The simple way to motivate a workforce is to offer higher compensation or cash bonuses. Unfortunately, for many companies both large and small, it is often impractical. There are plenty of ways to motivate employees to higher productivity levels without having to throw money at them.

Here are 10 Ways To Motivate Without Compensation

1. Praise and recognize

One of the simplest ways to push people to a higher level is to praise and recognize their accomplishments. It may feel like an appeal to ego, but a simple compliment acknowledging their hard work and skill goes a long way. That acknowledgment makes them feel valued as the important employees they are.

While there is no such thing as giving too much recognition, there is such a thing as providing unearned praise. Make sure that whoever gets your attention deserves it.

2. Make your organization community.

For employees to be motivated, they will need to feel like they are in more than a simple job. Human is a social creature, and we all want community around us. You may have experienced or seen something similar in your school years when people make it through hard or tedious days just because their friends were in the same class.

For example, Encouraging people to eat together at lunch, is simple and can encourage discussion unrelated to work. You should join them, but not all the time. As the boss, you may inherently limit the topics covered. It can get a little lonely, but it is a small price to pay to make sure your team forms a stable community.

3. Be always connected with your team.

One o the best ways to keep your team loyal and productive is to keep lines of communication open. Fortunately, technology has made this easier than ever before. In addition to having an open door policy, you can dedicate a chat account to your team where they can message you for work-related topics. If you are feeling particularly cheeky, you can even include non-work related discussions with them.

There is another reason to stay connected beyond being more personable. Having a direct line to your employees means you can share direct and immediate feedback. Just make sure you limit times of communication to happy hours.

4. Volunteer as a team.

A shared goal outside the small business is a great way to generate more togetherness within the company. There is always crucial to bring a team together. Volunteering to help the community doesn’t just solidify your people, but it also improves your local reputation. It doesn’t stop there. This can also server as a team building expertise. Just figure out which opportunities your team is passionate about and find a way to volunteer for it.

5. Ask them

It is not always easy to figure out what will motivate your team. If you are out of ideas, you can still just ask them. There are plenty of ways to prompt them, from suggestion boxes to a brainstorming session. Once you have got a better idea of what they want, you can get around to making concrete plans. As a bonus, this makes them feel more valued, which increases company loyalty.

6. Give them power.

An employee who feels invaluable to small business will work hard. An employee who has a personal stake in the outcome of their tasks will work even harder. An excellent way to get the latter situation into action is to give employees more power and autonomy.

Instead of hovering over them to check on their work and as a reference for big decisions, let them make choices on their own. Do not dictate your terms all the time. Let them decide on things big and small, from the direction of a project they are working on or any weekly meetings you attend.

7. Know them as more than workers

Nothing is as demoralizing to a workforce than being reduced to their abilities and purpose. When you team them like tools, they will feel like they don’t matter and they are replaceable. This often results in low productivity and high turnover.

An excellent way to keep that from happening is to get to know them as actual people and not just as employees. Not only will this keep them from becoming demoralized, but you will also learn things that can help you manage them properly. For example, determining that the majority of your team are parents means they will appreciate daycare benefits.

8. Give them educational opportunities

Your employees don’t just want to be good at their jobs; they want to get better at it. Practice and experience are useful, but nothing can replace the value of a good education. Giving them the opportunity to grow in a structured setting will not only improve their output, but it will also make them more loyal towards the company.

Give them opportunities to learn at every opportunity. If you can strike a deal with a nearby college, do so. Alternatively, you can have them cross-train at departments they are interested in.

9. Offer flexible work timings

The struggle to maintain a work-life balance is one many people can relate to. It is also an essential part of motivating your employees. If they feel like they have no control over their time and life, they will leave to find another opportunity. Find a way to make their schedules more flexible, and you will get happier and more productive employee.

10 Offer perks.

When you can’t offer your small business`s employees more pay, you can always offer them more benefits. Improving the quality of their work life is a great way to motivate them to be more productive. A health plan or even longer lunch hours can make your office a more positive place.

As a boss, your priority should be to motivate your employees to become the best. Even if you have enough capital to throw a raise here and there, you should still consider offering them other things. While compensation is necessary, improving conditions at work will often inspire far more loyalty and performance than most amounts of cash would.