Giving out awards to your employees has numerous advantages, and you can easily inject some fun into how you present these awards by involving the element of surprise. While there's certainly nothing wrong with a traditional awards night, held at a banquet hall or a restaurant, depending on the size of your business, you may sometimes wish to give out awards at your office — and do it so that the recipients aren't expecting anything. There are a variety of techniques that you can employ to make this recognition a fun surprise, and the exact approach that you take depends on the size and type of your business, as well as the types of awards you're handing out. Here are some ideas for employee awards: 

Show Up At The Person's Desk

One idea is to gather up the people who are needed for the ceremony. This could be the company's owner, the general manager, and perhaps the direct supervisor of the employee who will be getting the award. Other relevant people might be the employee's peers. Have the award handy, whether it's a plaque, a medal, or something similar, and arrange some treats such as a plate of cupcakes. Each of the involved parties can gather in an area such as a private office, and then show up together at the person's desk where the award can be announced.

Contact The Person's Family

If the award is major and you want to make it a complete surprise, you might wish to involve the person's family. It's often possible to discreetly track down family members; the human resources department will have the employee's emergency contacts, so you can contact the person's spouse, for example, and explain what is going on. Many family members would be honored to be present for a workplace award, and may also wish to contribute with a gift. Even if the employee knows that there's an awards ceremony coming up at work, his or her family members can hide nearby and reveal themselves once the winner is announced.

Pretend Something Else Is Going On

Sometimes, it can be fun to get the employee's heart racing a little by making him or her think that something else is happening. This is a bit of a prank, but it will end well. For example, you might wish to tell the employee that human resources wants to speak to him or her at the end of the day. The person may be a little anxious, but as soon as he or she arrives at the HR office, everyone can be present to announce the award. The person may have thought that he or she would be getting disciplined, but will quickly realize the fun surprise of the award.