Leaders and team managers are fully aware of the importance of investing in their team. During times of economic uncertainty, especially in industries where those facing your customers play a key role in being the face of your brand, the best staff become a business’s most important asset.

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to encourage high levels of performance and productivity, especially within hospitality and the casino industry, is by leveraging motivation and reward. Incentivised management structures have been employed in various guises for a number of years now. Employed properly, these have helped give businesses an edge without the need for capital investment.

Reward motivation is a very simple method based around rewarding over-achievement as an encouragement for peer staff members to strive towards the same achievement. Both hospitality and the casino industry are highly competitive and businesses must rely on the best staff in the best positions to stand out from the competition.

Here are some simple ways to leverage motivation and reward when managing a team:

• Recognise and show appreciation for excellence

A supervisor or manager doesn’t just exist to flag potential issues and step in when problems occur. They should also be constantly on the lookout for examples of excellence within a team. When positives are highlighted by management, other employees feel empowered to strive to reach the same level. When problems are constantly dwelt upon, bad vibes can begin to resonate through a team. Be sure to recognise and reward excellence within your team.

• Recognise and reward full team successes

It isn’t just individuals that should be focussed on. When a success occurs as a result of teamwork across board, be willing to reward everyone on that team regardless of the part they played. This has the added desired effect of inspiring camaraderie and encouraging a sense of togetherness.

• Take a management initiative for rewards

While it is important to recognise specific instances of excellence, using manager's bonuses to reward the act of the pursuit of excellence - continued and persistent high performance - will ensure vital team members aren’t overlooked and feel invested in.

• Reward employees hard work and energy with ownership

Staff should want to buy into the vision of your business. Be sure to reward hard work and persistence by letting them feel part of the overall vision of your company. This can come in the guise of asking for feedback about new campaigns or departures into new commercial avenues. Show you appreciate them practically by wanting and valuing their opinions.

• Focus on your business culture and make it fun

All rewards should be reflective of your business and the working culture that your have created. They should also inspire a sense of optimism and fun. As a leader, this is on your shoulders. Staff should feel an ingrained connection to the business - celebrating business successes as if they are personal will in-turn inspire personal engagement when things get tough. Overall, reward is a way of ensuring that your staff feel appreciated and valued - don’t be afraid to invest in it!