Praise and rewards can do wonders to bolster an employee’s self-confidence and morale. No one can deny the effect Praise and recognition can have on people. Even with your family at home, there are many ways you can reward people for a job well done.
 
When you praise someone, you let them know you’re aware of their hard work. You acknowledge they’ve put forth a great effort to accomplish something and you’re celebrating with them for their accomplishment.

• Be sincere in your praise. Don’t praise a worker merely to make them feel better. If your praise is insincere, you may be considered manipulative and you don’t want to give that impression.
  
  
• Give praise when it’s due. You cannot follow the old adage, “Better late than never,” when it comes to praising someone. Express your praise as quickly as you can when you see that someone has done something praiseworthy.
  
  
• Be specific about your praise. Sure, you can tell someone they did a great job, but what was so great about it? “Your research paper was direct, to the point, and full of facts,” sounds much better than telling them they had a nice paper.
  
  
• Praise them in front of others. Giving someone a pat on the back in private may make a person feel good for a few minutes. Recognizing their contribution or success during a staff meeting will extend that good feeling into days, if not weeks. There’s a double benefit to praising people in front of others: public praise may encourage others to work harder as well. 

​As with genuinely praising an employee or family member when they’ve done well, there are other ways to reward them without having to spend money.

Some people are happier and do much better work when they’re allowed to work on their own. Giving an employee more freedom can be an excellent reward.
 

• By giving your employees less supervision, you’re letting them know they’re trusted and you have confidence in their abilities.
  
• If you truly trust your employee to do their work without supervision, allow them the flexibility to work from home on occasion. Of course, whether or not you can allow your employees to work at home will depend on the work they do.

​Job titles don’t always have to mean more money. Sometimes receiving a title means more than getting a few more dollars in their paycheck. It shows that you’re pleased with their work.

​At your next staff meeting, present that person with a certificate. Create a bulletin board in the staff lounge that has photographs of honored employees to continue to recognize them for their good work. 

One of the best ways to publicly praise an employee is to write them a LinkedIn Recommendation.