Many companies give recognition awards as a way to motivate and reward their staff members. Through these awards, employers can recognize an employees' specific achievement, such as length of service. The awards sometimes accompany a commemorative item, such as an engraved pen or watch, or a gift certificate or monetary bonus. The wording of these awards is very important, as they must honor recipients in a professional and meaningful way.

Find out key information about the employee, such as her full name, title and the date she joined the company. HR should have all of this information on file.

Address the letter to the person formally. This should be done on company letterhead.

State the purpose of the letter. For example: “On behalf of XX company, I would like to congratulate you on 50 years of outstanding service.”

List the employee's outstanding achievements in a new paragraph. For example: the employee may have been named employee of the month, or may have helped run a campaign or charity event, or reformed the company handbook, payroll system, etc.

Thank the employee for his service. For example: “XX company would like to thank you for your services so far, and wish you continued success for the future.”

Copy the letter to all relevant individuals, such as the recipient's line manager and HR manager.