Top ideas for employee rewards

Friday, 11 May 2012 10:57

Rewarding long service can boost morale

Every employee likes to be recognised for their hard work. This not only boosts their confidence, but also improves morale and can minimise staff turnover at your organisation. If you would like to learn more about some of the most effective and popular staff reward schemes, below is a guide to the different available types.

If your employees have recently put a lot of effort into a large project, including overtime late into the evenings and at weekends, you will no doubt want to go that step further than simply paying them extra for their time. Overtime pay is expected, so to show your team you really appreciate their hard work, consider giving them a high-street shopping voucher so they can treat themselves guilt-free. Even if they don't use the voucher to buy something they have wanted for ages, it could go some way to helping them with their finances by allowing them to slash the cost of a household item they have needed for a while, for example.

Your business might benefit from ongoing employee schemes. These are especially useful for large organisations where rewards are needed on a more regular basis. One popular scheme is to provide staff with a card which you can top up as and when required, leaving the door open for future incentives. This will hopefully encourage your staff to put in 100 per cent effort all of the time, rather than just on a single project.

Should a staff member have truly excelled – such as having brought in a huge commission, overseen significant sales or introduced a new product or service that has proven to be a hit – you cannot go wrong with a travel card. Time away from the office is perhaps the most valued reward of all, so allowing an employee to take a few days off will prove refreshing for them, which in turn should lead to improved productivity upon their return.

Sometimes staff can feel a little overlooked or unappreciated if they have worked at a firm for a long time, as it comes to be expected they will do what is asked of them. Ensure their continuing loyalty by providing long service awards. The best types of rewards are those that show you know your staff personally. Consider golfing weekends for enthusiasts of the sport, shopping vouchers for those who like to look stylish and electrical coupons for staff who cannot be without the latest gadget.

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