Rewarding Good Employees When Upward Mobility Doesn't Exist

What happens when your best salesperson or technician wants to move up and there's no room? Is it inevitable that you'll lose some of your best people? No! There are methods of giving someone a "promotion" when there's nowhere to be promoted to!

by Brock Henderson Principal, Henderson & Associates [December 22, 2008]

It's only natural that people want to improve their position or standing in their employment, and you cannot avoid losing some good people over time. But there are things you can do to reward top performers and keep them happy and loyal.

The first thing that comes to mind is an increase in pay, but that isn't always an option. You simply may not be able to provide substantial or even modest pay increases. You won't survive long if payroll increases faster than revenue. But you want to do something to reward the cream of your company, so here are nine ideas:

1. Many companies have an Employee of the Month, but don't make it every month. Make it more special by making it more rare. When you receive some positive feedback from a customer about one of your employees then why not give them a Customer Appreciation Award?
   
   It could read "(Customer's name) was so impressed with the way (Employee's name) assisted them on (date) that they wanted everyone to know how much it was appreciated." The company President would sign it.
   
   Make a big deal when you present the award, be sure the entire company is there and sincerely thank them for making the customer so happy that they had to send an e-mail commending the employee.
   
   
2. A small cash bonus could be provided singularly or accompanied with an award.
   
   
3. Take the individual out to lunch, or take them and their family out to dinner at their favorite restaurant.
   
   
4. An improved title (even without a pay raise) is often appreciated. Add the word "Senior" to their title so they are no longer one of several in Tech Support, now they are a Senior Tech Support Technician. If the person were in sales, they would become a Senior Sales Representative, or Senior Customer Account Representative.
   
   One problem that you might incur is when an individual is so good that they are constantly getting praise from customers. You can only go so far with a title and making someone the Exalted Supreme Customer Account Representative is simply over the top.
   
   
5. Many companies provide senior (there's that word again) personnel with a company cell phone. Don't give the same phone to everyone; rather those that consistently receive praise from customers should get a better phone. Every time you upgrade the employee phones be sure that only those who deserve special recognition get the better phone.
   
   
6. The easiest thing to do is to simply publicly thank the individual for a job well done. While this is the simplest and easiest of gestures, it is also the least practiced. Managers get so wrapped up in the day-to-day activities that they simply forget to offer sincere thanks and praise for a job well done. Learning to do this simple act will go a long way to keep moral high and retention long.
   
   
7. I remember one engineer who, when asked what the company could do for him to make him happier, replied, "Buy me some books". So the company allowed him to select one book a month that the company gladly paid for.
   
   
8. Company computers are constantly being upgraded, so while the oldest computers certainly need to be replaced, why not provide that outstanding employee with a well tricked-out computer for their workstation? Knowing that they have a superior computer is a reward any techie would appreciate.
   
   
9. Have a company-wide incentive program where employees earn points towards the selection of a gift of their choice. These programs are inexpensive to implement and can be a great motivational tool. If you want to look into this idea simply contact your local ad specialty supplier and they can help you start your incentive program.
   
   Your best people will earn points quickly, but it still provides the opportunity for anyone in the company to receive a gift, it just might take longer for some.

Use your imagination and be creative. Employee recognition doesn't have to be overly expensive, but it does need to be sincere.

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