Motivation

45 No Cost/Low Cost Ways to Appreciate to Motivate Your Employees

by © Ed Sykes

Call an employee into your office just to say thank you; don’t discuss any other issue. Keep it “pure.”
Create a “Pat on the Back” Award for employees who do an outstanding job. Send a notice of the award to the employee’s file.
Post a thank-you note on the employee’s office door.
Create business card size “Thanks,” “Good job,” “Bravo,” and “Keep it up.” Write specifically what they did in two or three words. Put the person’s name on the card.
Volunteer to do another person’s least desirable work task for a day.
Place Employee of the Month banner in the reception area for all to see.
Answer the person’s telephone for a day.
Have your organization’s president, director, or your manager’s manager call an employee to thank him or her for a job well done, or have the same person visit the employee at his or her workplace.
Assign the special parking space to the employee for a good job.
Give praise (See Appreciate to Motivate)
Bring up employee’s ideas to management. Make sure you give credit to the employee for the idea. Let employee know that you spoke with management and any positive reactions from management.
Wash the employee’s car in the parking lot during lunch.
Hand out mints, candies, etc. for a job well done.
Acknowledge employee(s) during every meeting for good work.
Ring achievement bell in office when an employee does a good job.
Bring in bagels, donuts, coffee, etc. for employees that do a great job.
Create the “Onion” award. It’s a plastic onion that you give to employees that come up with great ideas. Ask that they put it on their desk or computer monitor. You will be surprise at the buzz it will create.
Have your employees create a department or team logo that is fun, yet symbolizes what is important to the team.
Create a Hall of Fame wall with photos of outstanding employees and what they accomplished.
Conduct an Out-to-Lunch program for employees. Award lunch for two for doing something special, like coming in on a day off or working extra time to see that a project is completed.
Name a section of the office after an employee (Mike Jones Corridor, for example).
Cover the person’s desk with balloons.
Find out the person’s hobby and give an appropriate gift (For example, if the person likes NASCAR, then bring them a free discount coupon).
Bring the employee something for his or her child (If the child plays basketball, it could be an article on how to keep your child injury free while playing sports.)
Give them a half day off.
Bake a batch of chocolate-chip cookies for the person.
Tape a candy bar or low carb bar for the employee in the middle of a long report with a note: “Halfway there!”
Create an award pin.
Send e-mail acknowledgement for a job well done.
Have a monthly team awards lunch or BBQ where you personally serve lunch to team members.
Send employee to training or conference as a reward.
Let employee do your job for a day as a reward.
You send letters of recognition.
Publish recognition in department newsletter.
Give employee plum assignment the way they like it (For example, give “independent” person assignment and let them work independently).
Give employee opportunity to represent department at organization or industry event.
Have local massage school come to your location at lunch time and give employees free massage (Many massage schools in your area, with experienced students, are looking for the opportunity to practice at little or no cost to you).
Allow employees have lunch with director and share ideas.
Create a “Cinema Café.” Employees that went beyond the call-of-duty are rewarded with lunch and a movie in the conference room.
Offer free popcorn to employees all day.
Buy jacket from Salvation Army and create a label that says “Superstar of the Day” and pass it around to employees who did an outstanding job.
Give a spark plug as a reward to the most energetic person.
Nominate employees to be on the motivation committee. Let employees setup and run rewards programs.
Delegate special or “plum” tasks for job well done.
Say a sincere “thank-you”