So your employees impress you, but you don’t have the cash to make them feel important through monetary means. You still want to make sure they know they’re doing a good job, however, but you’re not sure how to do that without breaking the bank. Here are a couple of ideas for you that you can start on today.
Give Up Your Parking Spot
Many offices don’t have a ton of parking spots, especially if your business is on the small side. So when an employee does exceptional work for the month, offer them “the spot”: the parking spot that everyone fights over in the morning. It could be as simple as labeling a good spot with “employee of the month” so only the chosen employee can park there. It doesn’t cost you a dime, but it makes your employee feel good – and it shortens their walk.
Extra (Paid) Time Off
When an employee earns a reward from you, consider giving them more paid vacation time. More vacation time can simply be added onto his or her payroll. Then, you can send a nice note his or her way talking about how you appreciate their service to your company and what their reward is. Make sure there aren’t any additional strings attached to free vacation time; it's free after all.
Effort is Good; They Don’t Have to Be Perfect
Some people aren’t good at meeting deadlines. Even though they are otherwise skilled and always present exceptional work to you, they can never quite get an assignment to you on time. That’s okay; exceptional work should still be rewarded. Instead of just rewarding those who are perfect, seek out the people who do their absolute best, even if their best isn’t always the most efficient. When you find them, you can reward them with a thank you card for their effort. You’d be surprised how effective heartfelt gratitude can be.
