Motivation: Alternatives To
Money
A certain amount of turnover is the price of doing business, but when there is constant
personnel turbulence, other employees resent the disruption to their own routines, which
affects morale and productivity overall. When that happens, employers can take some
positive actions to enhance the work environment and discourage voluntary, premature
departures.
Your employees want to receive what they have earned, whether it’s through
monetary or personal recognition, so start by examining your compensation and benefits
structure. Make sure your salary and benefit plans (health, dental, life insurance,
retirement, disability, vacation and sick days, etc.) are competitive with the marketplace
for your industry. Participate in a statewide survey and administer frequent employee
needs/benefits surveys. Quiz your employees on how you’re doing as an employer in
meeting their requirements and give them feedback on the survey results.
People want to be treated fairly. Fairness is not equal, but rather equitable.
Employees will do what they are rewarded for doing. In other words, compensation increases
and bonuses should be based on merit; they should not be a cost of living allowance.
Monetary rewards and promotions should go to the employees who have earned them. But
monetary incentives are self-explanatory. Non-monetary incentives are less obvious, but
equally important.
Create a comfortable workplace as much as possible. Design functional, sensible,
ergonomic work stations and offices with aesthetic appeal. Pay attention to equipment and
machinery (phones, fax machines, computers, copiers, elevators, vending machines, etc.)
and ensure that all are maintained and kept in good working order. You might want to
establish a business casual dress code for the summer months and only require formal
business attire for special meetings.
Publish a quarterly newsletter that features input from each of your departments, along
with a local events calendar, book or restaurant or movie reviews, health tips, and other
articles provided by the employees. Have a raffle once a quarter where employees have the
opportunity to win a dinner at a local restaurant or tickets to a movie, play, or sporting
event. Send company birthday cards to employees. Budget for a pizza lunch for employees
once in a while at the conclusion of a particular project. Sponsor a cookie recipe
contest, let the employees be the judges, and provide a small prize to the winner.
Develop a list of at least 20 ways to recognize employees for their performance and
contributions. Some ideas to get you started: a thank-you card or praise-a-gram,
certificates of recognition, employee of the month, salesperson of the quarter.
But remember. If you develop a non-monetary (or monetary) reward system, you must
ensure that it adheres to the following rules:
- Simplicity. The rules must be clear, brief, and understandable.
- Specificity. Employees must know exactly what they are expected to do.
- Attainability. Every employee should have a reasonable chance to win.
- Measurability. Winners should be chosen by objective, not subjective, criteria.
Go ahead and be creative; there are many ideas for incentive programs that will enhance
the work environment and encourage productivity. Talk to your employees and find out how
they expect to be treated. It goes beyond performance rewards. It is creating an
atmosphere where all employees feel that their contributions are recognized and
appreciated.
Kathleen "Kelly" Bergeron is executive vice president and
chief of staff of Associated Industries of Florida and affiliated companies
Sept/Oct 1998 -- Florida Business Insight, PO Box 784, Tallahassee, Fla.
32302
(850)224-7173, insight@aif.com
