Warmer weather is finally here, which is cause for celebration. However, these summer months can be tough for some employees to get through. For most people, sitting inside during a beautiful day can get downright depressing. How do you motivate employees in the workplace?
Give them incentives.
Your incentives should be personalized and meaningful to your employees. In other words, they must be incentives that your employees want. They should be given in a way that gives them some recognition for what they have accomplished.
So, what do your employees want? Don’t be afraid to ask them.
Depending on the type of rewards plan and budget that you have, here are a few incentive ideas to encourage motivation in the workplace:
1. Give Personalized Gift Cards to Top Performers
A bonus for perfect monthly attendance is a great incentive for any employee. However, gift cards can often be more meaningful than cash, and they’re more personalized to the individual employee.
Any employee will tell you that a gift card to a place they really like can be a great motivator to do their best work. A $20 gift card to an employee’s favorite store or restaurant not only makes a night out a little cheaper, it also shows your employees that you know who they are and what they enjoy.
If you’re unsure of exactly what to get your employee, let them choose their own gift card! Allowing the top performers to choose their gift cards first is a great way to motivate your employees to work harder and more efficiently.
2. Provide Team Rewards
Friendly competition between different teams or departments is a great way to encourage motivation in the workplace, especially through the summer months when all employees can think about is taking summer trips.
These rewards can include anything from new parking spots to a team barbecue outside so employees can enjoy the summer weather. Managers can even incentivize their teams further by becoming involved with the rewards system.
For example, the manager can opt to temporarily dye their hair or wear a rival sport jersey for a day if their team wins. The ability to poke a little bit of fun at management is always a great motivator.
This option also doubles as a way for departments to loosen up, have fun, and get in some team building. During summer, this may be exactly what your employees need to keep them going.
And, at little to no cost, these types of incentives will help you get the most out of your budget.
3. Offer Company Swag
Most employees will tell you that receiving some swag for a small accomplishment or a job well done is a great way to motivate employees in the workplace (especially if that swag is given unexpectedly). This lets your employees know that you notice the work they are doing, and it has the added bonus of promoting your company brand.
For example, you can give your top performer a new branded company hoodie for a great customer review or for meeting their numbers that month. Lanyards, water bottles, even socks with your company logo on them are great ways to show your employees a little appreciation. If you have a little more to spend, sweaters, phone chargers, sunglasses, and even small electronics like headphones and Bluetooth speakers are great incentives to get your employees working hard.
This can make all the difference to motivate employees in the workplace. Don’t underestimate the power of swag.
Re-energize Your Workplace
These summer months can be hard to get through. Family vacations and the need to get outside and enjoy the heat can make any employee less motivated at work.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way. A little incentive sent their way can put some pep back in their step.
Micaiah Sowards writes for Built for Teams, a comprehensive HR software package that allows for PTO tracking, org chart creation, and more. Built for Teams was created by the developers at ObjectiveInc. When she isn’t writing, Micaiah enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with her family.
