We understand that not all businesses, especially small ones, have the resources to reward high-performing employees. That being said, there’s nothing to stop you from finding other ways of showing your gratitude. Below we share gestures you can make to let your employees know you appreciate them — without breaking the bank.
Say ‘Thank You’
Sometimes, a simple ‘thank you’ can help foster loyalty and good feelings among staff. Make it a point to regularly show appreciation for their hard work. It’s a small gesture that costs nothing, yet many managers restrain from doing it. Remind yourself and others to pay attention to your team’s efforts.
Put it in writing!
While emails are often the go to mode of communication, they tend to come off as a bit impersonal. Try going for a handwritten note, even if it’s a short one. It’s something that they can pin up on at their desk or keep in their purse as a reminder.
Have an ‘employee of the month’ ritual
It may not seem like much, but having an employee of the month ritual could foster a little competition and help boost productivity. It’s also a great way to acknowledge hard working employees. It shows them that the effort that they put in is being recognised. Take a minute at every staff meeting to publicly acknowledge team members who went above and beyond on a work project or customer issue in the past week or two.
Use other markers to measure productivity
We get it, it’s easier to use standards like rewarding someone for the highest sales figures or the most positive customer feedback. But there are other ways that employees go above and beyond for their organisation. This can be something as little as helping another employee finish a workload, volunteering to help over a weekend, or something as simple as making a cup of coffee. These little gestures deserve recognition, too.
Match efforts with correlating gifts
As an example, if someone gave up one of their Saturdays to come into work, you could give them a gift of a paid Friday off; or you could pay for lunch for employees who are putting in extra hours to meet a deadline. Additionally, you could give grocery hampers at the end of every month, in turn. We’re sure the gesture would come highly appreciated.
