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Recognise Your Employees With The Right Kind Of Rewards

employee recognition
What employees (really) want? (Hint: It’s not another office party!) 

Employee recognition leads to improved morale. And it’s no secret that workplace morale has a massive impact on productivity.  

But the question of how to reward employees can be a daunting one. If you ask employees, they’ll tell you that few things can be as ineffectual and cringe-worthy as a badly executed reward program.  

The problem with many rewards or incentives is that they feel forced and are very rarely personalised beyond the employee’s most basic details, such as their name.  

Nobody needs another ill-fitting t-shirt with their name stitched on.  

How to do a “desk-drop” right. 

A desk-drop is the practice of going around the office or workspace and setting out a small token or gift for each employee. The very best desk drops are spontaneous, seasonal, and consumable/practically usable.  

Leaflets and promotional material don’t make much of an impact on their own.  

A better way to spend your money includes:  

A customized cupcake or doughnut,  

A printed mug with a sachet of some kind of luxury hot drink like a latte, or hot chocolate. 

A good quality notebook and pen that can be branded with the company name. 

Something silly like a festive season ornament or even a blanket or warming piece of clothing, when the temperature starts dropping. 

When it comes to more dedicated and personalized rewards, knowing your employees is key.  

No one will ever say no to the possibility of paid time off. Set up a system that allows employees short stints of free time during the work week.  

How you do this depends on your industry and the size of your workforce.  

Sensible options for time-off include:  

Monthly/Weekly afternoons off,  

One extended lunch hour per week, 

A hybrid Daylight Savings Time system, where employees can either come in 30 minutes later or leave 30 minutes earlier during the gloomy winter months, 

Birthday leave or giving employees the chance to take one day off during their birthday month, without using annual leave.  

Finally, try to give practical incentives.  

Get a pharmacy to come and give (optional) flu shots or give out Multivitamins during flu season. 

Spending a little money on Grocery or Fuel vouchers and handing these out in the middle of the month can also do wonders to lift the spirits. The cost of living is skyrocketing, and your employees will be genuinely thankful for a handout like this. 

Read more interesting business improvement ideas here.