subject: It Doesn't Take Money To Motivate [print this page] Incentives are one of the best ways for employers to motivate their employees. No matter what industry they work in, employees enjoy getting some kind of recognition. This shows them they are valuable and appreciated.
Not every company can afford raises in today's economy, but there are little perks that make a great deal of difference today an employee and to the entire office. A few hours off, for instance, or maybe a free meal at the company expense might not cost the company a lot of money, but the few dollars that are expended are worth it to office morale and to the enthusiasm of the employees. It means a lot, maybe not to the employer who is likely treated a lot better by the company and is making more money that the underlings, but it means a lot to an employee who can go home and proudly show off a gift card or tell their kids they have a few extra hours for them.
There are always the Employee of the Month awards or office incentives that employers use to give their employees a boost, but they are often not valuable to a company. Singling out a particular employee as being the "best'' that month can bring about jealousy and animosity that creates a bad work situation. Sometimes the person awarded with those titles are ostracized by jealous co-workers and it can make for an uncomfortable situation.
Make the rewards much more personal and don't limit it to one employee. If an office fees as if it works as a team unit you will see better results. There are easy and non-expensive ways to go about it. A lunch for the entire office, not just one person, can be very valuable and also allow employees to see each other in another light. Meeting outside the office and having an employer pick up the bill is a great way to improve office morale.
It doesn't take much to keep employees happy if they feel appreciated, but without that appreciation, you can forget about production as morale drops a long way and people dread coming to work. If an employee has goals and is given appreciation for meeting them, and even without a raise in their paycheck, you are likely to see productivity rise.
A happy employee is a productive employee. Imagine your workers standing around the coffee machine during their 15-minute breaks talking about how boring their job is and how they wish they could go somewhere where they are appreciated. It doesn't take much and the dividends will go a long way.
