What makes your employees tick? You may think it’s the paycheck, profit-sharing, or the annual holiday party at Applebee’s. But wait! While it is tempting to bond over a basket of riblets, these perks are actually long-game motivators—they don’t really help an employee push through the pain on a Monday morning. No, the best tool in your arsenal isn’t lunch, it’s a motivating work environment that will push your employees to better day-to-day performance. So how can you build one?

Set some goals

Who doesn’t love results? Work with your team to draw up a list of goals for the company, department, and/or employees. (Be sure the goals are reasonable, or they’ll be demotivating!) Display a “goal board” for everyone to see, tracking progress toward completion. Oh, and one more thing: a goal without a timeline is a wish, and it’s not very productive to sit around and wish for things. So include some timelines that communicate your expectations and motivate employees to stick with them.

Give each employee a role

What’s more motivating than making a difference? Every employee wants to feel like a valued contributor, to know their 40-hour workweek is not for naught. If all Bob does is compile reports without seeing the result of his efforts, he’s not going to be so motivated to crunch those numbers. He might even be a little slower or a little less accurate next time. So make sure every employee knows how their particular work contributes to the company’s bottom line. Show Bob how the VP of Product Management uses Reports X and Y to evaluate customer demand and product success, and to steer new product innovation, such as the soon-to-roll-out Project Z.

Empower your employees

The opposite of mega-demotivating micromanagement is trusting your employees to make smart decisions that get the job done right. Instead of dictating how to meet the goal, allow employees some creativity and flexibility. Employees want to enjoy their work! They also feel proud, accomplished, and confident when they’re able to use their skills and abilities. The freedom and ownership of selecting their own road map can inspire fresh ideas and the passion to go above and beyond.

Recognize a job well done

Employees like to make a difference and stretch their creative wings, but above all else, they like to feel appreciated! Lack of appreciation is a top reason employees seek other opportunities, so don’t let this happen to your top talent! You don’t have to throw a party for every successful project, but a handwritten thank-you note or a shout-out at the staff meeting shows you care and doesn’t require two weeks of planning. And if you need some ideas to get started, we wrote an article for the Orange County Business Journal about creative and delicious ways to recognize your employees’ good work.

In conclusion

What’s the best thing about all these motivators? Unlike that basket of riblets, they’re free! And they don’t require a ton of time to implement, so why not get started building a more motivating, more productive work environment today?