Team Rewards: 5 Excellent Ways to Reward Team Building Efforts

Teamwork is easy to take for granted, but developing it can be harder than you think.

A team that works well together is more likely to boost morale in the whole office. If they're communicating well and have a clear mission, that sets a great example for everyone else.

That's why you should use team rewards to recognize how your team-building efforts have paid off. Read on for five of the best ways to reward your employees with some office awards.

1. Gift Cards

It's like handing your team members money, except its money for a specific store. Gift cards work best when the recipient can use it to treat themselves to something they wouldn't otherwise get. That's one reason they're so popular.

For instance, maybe you know team members have been putting in overtime and eating lots of prepackaged meals. After the project's over, give them gift cards to a local restaurant.

2. Free Food

Free food is a good way to recognize team collaboration that's still happening. There might be a big project that isn't finished yet. In fact, it's coming down to the wire.

Sending catered food to your office can lighten the mood. It also motivates people to keep working harder to finish what they're doing.

Sure, your team members could just grab something from the vending machine. But giving them a few minutes to eat a catered meal shows them that you appreciate how far they've already come.

3. Trophies

Everyone likes trophies, but most of us don't play sports anymore.

If you want, you can make a whole awards ceremony out of it. Take your staff to a restaurant or pub. Then hand out the awards and allow everyone to make brief speeches.

Be as specific as possible when you're handing out team rewards like this. Instead of saying, "Steve is a great team player," try to recall a specific incident where Steve's team mentality really shone through.

4. Extra Time Off

The idea of sending people home a little early comes up often when discussing team incentives ideas. But if you do it, make sure you send them home the right way.

If your employees get paid via salary, they may be eager to leave at lunch. But what if they're paid hourly? In that case, telling them to go home at lunch means you're taking away half their paycheck for the day.

When you send out an "everybody go home now" announcement, make sure to mention they'll get paid as if they worked the full day. That way, it feels more like a reward than a punishment.

5. Remote Work Days

There are a few reasons bosses are reluctant to allow remote work. One big one is the fear of a lack of cohesion.

But that shouldn't be an issue here. You already know your team works together great in the office. In that case, they should get to work from home sometimes.

It doesn't have to be every day. But even one day a week can make people feel special.

More About Team Rewards

There are a ton of team rewards to choose from, and it can feel like a lot. But it's a good problem to have.

If you're having trouble narrowing things down, check our lineup of achievement statues. We've got something appropriate for every office and occasion.