As an employer, there is a lot to think about and plan. Not only are you thinking about how to grow the business and get the day to day jobs done, but you also need to think about your team of employees and how to best motivate them. After all, without your team, there will be no business (or very little of it). Have you ever considered how to best reward your employees, though? It is important to have something in place, not just for them doing well, but also for birthdays and other celebrations.
A lot of business owners need to remember that the result of rewarding your team, and giving them gifts from time to time, isn’t just about the costs to the business. But rather, about the happiness of your employees. When they feel noticed, appreciated, and recognized, it goes a long way to helping them do well at work. Who would want to work hard for someone that ignores them? Rewards don’t need to be huge, but something sincere, meaningful, and appreciated, is going to be a good thing for the team. What are some of the best things to reward them with? Here are some ideas to help inspire.
Handwritten note
Getting a handwritten note off your boss is something that can mean a great deal when something has been done well. It will mean much more than a generic email too. This is something that will be practically free to gift, but it will really mean a lot as it acknowledges them as an individual, and shows your appreciation for what they do.
Money
Money is always going to be a great gift, because it is something that we all want more of. Plus, the employee can choose to spend it on something that they will value. However, money isn’t always a great motivator, especially not for any kind of prolonged motivation. Getting a bonus that is related to performance can be helpful, and can mean more to some than just being given cash.
However, if you’re looking for an alternative, then gifting them vouchers can be a good idea. Something like getting them a gift voucher for the holidays, for something like a turkey, can be meaningful, sincere, and actually helpful. Look online for some creative ideas, but there are things like turkeys for employee gifts buy here, which could be worth looking at. Think about your team and what would work for them.
Time off
This will definitely depend on your business and what you can offer, but something that can mean more than cash in hand, can be a paid day off. Having some extra time to spend with family around the holidays, or a day off when it is their birthday, can be a welcome gesture to the majority of people.
Tickets to an event
There are a lot of events that will happen throughout the year, and a little help with going to them can help them to work hard and play hard. You could arrange things as a team, or simply offer them a benefit of letting them expense one event ticket each year, to a certain value, for example.