151 Quick Ideas to Recognize and Reward Employees

5The Riches of Enrichment

Employees sense high levels of recognition and reward when management enriches their jobs. Some managers operate under the misconception that enrichment means giving employees more work, typically more of the same work. This is merely expanding their jobs horizontally. In this scenario, rather than feeling rewarded, employees feel used.

Real enrichment expands the employees’ jobs vertically by providing them with more autonomy, control, and decision-making responsibilities. They are given increased opportunities to think and grow, and, in many respects, they are able to act as managers of their own jobs. When jobs are truly enriched, employee performance improves in many different ways, especially in terms of the quality ...