15 Ways to Reward Employees Without Offering Money

If your company’s budget isn’t quite ready for handing out bonuses, there are still plenty of ways you can show your team they’re appreciated. FOUNT’s Chief Experience Officer, Anne Eidelman, contributes to this article featured on the American Express website.

Read the full article.

While many employees would opt for compensation if given the choice, there are many ways to recognize and reward individuals for a job well done that don’t cost a thing. In this article, Anne Eidelman shares how FOUNT make kudos part of our natural flow of work. Excerpts from the article showcase how the company gives positive feedback and gift cards.

“It may seem obvious, but many managers underestimate the value of giving positive feedback to their team members. This no-cost approach can be very affirming and motivating for employees at any level,” says Anne Eidelman, Chief Experience Officer at FOUNT Global, Inc, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company focused on reducing work friction. (FOUNT Global is a subsidiary of TI People.)

Eidelman says that the positive feedback strategy is part of FOUNT Global’s corporate culture. “When we gather for all-hands video calls, we’ve instituted time for informal shout outs where team members can recognize each other and share stories that surprise and delight everyone,” Eidelman says. “Employees have remarked that it’s become the best part of their week and they could really feel the love and energy across time zones.”

Hand out $25 in cash, and employees are may think, “Really? That’s it?” But a $25 gift card to a favorite coffeehouse or retailer can feel generous. 

Eidelman says that FOUNT’s managers will some times give employees $25 gift cards for meal or grocery delivery, usually after someone finishes a big project. She says that they’ll generally include a note that reads something like, “Thanks! Please let FOUNT buy you dinner for a job well done.”

“These gestures help employees feel seen and appreciated,” Eidelman says.“And managers have even received pictures of the person’s delicious meal.”

As a remote-first, global company, FOUNT also ticks the box under the suggestion, “Let your employees work from home.” We are proud to have employees working all over the world including Iceland, Houston, Nigeria, Hamburg, Ireland and Long Island, just to name a few!