Keep Your Employees Happy For All of 2013

2013 is upon us, and if you have not created a plan to keep employees engaged and motivated throughout the year consider these tips from industry leaders. There are a variety of small things you can do throughout the year that will motivate employees and make them feel appreciated, and keep them less focused on a large year end bonus.

• Recognize Good Work Publicly: Eric Mosley, CEO of Globoforce suggests using public recognition of exceptional work, or achievement of a goal to keep employees engaged. The recognition does not even need to include any kind of additional compensation, although a small denomination gift card to a versatile retailer such as CVS/Pharmacy  or Boston Market restaurants can help other employees to feel motivated to work toward the same type of recognition and reward. Mosley notes "Research this year found that 56 percent of those who have received recognition consider themselves highly engaged, compared with only 33 percent of those who don't get any credit for their work."

• Use Spot Rewards: Juli Spottiswood, President and CEO of Parago suggests that spot rewards are a great motivator, and can save organizations money on end-of-year rewards. Spottiswood notes how spot rewards such as gift cards to useful retailers such as Target and Burlington Coat Factory offer a unique opportunity to create a loyal professional community where employees are satisfied and motivated all year round, and not so focused on end-of-year rewards and compensation. If you reward your employees 12 months of the year, they will be more satisfied with a small bonus in December, which can be a big money saver for organizations still recovering from the recession.