Rewarding employees can be a difficult task. It's a task that must be done in a way that the reward is seen as a reward, but must be done within company regulations.

Money

Bonuses and raises are a reward that everyone thinks of first, but there are other ways to give money as a reward. Gift cards are a great way to reward employees. A cheap gift card for gasoline is my favorite to receive. It equals a few days of free travel. Instant lottery tickets are another good idea. You could even take it a step further and make a game out of getting these items by creating a raffle to get the items.

Parties

Company parties are a way for employees to kick back with co-workers. Of course these parties still have to follow company regulations which means no alcohol, and no behaviors that you wouldn't want the office to be talking about the next day. Another plus to company parties is if they happen during office hours. There is nothing better than a small vacation, and if the office closes even an hour early so employees can go to the party is bonus enough.

Games

Office games are not games like Twister. In the office I work at a game of Bingo was played before we moved our offices. The move was used to go green and get rid of unwanted papers and files. To participate in the game of Bingo, employees would drop off extra office supplies such as binders to get a Bingo board. There were two drawings of numbers for two days, and the numbers given out by the company's intranet. When an employee got a Bingo they would turn in the board and be given a gift card for gasoline.

Raffles are another fun game. Once my whole department played a raffle, even though a few of the prizes were little knickknacks like trinkets from a few of our vendors, we all still had fun looking over what everyone chose, and a few lucky winners got instant lottery tickets.

Promotions

Promotions can be trickier than expected. A manager of a department or company would assume that everyone is out for that promotion, that bigger payday, that position of importance and moving up the ladder. There are, however, those employees that do not wish to be promoted. For those not wishing to move up the ladder, knowing that they were considered, and that their manager wanted to give the promotion to them is reward enough. Some of those employees not wishing to be promoted are looking to retire soon, or just don't want the added responsibilities that come with the new position.

Rewarding employees does not have to be difficult; it can be as simple as a thank-you or a gift card. Parties and games add the element of fun and keep employees thinking happy thoughts. Promotions are a reward given to the employees that want to move up the ladder and have shown their commitment to the company and the job

Learn more about this author, Sarah Bammel.
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