BRADENTON, Fla., May 22, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Just in time for summer, Gevity (Nasdaq:GVHR), which serves as the full-service human resources department for small and mid-sized businesses, today announced the release of its "Ten Ways to Motivate Your Employees This Summer" list. Compiled from Gevity research as well as existing research on this topic, the list provides a fun and helpful way for small business owners to motivate their employees as the warm - and often slower - summer months approach.
Gevity's Top 10 Ways to Motivate Your Employees This Summer
1. Provide a free breakfast or lunch to employees
2. Create a weekly "wall of fame" with fun photos of employees and
accounts of their accomplishments
3. Each week, choose employees from each department to dine or do
an activity with members of management
4. Give out tickets to movies or sporting or musical events
5. Hold an employee field day, with fun activities that all
employees can participate in
6. Create quirky awards for specific achievements
7. Volunteer to do an employee's least favorite task for a day
8. Throw a party for your employees, either at the office, a
manager's home or at a favorite restaurant
9. Have a job exchange day, and be sure to include management
10. Allow employees to work a flexible schedule (when appropriate,
taking into consideration the business' needs)
Research shows that higher employee motivation leads to greater creativity, productivity, discretionary effort and, as a result, better company performance - and that employment management practices have a direct impact on employee motivation. So it is essential that companies, no matter what their size, identify strategies to motivate employees, implement them, periodically check to make sure that they are working and make adjustments along the way.
Non-cash motivators more effective than monetary rewards
Many employers believe (and/or fear) that motivation can only be achieved through cash incentives and monetary compensation. But they are wrong. While compensation is important, a number of studies show that recognition, making employees feel valued, is more important than salary.
According to a recent survey of small businesses conducted by Cornell University researchers and sponsored by Gevity, companies that are the most successful at motivating employees are the ones with a family-like atmosphere, a shared sense of responsibility among employees via shared company information and that allow employees to manage themselves.
Most companies overlook the power and possibilities of no-cost recognition and rewards. A personal thank-you note, public praise, a wall of fame, all go a long way in making employees feel valued and appreciated.
The reality is, it takes less effort to sustain a desired behavior than it does to create it. Therefore, the ongoing reinforcement of a behavior can perpetuate results at a fraction of the original time and cost of establishing it. So employers need to look at motivating employees as an ongoing process.
"At Gevity, we believe the most important asset of any business is its people," states Michael Collins, a Senior Vice President at Gevity. "People represent a company's largest opportunity to improve business results, and by understanding the factors that motivate your employees and how you can influence those factors, you're better equipped to improve employee productivity and business performance.
"Through our Gevity Edge(tm) solution, we help small business owners and managers motivate their employees and keep them motivated by giving them the tools and help they need to maximize their people and performance, such as reward and recognition programs, performance improvement plans, coaching and performance appraisal tools, while also helping them to streamline HR administration and optimize HR practices by building policies, procedures and communications for effective employment management," says Collins.
For more information on employment management practices that improve business performance, please visit gevity.com.
About Gevity
Thousands of small and mid-sized businesses nationwide leverage the flexibility and scalability of Gevity's human resources (HR) solution to help them maximize the return on investment in their people. Essentially, Gevity serves as the full-service HR department for these businesses, providing each employee with support previously only available at much larger companies. Gevity delivers the Gevity Edge(tm), a comprehensive solution comprised of innovative management and administration services, helping employers to streamline HR administration, optimize HR practices, and maximize people and performance. This solution enables both businesses and their employees to achieve their full potential, giving them an edge over competitors. Gevity's unique approach features Gevity OnSite(tm), experienced HR Consultants based in local markets backed by nationwide resources and easy-to-use technology, including Gevity OnLine(tm) and Gevity OnCall(tm). For more information, call 1.800.2GEVITY (1.800.243.8489) or visit gevity.com.
A copy of this press release can be found on the company's Web site at www.gevity.com.