I absolutely LOVED the physical act of cleaning carpets! (And I really enjoyed ‘putting on a show’ for my clients!) But as the years went by I slowly realized pushing that wand was NOT my ‘highest and best use’.
So I started hiring employees and… my life quickly got ‘complicated’. Why? Because the Very Best People (the ones I wanted on my team) were not super motivated by a paycheck. After a lot of pain (and employee turnover) I learned I had to build an emotional bond with my workers.
One key way was by publicly displaying my ‘grateful recognition’ for my employees hard work and loyalty. But I also discovered how to…
Get maximum mileage out of cash rewards! For example…
Give small bonuses in cold, hard cash! (We’re all ‘immediate gratification addicts’.) So instead of TELLING an employee they’ll get 10 or 20 bucks extra in their next pay check (delayed gratification) hand them CASH right then! BOOM!
NOTE: Ask your accountant about handing out small bonuses in cash rewards. Yes, this means you’ll pay the taxes out of your pocket but the effect on employee morale is incredible! HERE are more tips on employee compensation.
On bigger amounts make a ceremony out of it! When a new employee completes their Fast Track Training (or passes all 12 Skills Reviews in ‘Winning on the Home Front’) celebrate their accomplishment at your next staff meeting as you hand them the cash!
Have some fun! On every glowing Customer Comment Card (read your client’s praises out loud at your staff meetings) throw a silver dollar to the responsible employee. You can’t give too much Public Recognition!
So far we’ve focused on giving ‘recognition among their peers’ as in their fellow employees. But can you ‘kill two birds with one stone’ by also recognizing your workers to your customers? Let’s talk about this soon…
Steve