How does one reward hard work?

If you’re asking this question, you’re probably an employer who’s looking for ways to congratulate and say “thank you” to an employee or team of employees that has done an awesome job. You could also be a parent, trying to figure out how to best reward a child who’s been putting in their best effort in school.

In this article, our focus is on employers. Perhaps you’ve been doing the same thing year in year out and now you want to do something different and impactful.

Well, we’ve got you. Continue reading for a list of great ways to reward someone.

The Easy Way: Cash Compensation

Cash is king!

When you’re in doubt about how to reward someone who has worked hard, you won’t go wrong with the old way: cash compensation. Especially as an employer, you’ve to be cognizant of the fact that most of your employees are living paycheck to paycheck. 80 percent of workers in the United States are living on paychecks, so going by this figure, about 4 in every 5 of your employees could do with some financial help.

Making a cash payment to the employee empowers them to spend the money however they wish. You might not see it, but you’ll make a big difference in their lives.

A Flexible Work Schedule

The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt forced millions of workers to work from home, but soon enough the pandemic will pass and people will go back to the office.

Will your employees look forward to coming back to the office? We don’t think so. Most workers love working remotely.

This is why rewarding a hard worker with the ability to work from home, or a flexible work schedule, is one of the most impactful ways to reward someone.

Paid Vacation

If your company offers paid vacation, thumbs up!

However, while that’s a good start, it’s barely enough. In a perfect world, workers should be able to take about 2-3 paid vacations every year.

So, if you’re looking for a way to reward somebody who has been putting in a proper shift every day, why not throw them an extra paid vacation?

A Certificate of Accomplishment or Trophy

Sometimes nothing feels better than lifting a trophy or getting a certificate. This is why getting your graduation certificate after years of studying feels so rewarding. Or, you can see the joy in a sports team when they lift the trophy after a hard-fought tournament.

You can evoke a similar feeling in your employees when you reward them with a trophy or certificate. You can purchase a trophy from a trophy store. You can also make a certificate of completion on your own using software. Check out this certificate of completion template.

Reward Hard Work the Right Way

It’s understandable if you’re at a loss for ways to reward hard work. There’s nothing wrong with running out of ideas, but it’s upon you to find fresh ways to reward whoever you want to reward. You’re free to use the ideas fleshed out above.

Keep reading our blog for more ideas and hacks.