The ways to reward employees are not only to raise their salaries or bigger bonuses or even promotion. The business owner should know that showing appreciation is one of the best ways to reward employees without having to break your bank account.
Here are some of the proven ways to show appreciation to your employees.
- Use nice words
Give your employees a handwritten note on a post-it to show that you acknowledge their effort. - Make the working hours flexible
You can show your appreciation to your employee by giving them flexible working hours. - Invite them for dinner
It might seem like no big deal, but setting dinner together with your employees can increase loyalty and give them a chance to pitch their ideas and thoughts more casually. - Afternoon off
Try to give your best-performed employee(s) a Friday afternoon off so they can enjoy their weekend earlier. Other employees might be jealous, but they can try harder to perform their best to earn that. - Work from home
Commuting is a way to mentally prepare for employees’ day at work. But, hours of bus ride or MRT ride in the morning is far from inspiring. Try to give your employees some day to work from home. - Movie day in the office
When some people in a group experience an emotion together, they create a strong psychological bond. Once in a while, set up a movie day in the office. Play a movie picked by your best team. - Give them the best equipment
Get the best chair or desk for your employees. Make sure their computer or laptop is not lagging. Give them the best equipment you can afford so they can do their jobs easier and comfortably. - Honor your best employees publicly
Public recognition is a great way to honor your employees. It’s like telling them “thank you” but in public so everyone knows how thankful you really are. - Pizza party
Have a surprise pizza party at the office. When a huge project is completed, everyone might be worn out. Boxes of pizza and cakes would never disappoint them. - Casual dress day
If your business is requiring employees to dress professionally, give them a day, usually Friday, to dress casually. - Room to chill
Set aside an unused office space so employees can relax, take a nap, or do whatever they need to give them a break. - Reward their effort, not result
Reward great efforts even if they didn’t succeed. When you reward effort, you encourage risk-taking. - Company picnic
It may sound old school but a company picnic is a great way to get everyone together and have fun outside the office. It will be a good bonding experience too. - Free lunch
Everyone loves food, especially free food. Occasionally, treat your employees to lunch. It does not have to be a fancy lunch. A simple lunch will do. - Attend conference
Find conferences in your city that line up with what your team is interested in (or what they want to learn) and pay the ticket for them to go.
Creating a rewards system for your employees is an incredible way to keep them engaged, happy, loyal, and motivated. Try to do that and see how your employees’ performance will get better.
