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Not all reward and recognition techniques have to involve cash compensation. In fact, the best rewards are often the ones that are more personal in nature. There are plenty of low or no-cost recognition techniques that may be implemented by organizations in order to foster a culture of recognition. Remember, the best recognition is timely and meaningful. Recognition that is delivered well after a success, or that is unwelcome or irrelevant to an employee, is not effective. Supervisors, managers and HR professionals should take the time to find out what works in their organizations and what their employees want from a rewards and recognition program. Plans should be put into place that allow for recognition to happen immediately when desired behaviors occur. Recognition should also occur randomly, when employees don't necessarily expect it.

The following represent some examples of recognition techniques that generally involve little to no out-of-pocket expense on the part of supervisors and managers. They are suggestions only and will not necessarily work in every situation or in every organization. While they are intended to recognize incidences of top performance, many may also be used to recognize your staff as a whole and help them feel appreciated. They are loosely grouped into six major categories: public recognition, private recognition, fun stuff, developmental opportunities, work-life and work environment. However, they do not all necessarily fall exclusively into any one category.

While there are many potential techniques here, the list is in no way comprehensive. We at OSP would love to hear your ideas and hope to add to the list in the future.

PUBLIC RECOGNITION

Public recognition, while not for everyone, can accomplish a lot by holding up your top performers as examples for others. It can be more meaningful for certain employees than private recognition, but some top performers prefer to do their outstanding work without the public glory. Be careful to acknowledge the right people in the right way, and for the right reasons.

Hall of Fame Every time someone walks by the special hall, they see the name of the employees for whom you are providing recognition; a constant reminder that they are valued. The more attractive the shrine, the more special it feels to have your name on it. Perhaps the feeling would be similar to having your handprints in the sidewalk at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, or your star on the Walk of Fame.

Serenade Now here's a novel idea and you don't have to be Pavarotti to pull off. You can thank that special person with simple, homespun lyrics set to a snappy rhythm. Harmonizing is even better. How about a song from the team?

Name on Recognition Board Who doesn't dream of their name in lights? Okay, maybe that's a bit dramatic but some folks appreciate public acknowledgement, especially when they are in good company with other top performers.

Article in agency newsletter, intranet, local paper Extra, extra, read all about it! Now here's a way to feature one of your top performers by telling their story. Write a piece about a top performer's accomplishments and include a photograph.

Scrapbook of achievements Who doesn't like to flip through a colorful scrapbook that reminds us of past and present star performers? A great way to celebrate that special employee and make them part of history.

Informal party Work hard, play hard, right? Your sociable high-performers will jump at the chance to hang out with their fellow workers. Roll out the crepe paper and make the impromptu party festive and fun!

Share the spotlight Instead of taking the credit for your team, acknowledge the top performers in some way. Invite them to participate in a presentation, attend an opening ceremony or give them a round of applause in front of key stakeholders. Doesn't cost a dime, but could go a long way in saying, "thank you!"

Recognize at staff meeting Make room on the agenda for time to recognize your top performers. Give it to them in front of their peers. Be sure to explain what they did and how they did it. Can go along with presentation of a reward, as appropriate.

Standing ovation/applause For those who like to be the center of attention — if only for the moment — this works great. And it's as simple as putting your hands together.

Hang a banner Recognize an individual or team achievement with a banner hung in a prominent location in the workplace. Be creative!

Lunch with a manager, director, agency head or the Governor Requires interest and commitment from the organization's key players. Your top performers get a free lunch and they have the opportunity to chat with decision-makers. Good exposure, great opportunity to learn and share. Turn it into a formal, agency-wide program. Bon appetit!

PRIVATE RECOGNITION

These are some of the simplest, most cost-effective, and least time-consuming recognition techniques a supervisor can use, but they go a long way in making top performers feel acknowledged. Use them often.

Thank-you note: It sounds so simple; because it is. You can create your own note or buy a box at your favorite stationery store. What's key is that you took the time to pick out something special and use pen and ink instead of keys on a computer.

E-cards Another simple way to express thanks, without having to put pen to paper. Many e-card services are free.

Gift certificates/cards Can be low-cost to supervisors, but high-value to employees. Choose a gift card from someplace that you know the employee likes to shop, or relate it to one of their hobbies. Include them in a thank-you card for additional impact.

Donate to employee charity of choice Yes, it may cost a little but can be a deeply personal and meaningful way to express thanks.

Letter in personnel file What a great way to make your thank-you portable. Your employee's personnel file can open lots of doors as it travels with them in their career journey.

Voice mail of praise The light is blinking as usual and you pick up the phone to hear what? An unexpected message from your boss saying how great you are! What a good way to start off the day.

Copy higher level manager What a great way to expose your employees to top management. When you're composing that thank-you email or formal letter, take a few minutes to copy your manager or your manager's manager. Broaden that thank-you and watch your employee's reaction!

Note inside pay envelope What a novel idea and who would ever expect it? That's what makes it special.

Deliver paycheck with thanks Your employee expects their pay stub, but do they expect it with a thank-you? A great way to tie in their regular compensation with a bit of extra recognition.

Ask employee for their opinion No materials or creativity necessary, just an ear and an open mind. A simple yet effective way to recognize an employee by showing respect for their ideas.

Getting to know employee personally/personal time Zero cost, but high impact. Stop by their workplace and see how they're doing. Ask about what's going on at home. Find out about their personal interests outside of work. Building a relationship with your employees adds so much to their experience on the job, and can cue you in on ways to recognize when they've done an outstanding job.

FUN STUFF

Does your organizational culture need lightening up? Recognizing employees in a fun and creative way lets them know that you've put some thought and effort into it. Below are some suggestions, but they represent only a small sample of the things you can do to make rewards and recognition fun. Original ideas are highly encouraged, especially those that are on-target with your employee preferences. Involve them.

Dress-down day Now, here's the ticket! Especially for folks who hate to dress up in the first place. What's nicer than being comfortable while you work? Let your top performers wear what they want for a day in recognition of a job well done.

Good deed awards A ribbon, plaque, certificate or other item to showcase in an office can make for a good reminder that selfless actions are appreciated.

Post-it notes Stick them on your employee's report, tack it to their phone when they're out of the office or stick it on their door to remind them how much they mean to the team. Works best when least expected.

Name a day for employee Doesn't cost a cent but could go a long way in letting your top performers know they count - a lot!

Name a conference room for employee Now, how cool is this? And it doesn't happen every day so your employee will know this is something really special!

Temporary informal title promotion Top Dog "title promotions" can be fun and remind others that this employee is worthy of attention, even if the promotion is not real.

Gold stars It worked in school, why not in the real world? Stick them on a well-done draft report or proposal, or to a chart hung on a wall to track successes.

3 quarters with a note that says,"have a drink on me" Add a little humor to your recognition without breaking the bank.

Appointment to a fun non work-related committee Appoint your top performers to serve on a social, work-life, work environment, rewards and recognition or other committee that gives them a break from the routine. Or invent your own committee based on the needs of the workplace.

M&M award Morale & Motivation recognized with an inexpensive bag of candy.

Trace hand, write "give yourself a hand" For the artistically challenged, a fun way to express your gratitude.

Bouquet of thank-you's Get out the scissors, glue stick and colored paper. Write some thank-you's on paper flowers.

Chocolate coins It's not a performance bonus, but it can represent one when smaller successes are achieved.

Coupons Create your own, which employees can redeem for an afternoon off, dress-down day, free pass from a staff meeting, etc. Or approach local businesses to provide some for you - a win-win for everyone!

Wash employee's car Doesn't cost anything but your own effort and who wouldn't appreciate it?

Pack/buy lunch for employee Low-cost, but high appreciation rate. Just make sure it's something the employee likes!

Poem An ode to a top performer's success makes for a special, creative kind of thank-you note.

WORK-LIFE

Work-life is a hot topic in today's human resources world. Many high-performing employees are not that way because they're chained to a desk eight hours a day, five days a week - it's because they are creative, self-motivated and know how to produce excellent results without necessarily having to conform strictly to the 40 hour work week. The work-life concept allows employees to have some measure of freedom in structuring their work time. Your business needs help dictate how far to go in implementing work-life programs, but it's important to consider them, especially for your top performers.

Flex time Allow your top performers to work the schedule that best fits their lifestyle. They're getting the job done, right?

Ask employee to make presentation about something they did outside of work Your interest in what they do outside of work will be rewarding in and of itself and it gives them an alternative opportunity to shine.

Paid sabbaticals While this technique requires the use of your top performers' vacation or bonus leave, it gives them a more meaningful break than a one or two week vacation that they can work towards.

Unpaid sabbaticals Also known as leave without pay. Many top performers find that a meaningful break from work pays off in ways that can't be matched with paid time off. Let them have the option.

Teleworking Give your self-motivated top performers the opportunity to work from home. It does not have to be every day, maybe just one day a week. The important thing is that you count on them for results, not just their presence in the office.

Job sharing A great work-life tool for your top performers who don't want to work full-time. Better to keep them on part-time than lose them for good. Also saves on resources if office space and equipment can be shared.

Offer vacation house This one's a bit out-of-the-box, but if you've got the resources, why not use them? Let your top performers make use of a vacation house or other retreat space if available.

DEVELOPMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES

Developmental opportunities can be as good as cash to many top performers. In fact, formal training, membership fees and registration for seminars, while not costing the supervisor anything out of pocket, can cost the organization plenty. But they can also bring extremely high returns. Assignment of new responsibilities can also potentially lead to in-range adjustments for job change, provided funding is available and the change is justified and needed by the organization. In order to maintain fairness and equity, it is important to formalize the selection process for developmental opportunities and assignment of new or additional responsibilities.

Formal training Select top performers to attend formal training programs that make them more valuable to your organization. A great way to recognize them while adding skills and value.

On the job training Similar to formal training, but may not cost the organization in the same way. This can be for a current job or a career development opportunity.

Send to seminars/conferences/webinars Give your top performers the opportunity to develop themselves professionally and network with their peers. Allow them to represent your organization among other top performers.

Inclusion in special project Allow your top performers to expand their professional horizons by giving them additional work opportunities that broaden their skills and experience.

Cross-training/job shadowing Give your top performers the opportunity to learn new skills outside of their normal job duties.

Mentoring opportunity Who better to mentor new employees than your top performers? It's another way to recognize that they are the best you have.

Rotation of responsibility Let your top performers function as team leaders, project managers or some other rotational assignment with additional responsibility for a finite period of time. Gives employees a break from the routine while expanding their job responsibilities and capabilities.

Participation in goal-setting for work unit or organization What better way to recognize a top performer than to include them in strategic planning? Make them an unofficial member of your management team for this purpose.

Memberships to professional/social/civic groups Allowing your high performers to network with their peers or perform community service can add value to their work. Allow them time to do it. It is possible that the employer may sponsor some memberships to professional organizations, just make sure that budgetary guidelines are followed.

Team leader responsibility A great way to groom top performers who exhibit leadership qualities and aspire to be managers.

Additional task Sound like a crazy idea? Who wants more work? Well, many high performing employees do if the task is right and adds value to their work experience.

Employee idea implemented It's a simple concept. Let them know that their input is valuable to the organization by using it.

Ask employee to represent you at a meeting Give your high-performing employee exposure and recognition by letting them serve in your place at a high-level meeting.

Give credit If an employee does something that is recognized by others, make sure it is known who was responsible and let it get back to them.

Involve employees in decision-making process Seek input from those who know the work best. It's an easy way to give deserved respect.

Ask employee to make presentation about something they did at work Let your staff benefit from a top performer's experience and knowledge, while giving them recognition for a job well done.

Job rotation Move your top performers around in the organization to give them additional opportunities and experience. The added value comes in a more flexible workforce.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Making the work environment a pleasant place for employees is always a good idea. Making special improvements for your top performers is an even better idea. As with developmental opportunities, however, make sure budget guidelines are followed and that fairness and equity are maintained.

Special parking space If your parking space is close to the office, offer it up for a short period of time as a reward for a job well done. Or if your parking space is not close, make an arrangement with someone whose is.

Higher quality office space Should your top performers get the best office space? In a performance culture, the answer is yes! Use performance as one of your criteria when deciding who gets that vacant window office.

Desk items, special supplies Find out what your employees need to do their work and give them choices. Can function like a reward if handled appropriately.