Five ways you can reward employees who work hard
Want to keep your best employees happy – and stop them leaving? Let them know how much you appreciate them with one of these five rewards.
It was common in the past for people to work for the same company for years or even decades, and retire from the same employer. The same isn’t true today as people tend to hop from job to job. They’re always on the look for employers who offer more perks and reward their talents.
When you reward employees who work hard, you show them that they matter to you and that you recognize them. As a result, you can boost job satisfaction and company loyalty.
While you might assume that you need to spend a lot of money or time to reward employees, there are some easy and affordable ways to recognise the hardest-working employees in your company – and keep them loyal to you.
So how do you reward employees for working hard? Here are five ideas to try.
1) Start an employee of the month program
One of the best ways to reward your workers is with an employee of the month program. You pick a new person every month who went above and beyond and thank them for their work. Adding employee of the month plaques to your office lets other workers know who won the title and who won it in the past.
You can also opt for a smaller plaque or a trophy that your worker can display on their desk or at home. Consider adding a gift prize to the package as a small token of your appreciation.
2) Give them time off
Employers often forget about the hard work that their employees do, especially when it comes to special projects. After your team works hard to finish a project on time and under budget, don’t expect them to keep working the same hours. Give them some time off to rest before the next project starts.
If you have money in your budget, give everyone a full-paid day off. You can also let your team come in late for the next few days or encourage them to leave early before the weekend without docking their pay.
3) Taken them to lunch
Give your workers a chance to get to know you on a better level with lunch with the boss. While you can recognize an entire team, you can also pick an individual employee to take part.
Take some time away from the office to relax in a casual environment at a local restaurant. It gives you the chance to see what that worker likes and doesn’t like about their job as well as their future goals and any ideas they might have. Make sure you pay for the check at the end of the meal, too.
4) Gift them company swag
Around 40% of workers currently employed plan to quit their jobs in the future. One reason they plan to leave is that they don’t feel appreciated by their employers. And an easy way to show that you recognize them is with corporate gift products, like company swag
Don’t make the mistake of handing out cheap items like coffee mugs or fridge magnets though. Look for better gifts that they can use such as a hoodie or tee shirt. You can also opt for branded gifts that they can use at home like a tablet or another gadget with your company name on it.
5) Host a family day
Another fun idea is a family day where workers can bring their loved ones into the office. Consider allowing workers to bring their children in and show them what they do. Try to make things more fun like hosting a pizza party in the break room for lunch.
If you can afford to take some time away from the office, plan a picnic day at a local park. Let employees know that they can bring their families and enjoy a free meal. You can even run games and host contests where workers and their families can win prizes.
Reward your employees – and keep them
Losing an employee can cost you a lot of money in the future. Not only do you need to pay to run ads to find a new worker, but you also spend money talking with the applicants and training the people you hire.
If you think that it costs too much to reward your current employees, just think about how much money it costs to replace them. Rewards show your workers that you care and give them things they won’t find elsewhere.
Some of the best ways to reward the employees who work hard for you include family days, company swag, boss lunches, paid time off, and worker of the month programs.
Photo by ahmad gunnaivi
