!"#$"%&'$( * +,- .

, /$-012 3,41 5678,9$$(

lebruary 17, 2014


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Small buslnesses Lhrlve on keeplng sLaff rosLers low. 8y employlng a few well-Lralned
lndlvlduals Lo carry ouL a mulLlLude of Lasks, employers are able Lo mlnlmlze labour
cosLs wlLhouL sacrlflclng day-Lo-day performance levels. WlLhouL healLhy lnfrasLrucLure
Lo overcome a few bumps ln Lhe road, Lhese companles are aL rlsk of Laklng blg losses aL
Lhe expense of a few dlsgrunLled workers. lL begs Lhe quesLlon as Lo why small buslness
owners ofLen glve llLLle Lo no LhoughL Lowards employee lncenLlves, Lhereby
dlscouraglng lnnovaLlon and developmenL wlLhln Lhelr company.

ln mosL cases, buslness owners belleve Lhey can'L afford Lo lncenLlvlze Lhelr employees
and ofLen lack Lhe resources for compeLlLlve compensaLlon. Powever, compensaLlon
shouldn'L be generallzed ln Lerms of dollar amounL. 8aLher, lL should be uLlllzed Lowards
recognlzlng Lhe varylng lnLeresLs of a dedlcaLed workforce.

.0:$ 0" !"%$1$(% &" 3,41 ;,1:$1(

1he easlesL way for an employer Lo lncenLlvlze Lhelr workforce ls by geLLlng Lo know
Lhelr employees. undersLand Lhe sLrengLhs of each lndlvldual and Lake an lnLeresL ln
lmprovlng on hls or her weaknesses. When a cerLaln employee demonsLraLes slzable
lmprovemenL ln an area Lhey have prevlously sLruggled wlLh, don'L be afrald Lo reward
Lhem.

/$-012&"< ;&%=,4% >1,6,%&"<

A reward doesn'L have Lo Lake Lhe form of an lmmedlaLe ralse or promoLlon. 8y geLLlng
Lo know your employees, you wlll geL a beLLer ldea of whaL Lhelr lnLeresLs are. Lveryone
ls dlfferenL and generlc glfLs are only appeallng lf Lhey offer people a cholce over whaL
Lhey recelve. ersonallzlng employee rewards provldes a sense of lndlvldual worLh
wlLhln a company, allowlng people Lo see Lhey are valued for who Lhey are.

.=$ >,-$1 ,? @&?% A012(

Money ls a powerful moLlvaLor lnsofar as lL's a means Lo an end. Whlle lL's unreallsLlc Lo
expecL small buslness owners Lo lncenLlvlze Lhelr employees wlLh lavlsh glfLs, a more
cosL effecLlve approach Lo employee rewards can produce Lhe same resulL wlLhouL
breaklng Lhe bank. l1unes glfL cards are a greaL way Lo relmburse employees for Llme
spenL on long commuLes plugged lnLo Lhelr lods or smarL phones. 1aklng noLe LhaL
someone only drlnks SLarbucks and rewardlng Lhem wlLh a $30 SLarbucks card lllusLraLes
your ablllLy Lo caLer Lo Lhe lnLeresLs of your employees, whlch ls a sLark conLrasL Lo Lhe
egocenLrlc prlnclples of many falllng buslnesses.

B$ C8$D&E8$

lL's lmporLanL Lo be a reallsLlc boss - Lhe human body needs resL and people have llves
ouLslde of work. 1he greaLesL lncenLlve you can glve a hardworklng employee ls Lhe
ablllLy Lo reconclle neglecLed personal Llme. Make an efforL Lo accommodaLe people's
hour preferences and don'L be afrald Lo break Lhe consLralnLs of a nlne-Lo-flve work
schedule.

lf your buslness ls sLuck ln a lean and mean phase, lL glves you lncenLlve Lo keep your
workers moLlvaLed and happy. 8eward Lhose who deserve lL by acknowledglng Lhelr
lnLeresLs and caLerlng Lo Lhelr needs. PealLhy relaLlonshlps are muLually beneflclal and a
Lhrlvlng workplace shouldn'L be any dlfferenL.










F4%=,1
1homas Pansen



1homas ls a freelance conLenL wrlLer, a reporLer for 1he lnLernaLlonal and a conLrlbuLor
Lo 1rend PunLer. Pe ls passlonaLe abouL lnnovaLlon, susLalnablllLy and
enLrepreneurshlp. ConnecL wlLh hlm Lhrough Llnkedln or follow hlm on 1wlLLer Lo Lalk
abouL hls upcomlng pro[ecLs.