Give Recognition To Your Employees

 

There’s no question that money is a big incentive to most of us. We struggle to get it, then, rush to spend it.

There are, however few people who are satisfied with money alone as a reward for their efforts. Most of us would like more than money from our jobs. A smart boss sees that we get it. Now don’t get me wrong, we all want to get paid well for the hard work we do, but we also want to be appreciated. A boss who thinks that money is the only way to motivate his employees will soon find out the hard way that it isn’t.

Can you imagine, for example, anyone who doesn’t like an occasional word of praise, thanks or appreciation for their hard work, no matter how much he or she gets paid for it? Or anyone who doesn’t like to know that what he or she does is really useful and worthwhile? Part of the satisfaction in doing anything well is having someone else appreciate it. It’s your job as a manager to be the one who does the appreciating.

We all like to be recognized as individuals, not merely as cogs in a big machine. Nobody thinks of himself or herself as just another worker. We think of ourselves as individuals, and we like to be treated as such. That includes being thanked individually for our particular contribution. When employees are recognized for their efforts a they are less willing to look for another job.

Most people would rather have these little extras, personal recognition, than a job which pays a bit more money. This includes even those people who think they are pretty hardheaded about a dollar.

When a boss gives these personal extras, we hate to lose them. It’s tough to leave a job where we are really appreciated. It takes quite a chunk of money to coax most people away, and often money alone isn’t enough. Most of the time an employee leaves a job because they are unhappy. If you pay a reasonable wage and treat them right you will minimized your turnover. By minimizing your turnover you reduce spending for your company.

This kind of pay, the intangible kind, doesn’t come in a weekly or monthly pay envelope. It comes from a boss. Skill and persistence in giving it is what makes some bosses far superior to others. In some way or another, a good boss tries to make every day a payday.