As the year comes to an end, doctors who have a loyal staff in place want to find ways to show appreciation to their hard-working employees. At a time when inflation is built in and the economy is tough on everyone, cash is still king. For doctors who are able, there’s probably nothing better to employees than handing out a nice year-end bonus.
Money doesn’t have to be the only gift you give your best employees, though. There are other, creative ways doctors can reward staff at the end of the year. Here are five ideas:
Personalized Wellness Packages
Consider gifting your staff with personalized wellness packages – personalized being the key ingredient. Depending on what individual members of your staff like best, you might offer vouchers for massages, yoga or Pilates classes, or maybe it’s just a gift certificate to a nice spa. Other employees might like a round of golf or a day playing pickleball. While the gift should be completely focused on making your staff happy, by giving something that invests in their well-being, you show that you care about them as complete people. You’re also saying that you know it’s important to get away from the office and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Team-Building Retreats
When the weather turns nice, depending on where you practice medicine, doctors can reward staff by organizing a team-building retreat designed to be stress-free. Maybe the retreat is outdoors in the spring, or maybe you book rooms at a nearby resort. Rewarding your staff with a retreat like this provides the opportunity for them to bond outside of the workplace. In the end, you may find you get something back from this perk – an office that has stronger relationships and a better work environment. A happy workplace is one of the keys to staff retention. These retreats should include down-time and enough time for your staff to relax. Don’t try to plan something for every minute of the day.
Professional Development Opportunities
The studies are everywhere: An enormous majority of employees wish their bosses would invest more in professional development. They want a chance to increase their skillset and advance their careers. Not only that, but employees are likely to stay with you longer if they feel like you are helping them improve professionally.
While this is something you should consider doing throughout the year, this is also a creative way to reward your staff at the end of the year. Some ideas include sending them to a conference (maybe at a nice place), offering to pay for courses they’d like to take, or even buying a subscription to online resources that will benefit their careers. There’s an obvious benefit to your medical practice when your employees are gaining new knowledge.
Customized Appreciation Gifts
This will take more time, but it’s time well-spent. If you’re going to go the more traditional route and give gifts to each employee, invest the extra effort to make the gifts customized to the individual. Maybe there’s someone on your staff who likes to golf. A gift certificate to a golf store is perfect. Maybe you have a food enthusiast on your staff. You could enroll them in a cooking class. Or maybe you have a music lover on your team. Concert tickets are always appreciated. One of the most valuable parts of giving personalized gifts is that you get to know your staff better by learning more about their hobbies. In the meantime, your staff will appreciate that you took the time to learn.
Surprise Bonus Incentives
We can’t publish this list without mentioning something about money. While extra money for a holiday trip or to offset the expenses of the season is always nice, there are creative ways you can give your staff financial incentives that aren’t just a check. One idea is to introduce a new incentive program that will pay out bonuses throughout the coming year. You might also give them extra paid time off or have a performance plan that allows employees to leave work early a few times a year. To your employees, this will offer some freedom and excitement at the chance to earn extra rewards.
Whatever you do, recognizing and rewarding your staff’s contribution to your practice is important at the end of the year. Whether it’s financial or specific to individuals, being a kind and generous employer builds loyalty and dedication. In the end, you create a better work environment and increase staff retention.
