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Custom Years Of Service Pin Program Guide

Posted by Craig Davidiuk - 29 April, 2020

 

It's more important than ever to stay connected to your employees. As business owners and human resources managers, we all know how much it costs to acquire, train and keep good staff or volunteers. So what have you done for your team lately? Years Of Service programs offer a lot in terms of cost, flexibility and "wow" factor. 

years service pins, employee pins, engraving, recognition pins

 

According to the Human Resources Council of Canada, employees who feel appreciated:

         • Often go above and beyond what is expected of them

         • Are more productive and motivated

         • Are more likely to stay with the organization


Did you notice they don’t talk about wages? Naturally everyone wants to make a good living at their job. But what really makes employees tick is appreciation and recognition. In other words, it’s the little things that count.

 

cara-years-pins, years service pins, employee pins, engraving, recognition pins

 

Custom years of service lapel pins and award pins are an excellent and low cost option. The act of giving a pin at a company award ceremony can go a long way if you combine the pin program with other perks.

 

There Are Three Steps To Developing Your Recognition Program

 

STEP 1: How Many Pins? 

Our minimum order is 100pc. The good news is that we can don't count each milestone as an order and tally up the total of your pins. Then we decorate it with different metal colors and enamels.

 

award-pin-grid

 

Consider ordering for 2-3 years at a time if you are small business owner. Here is an example of how you should submit your milestones.  At this point don’t worry about trying to figure out which ones are bronze, silver or gold. We'll help you with that. 

download worksheet 

STEP 2: Use Worksheet To Determine Milestones

It is important that you arrive with your quantity and award milestones in hand. If you are struggling, you can ask for help. Your vendor is going to help you decide a number of things once you submit your quote request and your art file. 

 

Can your logo be rendered gracefully in a metal finish pin? We like the metal finish because it stands out from your day-to-day branding. When staffers wear a metal finish award pin, other team members will immediately know that it's for recognition rather than advertising. This also allows you to create a program where the entry levels are in bronze, the middle years are in silver and the longest serving employees get gold plated pins.


Where can we imprint the year or achievement on your logo?    

years service pins, employee pins, engraving, recognition pins

 

There are two ways to add the years or award milestone to your award:

       • if your order is larger, the pin supplier might suggest getting molds done for each year.

       This allows you the option of having raised metal letters with a surrounding color or a sandblasted finish.

       • if your order is smaller, the pin supplier will probably suggest spindle or laser engraving.

 

Is this award pin program suitable for synthetic gem stones?   It costs around a quarter to add a clear or coloured zirconium. Setting a stone on the pin gives the award a feel of class and value. 

      • Is a standard butterfly clutch enough?

      You can add a military clasp or a magnetic back if your recipients wear expensive clothing to work.


 

Vic-hosp-custom-volunteer-pins.jpg, years service pins, employee pins, engraving, recognition pins

 

STEP 3: Add Special Packaging

Add an element of class to your award ceremony by packaging the pins in velour or plastic boxes.  We can even imprint your company logo inside the box. Be forewarned though. The special packaging can sometimes cost more than the pins. A low cost alternative is to attach the award pin to a thank you card.

presentation cases for years of service pins

 

Once you have completed these three steps, your custom years of service or award pin quote can be created. The vast majority of our award pins are made using the metal finish or hard enamel processes. The reason being is this pin style allows for engraving or imprinting.

With our company you can expect your pins to take 3-4 weeks to arrive after you have placed your order. You should also build a couple weeks into your timeline for art and quoting.  

Ultimate Promotions has been providing custom employee pins and award programs for over 45 years. If you require a price quote, visit our website. 

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About The Author

Craig-Headshot-18-temp

linkedinCraig Davidiuk has been in the promotional products his entire life. His family owned and operated a pin factory until 2002 and he eventually took over the company in 2012. He also has a diploma in Media Resources from Capilano University. Today his company is one of the leading suppliers of custom pins, medals and swag in Western Canada.

He is a father of one son with his wife, Courtney. Craig enjoys skiing, mountain biking, DJing, playing saxophone and world travel.  The Davidiuk family resides in 100 Mile House, BC.