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Motivating Your Employees

Using Incentives and Employee Recognition to get MORE out of your Employees

Teresa R Chapman

October 13, 2008

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How Important is it to Motivate

People do respond well to incentives for good performance and to recognition for doing especially good work. Employers should not ever  forget this if they want great performance from their employees. 

There are two ways to plan rewards: incentives and recognition -- and there really isn't any reason why you need to choose one over the other. Both are great ways to motivate!

In the case of incentives employees are told upfront what kind of rewards they will get if they reach a certain goal (1000 hours without a safety incident,; project completed on time)  either individually or on a group basis.  Incentives do produce results, and work especially well if you are trying to promote specific targets or accomplish certain goals.

In the case of recognition, the reward is more likely to come after the fact. This is a sign that you appreciate the effort made. Every employer should make use of recognition.This is a proven method of keeping motivation at a top priority.

Rewards don't have to be expensive -- no round trip tickets to the Phillipines  are necessary unless the company can afford it and the performance was really, really outstanding!!! What is important is that when you have special promotions or a busy time is coming up, you get in the habit of planning rewards and doing something about it when you notice people doing things right.

Inexpensive Ways to Say Thank You

Most of my customers provide their employees with a small token of appreciation at the end of the year. Some of these have expressed their thanks in the more typical way, as in a sweatshirt embroidered with their company logo, a nice cap, or a fleece blanket. Other's have given out coffee mug sets, bbq sets, and duffle bags.

Acknowledge their efforts

One of the most successful employers I know is very generous in the fact that he continually motivates and compliments his employees, be it that he leaves something as simple as a sticky note on their desk thanking them for their hard work on a project, or treats them to lunch once a week. He rarely has a turn over in his office, employees seem happy, and in turn, this seems to keep the office running very smoothly and efficiently. I have noticed that his employees seem to treat their customers the same way that they are treated as well.

Finding a Good Promotional Company

Look for a company that can provide you with reliable feedback, ideas and are genuinely interested in what you want to convey with your incentive. Avoid the "hard sale" and "pushy" salesperson. If you feel uncomfortable or pushed, find someone else. The person that you work with should have experience and should be providing you with creative ideas, not just pushing the latest trend.

If you are interested in getting ideas for your projects, be it Employee Recognition, Incentives, or if you need advice on how to keep your company name in front of your customers, please contact me at [email protected] or visit my website at www.chapmanpc.com.

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