Using Employee Incentives to Promote Continuous Hard Work

Happy employees are the key to organizational success.

When employees aren’t satisfied, productivity slows, sick days increase, and morale takes a turn for the worse. In fact, a recent survey by Gallup shows that unhappy employees are costing employers $300 billion dollars a year due to a loss in productivity.  This loss of productivity also causes a lack of creativity and reduces overall drive to succeed.

So, how do you avoid an office full of unhappy employees?  By using incentives to foster a work environment of happiness, productivity, and high team morale.  While a regular paycheck is already an incentive to work hard, it takes a little more than that to motivate most employees.  Try these non-monetary incentives to keep your employees looking forward.

Be a Transparent Leader.

If you want your employees to be wholeheartedly engaged in your organization, it’s essential that you have weekly benchmarks and share your vision and goals.  Show employees how they matter and where they fit into the bigger picture.  It’s also important to have an open-door policy for communication and be an easily approachable, non-temperamental manager.  The most successful companies are lead by transparent leaders who are great communicators.

Give Thanks.

Getting recognition for a job well done is a great incentive to keep up the hard work.  Take a few moments each day to walk through the office and observe the work your staff is producing.  Stop and thank the employees that are working hard and tell them how much you appreciate their effort.  A little thank you can go a long way in boosting productivity.  Sometimes a little reassurance is all that’s needed.

Welcome Collaboration.

Remove the hierarchy mentality from the office.  Encourage your team to work together instead of having them report to a supervisor.  Studies show that more employees are afraid of letting the whole team down than letting their supervisor down.  A team mentality often results in people staying later, coming in early, and devoting more energy to a project.  Having a team work as equals will produce better results and make employees feel like a valued part of the organization.

Reward Exceptional Efforts.

For extra special achievements, reward employees by recognizing them during staff meetings.  Employees should receive public recognition for being valuable assets to the organization, so that their peers can congratulate them on their success as well.  Implement a rewards program that allows employees to also recognize each other.  Prizes can consist of trophies, small gift cards, etc. if they receive a set amount of “kudos”.   Set team goals and reward achievement with company social events. This will increase productivity, and socializing as a team can improve office morale.

Offer a Flexible Work Environment.

Especially with millennial employees, offering a flexible work environment is a great incentive to boost their productivity.  Allow them to set their own (reasonable) hours, as long as they prove they can get the work done.  If your line of business allows for it, make working from home or working remotely an option for employees to have a change of scenery every now and then.  Sometimes employees can actually get more work done in a shorter amount of time without all the distractions of being in the office.

As you turn the corner into the holiday season, incentivizing employees to stay motivated and productive becomes even more important.

Looking for Extra Hands to Help During the Busy Season?

Let the experienced team at BOS Staffing help.  For more than 35 years we have helped clients hire smarter, and manage their workforces more efficiently.  Give us a call today to talk about customized staffing solutions for your organization.