Employee Appreciation: Effective Ways to Motivate Your Staff
October 12th, 2010At Berks and Beyond, we regularly recognize both our internal employees and field associates (temporaries on assignment) for their responsibility, integrity and work ethic. Why? Because showing our employees how much we appreciate their hard work and service to the company is a great way to raise morale (and profits, too).
So what does your company do to motivate employees? Looking for some new ideas?
Beyond straightforward cash incentives (which are great, but not always financially feasible), here are a few thoughts and tips on how to effectively show your appreciation:
- No occasion is necessary. You can tell others how much you value them and their contributions any day of the year – really!
- Ask employees what’s important to them. The more closely your incentives align with employees’ wants and needs, the more effectively they will motivate.
- Find opportunities to recognize employees at all levels. While you’ll logically want to reward top sales performers, don’t forget about the less visible employees who facilitate their success. Make sure that your incentives send the message that all employees in your organization are valuable.
Five Ways to Show Appreciation
- Say “Thank you.” Do you hear these two words enough? If not, start a new trend on the job. Remember, this simple phrase is extremely powerful – and it’s free to share.
- Provide new opportunities. Give your employees chances to learn more (via training or cross-training), use their talents, attend association meetings, or represent your organization at civic and philanthropic events. In addition to motivating your staff, you’ll wind up with more well-rounded employees.
- Distribute coupons for a paid hour off. For many employees, knocking off an hour early, or coming in an hour late is a huge morale booster.
- Create and celebrate a fun holiday or seasonal tradition. Schedule the celebration at the end of your busiest or most stressful time of year, to give employees something to look forward to. Get creative with your ideas and ask for employee input.
- Offer flextime. Permitting flex time allows employees to work the same total number of work hours, just at different times or locations. This gesture lets your employees know that you respect their lives outside of work. And during stressful economic times, facilitating healthy work/life balances for employees is a huge motivator.
Need to motivate a staff that’s stretched too thin?
If you or your staff is working too hard, Berks and Beyond can help. Use our staffing services to offload non-essential activities, reduce overtime, minimize burnout, and reduce turnover due to overwork.