Rewards & Recognition Programs for the Workplace

Rewarding and recognizing your employees has many benefits. Boosting morale, improving efficiency and increasing productivity are a few advantages to workplaces that have active programs in place. If you find that your employees are not working at their optimum levels and your bottom line is suffering, you may be able to revitalize your workplace by establishing employee rewards and recognition programs.

Service Awards

Staying with one employer for an extended period of time is an accomplishment. To recognize your employees for a specific length of service, establish awards that are attached to particular work anniversaries. You can start with the first year by giving the employee a mug with your company logo and the employee's name on it. The next recognition can be on the fifth anniversary. This award should be something memorable, such as a quality desk clock. Having the employee's anniversary date etched into the award makes it special. Instituting service rewards will give employees something to look forward to at designated times in their careers.

Letters

An inexpensive way to reward and recognize your employees is to put their achievements and your gratitude in writing. If an employee or a team of employees completes a difficult project on time and under budget, for example, a letter of achievement signed by the president of the company shows that the hard work is recognized. Also, a "thank you" note to an employee who meets or exceeds company goals gives encouragement for continued exceptional performance. When employees feel valued, they may be more likely to work hard and be loyal to your company.

Contests

Healthy competition between employees can help to make your profits grow. Develop a contest that rewards the winners with gift cards, a paid day off, a close parking space or another motivating prize. This works best in sales situations, but can be effective in project-based companies, too. Your contest can be organized in a number of ways. You can base it on the most sales or highest profit in a period of time, for finishing a project first, for the team whose idea was accepted by management, or any other quantifiable goal. You also can have small goals before the contest ends. For example, each time a minor goal is met, fake money is handed out. At the end of the contest, whoever has the most fake money wins. The prize can be a reward, such as a gift card or real money for the value of the fake money accumulated.

Miscellaneous Programs

Small perks in an office can go a long way in rewarding your employees. Offering telecommuting to those high performers in positions that accommodate it may boost productivity by employees who no longer have to drive long distances for work. Hosting monthly birthday lunches, baby or wedding showers, or any event to recognize your employees gives your staff a morale booster. Recognizing above-average work or positive customer feedback at meetings, and applauding such accomplishments, makes employees feel important. It also inspires other employees to do the same. Establish an employee of the month or quarter program and pass a plaque around to the winners who display it in their work area.

References

• Virgina Department of Human Resource Management: Employee Recognition Program Handbook
• Bulova: How to Run a Successful Employee Reward and Recognition Program
• Workplace-Communication: Employee Recognition Letters
• Sales Creators: Incentive Types
• HR World; 25 Ways to Reward Employees (Without Spending a Dime); Dan Tynan