Employee retention can be tough, especially during these uncertain times. Budgets are stretched thin, so it may be difficult or impossible to make major investments in boosting loyalty. Yet even simple, inexpensive incentives can let your employees know how much you appreciate them sticking with you. Here are a few employee incentive ideas that won’t break the bank.
Stay Flexible
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, everything we thought we knew about work was upended, and employers scrambled to implement social distancing measures. From telling your office employees to work from home to having your production team members work in shifts, you probably found room for a lot of flexibility. As worksites return to normal, consider letting your employees retain some of this flexibility. It’s an easy way to let them know you take their needs and preferences seriously.
Give the Gift of Time
Trying to improve production rates or meet some other objectively measurable goal? Set it up as a friendly competition in which the winner gets an extra 30 minutes for lunch or goes home early on Friday.
Focus on Positivity
To create a more positive corporate culture, get your team members as well as management to start “catching each other in the act” of being positive. Throughout the week, have everyone write a short note when they see someone doing something positive (distributing preprinted cards also works). Team members can drop their cards from the week in a jar for a Friday afternoon drawing. Give the winner a gift card or other small prize.
Get to Know Each Other
An easy way to build employee loyalty is to build a strong team that feels more like a family. From team-building exercises to optional get-togethers outside work hours, help everyone on your team get to know each other. Be sure to celebrate milestones such as birthdays and work anniversaries, even if you can only afford to buy a card.
Give Public Recognition
Do you have an Employee of the Month program? Put that person’s picture up on the wall. Did someone do something to save your last project? Let him park in your spot for a week. Public recognition is a fun way to let employees know they matter, even when you don’t have the budget for big celebrations.
Employee incentives don’t need to be expensive. They just need to show that your employees are essential to you and are not being taken for granted. Focus on low-cost, sustainable programs, rather than flashy one-time displays.
Need More Staff?
Learn how Custom Staffing can help you find and recruit the best industrial workers today.
