How to Motivate Your Employees: 3 Tips on Rewards and Recognition

Not only do managers have to set clear goals and expectations for their employees, they also have to lay down what’s in it for them.

Rewards and recognition have to fit the achievement and also the employee. Here are 3 tips that will help you get the point across to your employees that you want to recognise jobs well done:

1. Make it public

A good rule of thumb is to praise in public and to criticise in private. Most employees would appreciate being recognised in the company of their fellow co-workers and supervisors. Rather than just saying a mere “Nina did a great job at the meeting last week”, try something like “Nina highlighted the benefits of our products to XYC Company last week and they have responded positively to our offerings”. Sharing details of the individual’s achievement brings more meaning to the employee and also helps the other employees learn.

 2. Create more autonomy

Other than job mastery and creating a sense of purpose, granting autonomy is a form of non-financial reward that demonstrates that you recognise employees’ efforts. Granting more autonomy to employees means that you trust them to make decisions that affect their work. It is also a form of added responsibility for employees as they are tasked to weigh the consequences of their decisions. They might also be inspired to take more initiative to make their work more interesting and hold their work up to higher standards.

 3. Showcase success stories

While some companies will award certificates or give out plaques for recognition of special accomplishments, managers can also consider showcasing their success by getting employees to share their success during team meetings or even in company-wide management meetings. Employees will take pride in presenting their hard work and getting attention from higher management.