If you’re a small business and having a hard time figuring out how to incent employees, take a look at this article. It has some great ideas for ways a small business can create incentives for staff without dishing out big bonuses.
Read the full article here.
Remember getting a gold star for a job well done? Even more, remember the feeling of pride and self confidence you felt when you were presented with the gold star among your group of peers? The arena that we play in may have changed over time, but the feelings never go away. Employee recognition is as important and relevant now as it ever was, and gold stars go a long way in boosting morale.
While talk of a down economy has many of us feeling a little dispirited, managing those feelings among employees and turning them around is the task that many organizations are now faced with. While employee incentive programs can be a powerful tool in an arsenal towards re-engaging and motivating employees, there are several other steps that can be taken by an organization. What’s more, if implemented properly and consistently, they can create loyalty among employees towards the organization. This in itself will carry your organization through any downturns.
Effective leadership and communication are fundamental in promoting a positive environment during uncertain times. Leaders that can sincerely recognize, show interest, and reward employees who continue to make a positive “impact on an organizations future,” will reap the benefits. This is where clear communication plays a part and good managers will take every opportunity to celebrate and “publicize their employees achievements.” Internal company newsletters, team meetings, e-mails or even a good old fashioned handshake are all ways to communicate achievements. The important thing is to do it with enough frequency so that it resonates with your workforce and promotes a culture of positive reinforcement (Byam, 2009)1.
Involving your employees in open communication and gathering their input on such things as incentives or the current situation of your organization, will help them feel more secure and engaged. Transparency during and after times of change in an organization, is critical to maintaining trust (Watson Wyatt, 2009)2. Not to mention, when employees see that they have a direct impact on the type of incentives that are of value to them, then they are more likely to participate in working towards them. Encourage your employees to contribute ideas for team based activities such as a potluck lunch to strengthen ties among co-workers. Promoting affinity and mutual trust between employees will lead to a sense of shared commitment to each other and the organization.
Regardless of the times, many of the above tactics should be employed continually in an effort to create a work environment that breeds motivated employees and a positive culture. While we can get lost in the day to day stress of keeping up with everything that needs to get accomplished, its sometimes a nice change of pace to stop and recognize what is going on in your organization and who are the gold stars that continue to shine in good or bad times.
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1 Byam, Mike. Five Ways to WOW! Employees on a Budget, Incentive Magazine; The Recession Survival Guide. February, 18, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.managesmarter.com
2 Watson Wyatt. Consistent, Open Communication Crucial During Layoffs, According to Watson Wyatt, Watson Wyatt. March 10, 2009, Press Release. Retrieved from http://news.prnewswire.com