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Running Head: REWARDING MOTIVATION

Rewarding Motivation

Ashley Walters

University of Phoenix

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Rewarding Motivation

Nonmonetary rewards are an excellent tool for employer’s to use during the economic

downturn the country is facing right now. Keeping spirits high and the company moving in a

profitable direction are the keys to surviving the current recession. The restaurant business is

especially challenged during this recession because going out to eat is one of the first things cut

out of people’s budgets. Using nonmonetary rewards is an excellent way to increase employee

morale and productivity in restaurant environments, which in return will keep the customers

coming back.

Many employers refrain from using nonmonetary rewards fearing employees will

develop a sense of entitlement. When employees are receiving rewards just for showing up for

work, anniversaries, or birthdays they are “rewarding presence rather than performance”

(Nelson, 1997) and employees will eventually expect such recognition without earning it. Some

manager’s may be afraid to begin rewarding their employees out of fear that expectations could

become out of control. This is not a realistic reason to prohibit the company from possibly

growing and profiting during times like these. Recognizing employee’s for helping out other

employees, going above and beyond what is expected or working especially hard are reasons to

reward employees verbally or with a surprise reward. Having established contests is also a huge

way to motivate employees at the beginning of the shift. By recognizing performance only

events such as these negative actions can be prevented before they occur.

Nonmonetary rewards are an essential part of creating a positive workplace in the

restaurant business. Rewards are an excellent way to increase individual productivity. When an

employee is working towards a specific goal the shift will have a more positive direction, rather

than just showing up for the shift and working the assigned tasks. Rewards are a positive way to

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boost an employee’s self esteem and his or her individual morale. By striving to reach a goal,

employees are also strengthening his or her personal skills. For example, if a contest is posted at

the beginning of a shift offering a reward to the top seller of a specific item employees will work

to sell that item harder than they would if there was not a contest. By continuing contests such as

these employees will have learned which ways work best for them to sell a specific item, thus,

strengthening their selling skills and individual morale. Having a good self esteem is one of the

first steps to being good at sales. Employees will also feel valued knowing that the management

recognizes them as a top seller and appreciates all the hard work put in. Feeling like a valued

employee is an important aspect in employee retention.

Nonmonetary rewards will not only benefit employees, but will also benefit the company

itself. As previously mentioned rewarding employees will give them a sense of value and will

increase employee retention which is an important factor in the profitability of a restaurant.

Employee turnover is one of the highest costs to a company as training is not inexpensive.

Rewards are also a positive tool for management by providing a way for a fun interaction with

the employees. Rewards will also increase the overall sales of the company as each individual

will be pushing suggested items and will likely increase his or her individual sales, which of

course, is profitable to the company. A recent survey done on the affects of rewards in the

workplace found that overall 22% of employees increased work performance, 13% of employers

used only nonmonetary rewards.

There are many ways to decide which rewards will work best for different employees. A

great way to look at it is by determining where the employees are in their career. For instance, a

younger employee will likely respond better to pay incentives, offering a position in the

professional development of a company could appeal to an employee in his or her midcareer,

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while offering inclusion on policies and planning will likely appeal to a long term employee.

Varying up which incentives are offered is a great way to keep employees from feeling an

expectation or entitlement to a certain contest. Mixing things up also keeps employees excited

and eager to see what may be coming next. Rewards can include verbal recognition, plaques for

employee of the month, gift cards or a great example for the restaurant business would be a night

without any side work or end of shift duties. For instance offering a server the opportunity to

pick his or her schedule or pick out a specific section they would like to have for the night are

great ways to light a fire under the employees and get them moving!

Now, as previously mentioned there are possible downsides to offering nonmonetary

rewards in the workplace such as employee competition and expectations; however, if these

events are thought out ahead of time there are ways to prevent these issues from happening or

turn them around from negative consequences to a positive consequence. For example,

competition can be healthy in a restaurant environment not only for the employee’s but for the

company and management as well. Boosting performance is good for the wait staff’s tips, good

for the sales of the company and will likely boost the morale of the team making for an easier

shift on the management.

Using incentive programs are the most effective way to increase employee morale and

have next to no cost to the company. Nonmonetary rewards should vary consistently to keep

employees on their feet for what is coming next and help create motivation within the company.

Rewards can have outstanding outcomes and bring out extraordinary performances from

ordinary people (Nelson,2005).

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References

Condly, S. J., Clark, R. E., Stolovitch, H. D., (2003, November 3) The effects of incentives on

workplace performance: a meta-analytic review of research studies. Performance

improvement quarterly, 16(3) pp.46-63.

Johannes, A. (2006, March 22) Managers off the mark on employee recognition: poll.

Promo(Online Exclusive). Gale Document Number: A143502793.

Nelson, B. (1997, February) How to keep incentives from becoming entitlements. Management.

48.n2, 11(2). Gale Document Number: A19300652