Rewarding Employees The Right Way

Dos

• Reward specific achievements.
• Award employees in front of their peers.
• Show humility and appreciation: Serve the shrimp rolls yourself.
• Challenge your employees to meet an impossible goal, then acknowledge the accomplishment.
• Ask your top-level leaders to call and congratulate your employees.

Don'ts

• Pool your award money and dole it out by lottery-that's illegal.
• Wait until the end of the year to give awards-they lose meaning.
• Give a tiny cash award for a big savings. It's better to just say thanks.
• Reward an employee without justification-everyone can spot a fake.
• Give a Home Depot gift card to an apartment dweller-know your employees.