Length-of-service awards becoming more personal.

Brad White appreciated the nice plaque he received after 10 years of employment at AddVenture Products in San Diego, where he currently works as vice president of sales. But this avid baseball fan was "thrilled" when he received another anniversary gift: two baseballs autographed by former Major League Baseball player Rickey Henderson--his favorite player.

But that's not all he received.

AddVenture owner Alan Davis also presented White with an autographed baseball bat. "I was floored," White says. "The bat was from the year 2001, when Rickey played here in San Diego and broke the all-time record for runs scored and walks, and also got his 3,000th career hit.

"I couldn't believe that I was holding that bat in my hands," White says. "It's the best gift I have ever received in my life. I stood in front of the entire company accepting this gift, completely awestruck, honored, shocked, grateful and thrilled.

"The value of having an employer that truly cares for you, that truly knows who you are as a person, and that goes the extra mile to show their appreciation, that value can't be measured," White says.

A truly thoughtful length-of-service award is, in a word, "priceless."

Length-of-service award offerings have changed during the past decade to meet the diverse preferences of a changing workforce. But many companies fail to use employee-service anniversaries as an opportunity to show how much they appreciate their employees.

"I've heard of 15-year plaques delivered by interoffice mail and awards that were given out three years late," says Cindy Ventrice, author of Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2003).

One employee received his 10-year service award pin moments after being berated by his manager for failing to meet a goal. The employee's response according to Ventrice, was to pitch the pin into the trash and begin updating his resume.

Sue Chehrenegar, a writer in Culver City, Calif, never received her five-year anniversary pin because she needed surgery and missed the company's holiday party. "I never received any acknowledgement of my years of service in that company," she says. "I would have been happy with a simple letter."

Poorly managed service awards send employees signals that they aren't valued, Ventrice says.