Four-day working weeks on full pay, eye-watering bonuses, paid gym memberships, and big-ticket gifts to congratulate employees on a job well done. While all of these workplace perks can be nice to offer staff, for most small-business owners they can be totally out of reach. Lower profit margins, few staff, and small HR teams can mean that implementing wellness and morale-boosting rewards and programs can be daunting.
However, limited resources in terms of budget and manpower don’t need to hold you back, there is a range of cost-effective practices you can implement that will have a big impact on rewarding, incentivising, and boosting wellness and morale among your employees.
Having once worked in a toxic work environment where staff felt underappreciated and only the sales team was ever recognised for financial wins, I realised first-hand the impact small incentives and rewards can have on staff wellbeing and morale. On a wider scale, research suggests that a focus on workplace wellbeing can have large-scale positive impacts across a business. Mental Health and Emotional Fitness Educator, Bill Carson said, “Rewarding and incentivising staff can have a tremendous impact on workplace wellbeing, it can make employees feel noticed and appreciated, which in turn will help to foster happy and thriving workplaces. Being noticed and appreciated in small ways always means a lot to each of us, and builds our sense of psychological safety being a part of a team and being accepted by our boss.”
Here are four easy ways your small business can boost wellbeing and morale, without being left out of pocket.
1. Be flexible where possible
Everyone is human and as a business owner having compassion and understanding for your staff can be one of the best ways to boost employee wellbeing. If a staff member seems down, check on them. Ask if they need help prioritising their workload, taking some items off their plate, or if they need to take a mental health day. Point them in the direction of help services if needed and ensure they feel supported.
2. Acknowledge staff for a job well done
It seems simple, but it’s something that is easily forgotten when you’re managing a range of tasks, under deadlines, and have the stresses of a small business on your shoulders. But acknowledging a job well done makes staff feel seen, appreciated, and in turn will encourage them to continue working hard for your company. Verbal praise, acknowledgement at a staff meeting, and letting them know you’re proud of their efforts in 1:1 meetings can make a world of difference.
3. Digital gifting
One way forward-thinking companies are rewarding and incentivising staff is through digital gifting. I’ve seen a rise in workplaces looking for new ways to connect and engage with staff. Some are utilising digital nano gifts as the perfect solution to recognise employee milestones and small, positive moments throughout the year, without breaking the bank. Gifting in the workplace doesn’t need to be expensive. Even a small gesture from an employer to a staff member – like shouting them a digital gift card they can spend on a coffee or a meal – can have a big impact on morale. In a recent survey we commissioned at Shouta, we found that 88 per cent of Aussies believed that the best, most thoughtful gifts needn’t be expensive.
4. The early mark
In addition to perks and bonuses, one easy way to reward and incentivise staff is a good old-fashioned early mark. While cutting back an employee’s work hours to a four-day week can seem out of reach, giving staff the chance to leave work early on the last Friday, or come in a little later on a Monday at sporadic times throughout the year can be a big mood booster. Everyone loves an extended long weekend!
