The current economy has forced families, businesses and practices to do more with less! To keep staff motivated and positive about work, owners and managers need to find creative, low-cost ways to recognize and reward their staff.
At Strategic Practice Solutions we offer you guidance in every aspect of growing your dental practice. We’ve put together a list of suggestions on how to boost your employee morale. We hope you find it helpful! Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need additional help.
Virtually FREE Ways To Reward and Recognize!
- Give them an extra break or a longer lunch.
- Give them a handwritten “Thank you!” note.
- Allow flexible work schedules.
- Offer a “free pass” or an extra day off to use as they wish.
- Feature them in a company newsletter.
- Hold a “casual Friday” … on a special day of the week!
- Allow them to bring their pet to work for a day (if your workplace is suitable).
- Post a “Thank you!” sign or “Good job!” sign near their office, the lobby or break room.
- Offer to swap a specific task with them for a day or a week. It may be good to show them that “the boss” isn’t afraid to get his or her hands dirty.
Reward and Recognize with Minimal Cost!
- Arrange to have their vehicle washed.
- Host a luncheon which is your treat, or arrange for a pot-luck.
- Take them to a one-on-one lunch.
- Hand out “monopoly” money that can be collected and used for real items such as coffee and fast food cards, nice pens, etc.
A Good Place to Start
It’s helpful to get to know your employees in order to know how best to reward and recognize their efforts. Have a one-on-one meeting and pose the following questions:
What name do you prefer to be called?
What are some of your hobbies or interests?
What type of praise do you prefer: public, private, written, verbal or…?
What reward motivates you the most? Gift certificates, competition, a genuine Thank you note or email…?
What is an example of the best recognition you’ve ever received?
Some Traps to Avoid
Make sure that every employee is eligible for recognition and understands what it takes to receive the recognition or reward.
Don’t schedule appreciation activities on a regular basis. For example, buying lunch for your staff every Friday may cause them to feel entitled.
Don’t wait until the end of the month. The reward or recognition should be close to time of their reward-worthy performance to reinforce the behavior.
Try to say more than just “Thank you.” or “I appreciate you.” Be specific about what you really liked so they will meet your expectations again. It shouldn’t be a mystery why they were recognized.
Avoid the Employee of the Month award. Recognition should be deserved and should not become “Who’s turn is it next?”
We hope you’ve found our list of Economical Ways to Recognize and Reward Your Staff helpful. We encourage you to schedule a FREE Comprehensive Practice Assessment to discover where your practice is. Together, we can design a plan to get your practice where you want it to be.
Call today to schedule! 888-421-1808
Strategic Practice Solutions, LLC