3 Opportunities for Rewarding Your Employees

Just like every small business owner appreciate a professional and reliable vendor, good employees are also valued. They get to work on time, get things done right, and treat customers appropriately. In short, they are a positive reflection on your business. For this reason, if you have the good luck of finding a good employee, you want to do everything within your power to keep that employee…and keep them happy!

Often businesses accomplish the task of keeping employees happy by rewarding them with a generous raise or big changes in benefits and health care. But in this economy, that’s just not always possible. So what can an employer do? Here at The Payroll Department we have seen employers get creative and think outside of the paycheck in order to build a positive workplace culture. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Show Appreciation. While it is true that workers want to be compensated, they also want to be appreciated, and sometimes we forget that. If you have an employee that has done a good job for you, tell them. Or find a creative way to reward them. Sometimes we think that a token of appreciation has to cost a lot, but that’s just not true. Often times a small gesture can go a long way. Probably the lowest cost way to say thanks is by doing just that! It doesn’t cost anything to verbally communicate your appreciation and less than a dollar to do it by way of a card, but that can really mean a lot to dedicated employees. Other ways to reward employees include a small gift card, a workplace privilege, a few hours of comp time, or public recognition. For more ideas, check out this article from Kevin Kruse at Forbes.

Be Flexible. Just like you, your employees live in a very busy and sometimes downright chaotic world. (Isn’t that one of the greatest reasons to outsource your payroll?) For that reason, you can really reward your employees by being a little bit flexible with them. Remember all those times you’ve had to ask them to stay a little later or come in on the weekend? Well, think about that the next time they need to take a longer lunch to take care of an important personal matter. Being understanding of an urgent family situation or a transition they are going through will win the hearts of your employees and may even mean more than a big bonus.

Know and Care About Your Employees. So much of what goes into building a positive workplace culture is just knowing your employees personally and sincerely caring about their well-being. Leadership is reflected when you build a relationship of mutual respect and appreciation. Even something that seems small like getting their payroll right makes a difference. You can go a long way toward rewarding your employees and generally keeping them satisfied even when a big raise just isn’t an option. Like the saying goes, money isn’t everything!

-Jessica of The Payroll Department Blog Team