Showing appreciation for a job well done is important to the productivity of your employees and in turn the growth of your company. Here are some low-cost ways to show your employees that you’re grateful for the work that they do.

  1. Free food. Bring in pizza for lunch or muffins and juice for breakfast.
  2. Travelling trophy. Create a fun trophy that can be passed around from employee to employee.
  3. Charity work. Let an employee or the whole team take a day off to do work for the cause of their choice.
  4. Discounts. Give employees discounts on the products or services you provide.
  5. Movie days. If the whole team has reached an important goal, take an afternoon to pop some popcorn, throw in a movie and celebrate.
  6. Sleep-in days. Allow employees to earn “sleep-in days”—mornings when they don’t have to come in until 10 a.m.
  7. Gift cards. Have gift cards for things like movie theaters, coffee shops or car washes on hand, so you can hand them out whenever they are deserved.
  8. Family time. When the kids have a day off school, working parents can find it tough to accommodate. When this happens, allow star employees to work from home.
  9. In-house entertainment. Consider providing games, TVs and other forms of entertainment in your break room.
  10. Thank yous. Simply saying “thank you” or writing a hand-written note can sometimes be all it takes to make an employee feel appreciated.

These are simply suggestions. What’s really important to remember is that not all employees want the same things or will be motivated by the same gestures. Consider what each individual employee will respond to as well as the whole group and tailor your forms of appreciation accordingly. Most importantly remember that showing appreciation and rewarding your employees doesn’t have to be expensive.

      del.icio.us   SphereIt   Reddit   Furl