January 12, 2017

Ways to Incorporate Monthly High Fives

When you’re in charge of overseeing a group of people, whether it’s a handful or an entire company, it’s important to let them know that you notice and appreciate their continuous hard work. Not only do your employees generally crave that positive reinforcement, it helps elevate the mood of your entire team when someone is recognized. Sure, it’d be nice to reward every well-performed duty with a little cash or some material perk, but we’re living in the real world; resources and income are a finite resource.

So, it’s important to find new, creative and rewarding ways to “high five” your employees throughout the year.

Literally Give Them a High Five …

… or a handshake, or a fist bump, or whatever kind of hand-related interaction is appropriate. It sounds silly, right? However, that small amount of physical contact can literally spark a nostalgic drive to persist enthusiastically.

It’s a legitimate means to improve your employee’s well being while reinforcing their focus. Best of all, you can give it freely without fear of going bankrupt.

Make a Show Of It

Even if you’re recognizing an employee who tends toward the shy side, they’ll still appreciate you taking a few moments to have people look up from their monitors so you can publicly reward them. Not only will the public recognition sweeten things, it’ll let everyone else know that their’s social benefits to getting the job done well.

Get Them a Treat

Swing through the local convenience store and pick up some treats. Even if you don’t know their tastes (and even if you guess wrong), the effort will make your employees smile. It costs less than a dollar, but it’s a great way to give someone a material reward for their efforts.

Employee of the Month

You’d be surprised to find out how far a simple (and inexpensive) employee of the month program will go when you want to shine some recognitions down on a high-performing employee. It’s a direct, lasting way of letting someone know you appreciate their hard work. Here’s

It’s a direct, lasting way of letting someone know you appreciate their hard work. Here’s how to set up an employee of the month program at work and here are some classic plaques and trophies to display around the office.

Let Them Leave Early

Rare are the employees who will object to being let out of the office a little bit early, especially on a Friday afternoon. It won’t cost a dime, but it’ll earn huge amounts of credit with your team. This reward is perfect for when your entire team hits a sales or retention goal; or simply has been having a stressful week.

Monthly Meeting Spotlight

If you have a monthly company meeting, take 10 minutes to read shoutouts. Have your leaders collect wins or internal growth and submit them to your meeting organizer. Giving these shoutouts to the entire company shines a bright spotlight on employees that can boost their confidence for days.

These are just a few simple steps that will help you justly reward your hard working employees. So long as you cater your “high fives” to the person you’re rewarding, and you remain genuine in your praise, your employees will return the gesture in kind.