Thursday, December 25, 1997

How to reward employees without breaking the bank

By PAUL TULENKO / Scripps Howard News Service

Kim "says" she really appreciates the bonus she received as a result of her efforts, but to her friends she says: "Yeah, they throw a few bucks at you now and then, but they don't really care. All they want is for you to work -- work -- work. They don't care about you as a person!"

If this sounds like something you fear may be happening in your business, it may be time to implement a three-prong program in part suggested by the folks at Sprint Business.

Why would a communications company want to help small businesses? Well, the expansion of small business in today's market means more telephones, which means more communication, which means more money.

Here are three innovative ways you might use to reward your employees. Remember: "It's not just the money, it's about people."

1. Lighten up. Even the most staid of companies can lighten up the workplace with "planned spontaneity" such as an "ice cream and cake break," "pizza for lunch," "make your own sundae," or similar low-cost functions that break up the everyday operation of the business and at the same time tell your employees you appreciate their efforts. To make the "break" even more relaxing and exciting, offer token prizes for the best looking sundae construction, for the biggest balloon blown up, for the most outrageous "what I did on my vacation" photo or similar activities. Use your imagination!

2. Tell 'em you appreciate them. I'm sure you've heard the story about "Sam," who left the company for another position, who said on leaving, "No one ever said 'Thank You.' " Everyone likes to see his or her name in print. Let me repeat that: "Everyone likes to see his or her name in print!"

Send company-wide e-mails praising an employee for something they have done that makes a positive impact on your company. If you don't have that large a company, post a copy of the letter you send to the employee on your company bulletin board. Make sure the private letter is on company stationery and is addressed properly to the employee and is signed by you, not your secretary.

The recognition should be for a major event. Don't trivialize the recognition by thanking someone for something that is in his or her job description, but at the same time, don't overlook dedication and hard work above and beyond the ordinary. Recognizing day-to-day activities helps the employee understand their work is important and you recognize their efforts as necessary for the accomplishment of the company goals. Recognizing outstanding work can lead the employee to even greater effort.

3. Give gifts. Merchandise programs are wonderful ways to reward employees at a low cost to you. For example, Sprint offers their Caller's Plus Rewards and Benefits program offering goodies from major name-brand clothing and electronic companies. Amway has one of the most versatile gift programs I've seen. They offer catalogs presenting merchandise from major companies at prices to you from $15 to $500. The recipient can select from a variety of merchandise, and the selection is delivered to his or her door.

You may also elect to select several items of merchandise in a range of prices, then allow employees to in-turn choose based on "points" earned. Although this has been traditionally a sales-oriented method of reward, there is no reason you cannot fashion your own "points" for all employees. Set up a measurement system, post the weekly reward points earned, and start some competition in your staff for recognition for production.