Sometimes money doesn’t buy happiness. When you’re looking for a way to reward your employees, did you know that many employees value recognition over money? That’s right. They do. Here’s how savvy business owners say “thank you” without opening up their wallet.
Be Transparent
You know what bugs employees? When you’re hiding something. Employees like to feel that the work they do matters. When you’re not transparent with them, they get upset. And, they may not be willing to work as hard as you’d like them to or turn out the level of quality you need.
So, in all your dealings with employees, be as transparent as possible. That doesn’t mean you have to give up corporate secrets. But, it does mean you need to have a clear policy statement about things like overtime, raises, how to advance in the company, and a system for dealing with insubordination.
Focus on a clear message for the company, what’s expected of employees, and why. Be open about profit targets and what it takes to get there. When you know this stuff and employees don’t, they start to feel like you’re barking orders at them that don’t make sense.
Instead, show them that your company needs to profit, by how much, and why.
Invest In Their Future
One of the best ways you can reward your employees is with training. For example, if you run a real estate firm, you might invest in Real estate training to help new hires get up to speed in the industry. You might also let existing employees take advanced training to further their career with the agency.
Make Work-Life A Priority
Employees don’t live to work for you. They have families. They have hobbies and other interests. You shouldn’t treat them like slaves. Engage your employees in a way that shows they’re part of your family but that you respect their personal time. Top employers always create a positive environment where employees have a fulfilling life. A life where they get to see and do things outside of work.
Encourage Communication And Interaction
Do all of your employees know one another? It’s common in many large companies for people to not really know who they’re working alongside. And, that’s because the company doesn’t foster communication or encourage it. But, you should. As a smaller company, the advantage you have is you can get all employees involved with one another at work. Make it easy for them to communicate with different departments, get to know everyone, and become a tight-knit family.
Create a Pathway For Success
Does your employee know and understand the path for success in your company? Not all employees know this, believe it or not — even when you think you’ve made it clear for them. Go over your internal policies and procedures and see where you can improve communications concerning advancement.
Help Employees Stay Healthy
Sometimes, it’s enough to encourage the good health of your employees. Employers are increasingly seeing the importance health makes on productivity. Encourage employees to join a gym by paying the gym membership fees for everyone or setting up an in-house gym area.
Have a registered dietician come in to give a talk on healthy eating, and offer free counseling for those trying to lose weight and get healthy.
Amelia Macdonald has been running her own business for many years and has grown it from strength to strength, admittedly with the help of a great workforce.