One of the biggest challenges to running a company is keeping your employees content and motivated, so much so that a great deal of study has been put into the subject. And while there are varying opinions on how best to keep your staff whistling while they work, most experts agree that positive reinforcement—i.e., rewarding a job well done, either through praise or gifts—works better than punishment.

In fact, a recent study from George Mason University has shown that when presented with a publicly-displayed trophy (such as a logo coffee mug), people—males in particular—will work harder, sacrificing self-interests for the sake of the team. This echoes the practice of football players documenting key blocks or tackles with helmet stickers; although the sticker itself isn’t worth much, the respect the sticker demands from the rest of the team is invaluable.

Reward a Job Well Done

I can say from personal experience that non-monetary rewards can be one heck of a motivator. At a previous employer, my department held a competition to see which customer service representative could assist the most customers in activating Google Checkout, and the reward was a handsome custom fleece jacket embroidered with the Google Checkout logo.

You had better believe I worked as hard as I could to help customers start using the service. I managed to activate 30 customers on the service over a 30-day period, and when I won the jacket, I wore it with pride because I had earned it.

While it depends on your company and your budget, InkHead has a number of different products that would greatly motivate your team to work harder. Let’s take a look at a few of our most popular options.

Engraved Awards

Generally speaking, people tend to think of crystal trophies when they think of employee recognition gifts. InkHead has a wide selection of corporate awards to choose from, ranging from the traditional crystal obelisk to awards made from eco-friendly materials such as bamboo.

Regardless of which award you choose, the perceived value of the award will motivate other team members who didn’t receive it to work harder. Pictured here is the Dolmen III, a large obelisk made from hand-cut optical crystal that your employees will treasure.

Custom Laptop Bags

My former employer also had an Employee of the Quarter competition where an exemplary staff member was chosen every quarter based on his or her individual performance and contribution to the company as a whole. The prize was generally a gift certificate to a luxe restaurant and a computer bag customized with the company logo. Not only did it provide the winner with a new bag to use for work, but it also encouraged the rest of us to work harder because we all wanted a bag of our own.

InkHead has a wide selection of customized computer bags, available in a variety of sizes and materials. Pictured to the right is the Wenger Executive Leather Computer-Saddle Bag, which is made of genuine leather and features a large storage compartment with built-in laptop sleeve that holds 17″ laptop.

Other Motivators for Employees

• Promotional Golf Bags: They will be excited to hit the links with a new golf bag customized with your company logo!
• Customized Watches: The ultimate executive gift, a custom watch will show them how much you appreciate their time and effort for your company.
• Custom Oxford Shirts: If you have a stringent dress code, an embroidered dress shirt will reward them while keeping their wardrobe up to corporate standards.
• Personalized Sling Bags: One of the latest trends in bag-making, sling bags are a hybrid of backpacks and messenger bags, and many carried by InkHead contain pockets specifically for laptops and other fragile electronics.
• Executive Pen and Pencil Sets: Any employee will appreciate receiving one of our elegant pen and pencil sets.

The Bottom Line

There are a number of ways to motivate your team, but small gifts of appreciation or recognition that recipients can display to coworkers will encourage others to work harder. InkHead carries a number of items that would be ideal employee motivators—not just Engraved Awards, Custom Laptop Bags, or the other products mentioned in this post. What would be your ideal motivator?

Remember that the items featured in this post are subject to availability. If either item is out of stock at the time of your order, please call us at 800-554-0127 any time between 9 AM and 8 PM, Monday through Friday.