3 Major Motivational Rewards that Benefit the Whole Team

Humans are hard-wired to appreciate, nay, crave recognition. Even though some of us shy away from the limelight more than others, the simple truth is that we all want to feel important and valuable to those within our lives, both personally and professionally.

In the working world, companies and organizations are starting to realize just how important recognition is as an employee motivator. Of course, there are monetary rewards that have proven effective – cash prizes, bonus checks, gift cards and expensive gifts – but sometimes, the best incentives are those that do not cost the company any (additional) money.

Here are three of the best "free" rewards that companies can offer to superlative employees that result in even bigger returns for the entire team.

1. Time Off

If one were to conduct a survey of a company's employees asking for their top ranked reward for an incentive program – and money or monetary items are off the table – chances are pretty good that few, if any, employees will be honest and say what they're all thinking: they want time away from work!

It's true: one of the best incentives you can give your people who prove their worth to your establishment is time away from your establishment. Especially in the case of salaried employees (as opposed to hourly workers, for which this option may prove more difficult), there is really no reason why you can't offer them some half days or long weekends for a job well done – they are salaried with a set paycheck so you are neither losing money nor paying them extra to be out of the office every once in a while.

2. Flexibility

If you absolutely cannot afford to temporarily part with your employees due to the size of your establishment (there are only three or four of you total), for example, consider offering the next best thing: the ability to complete work outside of the confines of the office.

Working remotely is not only a wonderful reward to motivate your employees in the present, but it is also the trend that many have predicted will become the new norm in the very near future. With rising costs of living (and childcare), one and two parent families are unable to make ends meet through the traditional paths of a 9-5 office job – some are taking on freelance work and second jobs, while some even quit their careers entirely in order to stay home and take care of the kids.

However, with more and more companies offering flexibility and telecommuting options, parents are able to continue earning an income while simultaneously saving those hefty bills for outside childcare. If you run a company that can just as easily function without having bodies physically present in one location, do that!

You can save on the front end by reduced overhead (it takes less electricity to operate an empty office) and invest in the long-term success of your company by attracting and keeping loyal employees. These employees are also happier and have reported higher levels of productivity when working from home.

Some of the reasons this option is so successful include:

• Increased productivity because no time wasted commuting;
• Less distractions;
• More frequent breaks and more comfortable environment lead to longer hours someone can work;
• Less time away from work to care for sick kids;
• Less likelihood of missing work due to contagious co-workers passing around germs;
• More likely to stick with a company that values you and actually proves it by allowing you to work for them in a way that works for you.

3. Think Outside of the Box with Double-Duty (Win-Win) Rewards

In terms of an actual "employee recognition/rewards program," consider establishing a contest that not only highlights a team member's contribution, but also provides you with valuable marketing and promotional content. For example, create a "best of" contest – the employee who contributes the best whatever is featured in the company newsletter, website, or ad campaign.

The beauty with a program like this is its one-size-fits-all applicability. If you run a vacation rental company that caters to families, have employees submit the best beach vacation photos of their families enjoying the specific location you are advertising for rental. Not only do you have a great (royalty free!) action photo promoting the "family fun" nature of the property, but you have also elevated the winning employee and his or her family members to "celebrity status" as a reward.

Another example might involve an advertising agency and a "best pitch" contest – whoever comes up with the best campaign for a particular client gets featured (with or without family) in some highly visible location within the company. Or better yet, make the "best pitch" about your own organization – whoever submits the winning strategy for your company's social media campaign takes the prize.

No matter what you do or sell, the idea is to get your employees invested in the company's success and recognize them for their efforts. Totally free for you but priceless for them: win-win.

What are some of the ways you have seen companies ramping up their incentive efforts? Do you see any standout programs that you plan on enacting within your own organization?