Even the most modest among us can agree that being recognized for good work creates positive feelings. While this praise can take many forms, fostering an overall culture of recognition can transform an organization, improving morale, engagement and performance. One way to increase recognition in the workplace is through employee incentives.
Research shows there is power in employee incentives. In a study by the Incentive Research Foundation, incentive programs were shown to increase employee performance by up to 44%.
With improved performance—and an infusion of fun—an incentive program can bring new life to an organization. Here are employee incentive ideas to bring out the best in your workplace.
Priceless employee incentives
When it comes to workplace incentives, money is often the first thing that comes to mind. While employees are sure to welcome cash, there are other fun and culture-enriching rewards to consider. Among them: workplace experiences that cannot be purchased.
Set goals for individuals or teams, and offer extra paid time off as a reward. When the calendar aligns, offer an afternoon off before a holiday if a project wraps by the day before. Celebrate the team’s accomplishment by giving members an acrylic cup or a lunch coolers as they head off on an extended weekend adventure.
If your company has a dress code, offer the chance for a casual Friday to employees who remember to log their time at the end of each day for a month. Surprise new employees who accomplish this feat for the first time with a quarter-zip pullover or hoodie to keep them on-brand when sporting jeans at work.
Empower peers to incentivize each other
Not all employee incentive ideas need to flow top-down. Grant employees the power to reward each other for accomplishments. Start a program where each quarter, a select number of employees choose a colleague who best models the company’s values. Then, at an all-team meeting, employees surprise each other with company swag, like a messenger bag, fleece jacket or travel mug, and an explanation of why they’ve earned the recognition.
Create an award to pass from one employee to the next, recognizing above-and-beyond effort. Use something fun, like a dart rocket or stuffed cow toy. The weekly winner also wins a company-paid lunch or can finish an hour early on the coming Friday. Fun incentives for employees help people feel seen and increase camaraderie.
These awards can pass among the entire group or individual teams. An always-available incentive can go a long way, as just three in 10 U.S. employees strongly agree that in the last seven days they have received recognition or praise for doing good work, showing there’s room for improvement.
Use at-work experiences as rewards
Many employee incentive ideas create win-wins. For example, rewarding employees by hosting a fun gathering can also result in team building and improved relationships among workers. Celebrating achievements benefits and engages everyone. Employees who say they receive “great recognition” are 20 times as likely to be as engaged as employees who receive poor recognition.
Set company goals—whether tied to key performance indicators, awards or internal surveys—and reward achieved objectives with an outdoor picnic. Announce the goal and incentive, and gift employees picnic blankets to remind them of the challenge. When the team hits the mark, celebrate by handing out picnic baskets for employees to transport snacks, drinks and other goodies to the party.
Gamify positive behaviors
Among employees who say they have great recognition experiences, 72% say performance on “little things” is often recognized at their organization.
This shows that incentives can be applied to more than just major workplace accomplishments.
Create a points system and assign values to certain events or actions. An annual work anniversary, for example, can be five points. A promotion might be 10. If your workplace recognition program already incentivizes sales, apply tiered point totals to top finishers. Points can even be earned for the use of all allotted vacation time as a way to encourage rest and well-being.
Next, assign point values to swag in your company store. That way employees can cash in their points when they want to score some great gear. Maybe a novelty pen is just a few points. A baseball cap is a few more. A puffer jacket or backpack might be among the top prizes. Or, taking inspiration from a previous idea, a bonus day of time off could be the ultimate reward.
Fun incentives for employees keep things fresh
Using these employee incentive ideas can help transform your organization for the better. Whether enticing people with priceless opportunities, in-person experiences, peer recognition or company swag, thoughtful recognition for employees is essential—and creatively applying employee incentive ideas can be a game changer.