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7 Great Incentives To Keep Your Team Happy And Productive

Incentives can be a great tool for keeping a team, no matter the size or field, both enthused for their work and productive in their output. They can also be a potential trap door for cheesy cliches however, so ensuring that you employ an incentive that’s going to be both original and worthwhile can naturally be a challenge.

Below are some of the best recommendations for workplace incentives as used by leading experts in the field.

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#1 ‘Spins’

Twice a month, we do an office-wide theme day. The wilder the better. We start the morning with a dance-off or drive over to the local Top Golf, and the winner of the costume contest wins a Spin. The spin ranges from a paid day off, gift cards to local restaurants, and annual theme park passes!

Contributor: Jessica Manger Chow from tandem-interactive.com

#2 A Family Ethos

We encourage our team to be healthy by offering employee discounts to local gyms and smoking cessation assistance for those who ask. At Tandem-Interactive, we pay 100% of our team’s monthly insurance dues, and after 1 year of service, 100% of their dependents. Once our team works up the ranks, we pay for their cell phone bill. Our company has become family.

Contributor: Jessica Manger Chow from tandem-interactive.com

 

#3 The $10 Acknowledgement

We know it's important for appreciation to come from all across of the company, not just people in traditional management roles. That's why we've invested in a tool called Bonusly. Every month, each employee gets $10 that they can award to any other employee for any reason — acknowledging a peer for going above and beyond, celebrating a birthday or work anniversary, or just because. We've found that this strengthens our company culture by distributing the opportunity to show appreciation in a real, tangible way.

Contributor: Ben Wald from verypossible.com

#4 Flexible Scheduling

One of the most popular incentives we offer to our employees is flexible scheduling. This allows everyone to enjoy greater work/life balance and be present for commitments that may range from doctor's appointments to soccer games for the kids to attend. Flexible scheduling allows our team members to come into work earlier or work later and the arrangement has always been a win-win for team members and our company.

The best part is that nobody takes advantage of the incentive — they do not abuse the privilege. Instead, it allows them to feel empowered because we have put our trust in our team members to get their work done which leads to a happy and successful work environment all around.

Contributor: Deborah Sweeney from mycorporation.com

#5 ‘Silly, Fun but Heartfelt’

An incentive could be a free lunch, a silly ball cap, a small trophy, or a pin or patch. How about buying a superhero cape, and getting a picture with the recipient wearing it?  Tickets to a ball game, a paid day off, or a balloon tied to their chair?

Silly and fun rewards go a long way, but to make it really meaningful, add a heartfelt thank you, so the person and the team knows exactly what behavior was seen as valuable and has a chance to do it again.

Contributor: Katy Caselli from buildinggiants.com

#6 Freedom Of Time

Managers need to build a relationship with their teams and understand what motivates them on a personal level. In Around25, project managers do their best to let employees work at their own pace. They’re free to manage their own time and resources. In essence, everyone gets to feel like they’re their own boss and enjoy their work.

Contributor: Alex Iftode from around25.com

#7 Newsletters And Updates

Another big thing is acknowledging a job well done. We use a monthly internal newsletter to keep people updated on the work of their colleagues, recent achievements, and general company news. As a bonus, the newsletter is a great way to bridge the gap between co-workers that work on different projects, it keeps us all on the same page.

Contributor: Alex Iftode from around25.com

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Written by James Metcalfe

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