List of Low-Cost Rewards and Recognition

At a 1998 meeting of the Human Resource Management Association of Chicago's Total Rewards interest group, members set out to generate a list of 50 practical low-cost ideas for attracting, motivating and retaining employees. Exceeding their numerical goal, here's what they came up with:

1. Attending external work-related seminars

2. Company-sponsored language classes

3. Corporate training programs (soft skills and technical skills)

4. Distance learning (taking satellite classes over the internet)

5. New and varied work assignments

6. Traveling to and experiencing different corporate locations

7. Tuition reimbursement

Employee participation

1. Employee-planned parties

2. Employee referral gift certificates

3. Gathering employee feedback and using it

4. Monthly teleconferences or town hall meetings in which corporate leadership addresses employee questions

5. Quarterly bonuses for meeting specified targets

6. Suggestion programs

Financial lifecycle

1. Brownbag lunches with discussions of financial topics

2. Investment seminars

3. Loans for computers

4. Providing financial modeling software

5. Retirement planning/counseling

6. Scholarships for the children of employees

Health

1. Aerobics or yoga classes

2. Company-organized lunch walks

3. Corporate fitness center or company-sponsored health club membership

4. Flu shots

5. Massages on the premises

6. Smoking cessation programs

7. Wellness "lunch and learn" (a brownbag discussion of various health issues)

Recognition

1. Award certificates

2. Birthday or holiday cards from executive staff

3. Celebrations of diversity (e.g. Mexican day)

4. Day off with pay

5. Employee of the month

6. Free lunches

7. Gift certificates

8. Monthly use of a nearby parking space

9. Parties, special events

10. Personal thank you

11. Public acknowledgement

12. Thank-you notes or letters

Work environment/culture

1. Afternoon popcorn breaks

2. Attractive corporate grounds (e.g. swans in a pond)

3. Casual dress

4. Company-paid uniforms for hourly associates

5. Corporate sports teams, clubs

6. Deep discounts on company products

7. Free coffee and soda

8. Free turkeys for Thanksgiving

9. Hot lunches in the cafeteria

10. Informal birthday bashes

11. Nap rooms

12. Off-site meetings

Work-life balance

1. Dinner pails (dinner take-outs from the corporate cafeteria)

2. Family activities (including employees' families in corporate events)

3. Flexible hours

4. Job sharing programs

5. Lactation rooms for new mothers

6. One-half day off before holidays

7. On-site amenities like dry cleaning, ATM machines, etc.

8. On-site childcare

9. Paid-time-off banks

10. Part-time employment opportunities

11. Sick child alternative care provided at minimal cost

12. "Take your child to work day"

13. Telecommuting (full- or part-time)

Reprinted with permission. © CCH