Your company name and logo.
  • The certificate being given.
  • The employee or volunteer name and title.
  • A statement of recognition, or the reason for the certificate.
  • The time frame and year of the certificate.

Each certificate should speak to the recipient personally while inspiring other staff to achieve that degree of success.

Certificate of Appreciation Words

After figuring out the content, you then need to choose the certificate wording for recognition. While most of the content is standard, the statement of recognition should be specific to the recipient.

This statement should go beyond the basic “thank you for your contributions,” and use more descriptive statements such as:

  • “In grateful recognition for your enduring commitment to exceptional customer service.”
  • “Thank you for your dedication. Your outstanding efforts have made the difference between just being good and being great.”
  • "With deep appreciation for your visionary guidance and exemplary leadership skills.”
  • “In recognition of your outstanding work and innovative ideas.”

You can be as specific as you’d like on the statement of recognition, even including specific projects or deadlines. You can create a template and just revise the certificate of appreciation words as needed, along with names and dates, for future certificates.

Sample Certificate of Appreciation Wording

A certificate of appreciation wording example includes:

Company XYZ Awards

Julie Johnson, Senior Marketing Associate

June 2019 Employee of the Month

In recognition and appreciation of your hard work and diligence in creating our new company database.

Always remember to use professional language on a certificate of appreciation and check the spelling of both the recipient and the rest of the text. Make the name of the employee or volunteer the biggest font on the certificate so that it stands out.

You can lay out your certificate of appreciation on the computer and have it printed on nice certificate paper to present to the recipient. You can even choose to have it laminated if you want it to have a professional touch.