How do I reward my developers for the little things they get right?
- by Nat
I am in a tech lead role and my developers get stuff right most of the time.
How do I communicate to them thier value to me? (I.e. they have value because I do not have to go through and point out mistakes which means I do not have to watch them like a hawk which frees me to do more useful things).
In summary
For doing the mundane well on a day to day basis, it is good to recognise the developers effort verbally to them. An honest thankyou that mentions the specific behaviour and its positive repercussions to you personally will be well received, adjust the language to suite each individual.
(Note that other developers within earshot may also respond to this by increasing their efforts in this specific activity.)
Other things that should be done regularly are:
Team drinks
In many cultures this is an entirely
worthy way of giving the team some
time to socialise and relax. Be sure
that you do not exclude people who
do not drink or are not keen on pub
culture. Shared meals are another
option.
Formal written (email)
acknowledgment and praise to senior
managers of the teams efforts and
successes. (Note that acknowledging
individuals alone may damage team
spirit)
Work the hours you expect your team
to do. If they absolutely must work
late for a deadline, be there in
support Go to bat for the team.
Refuse to let them be forced to work
long periods of overtime without
compensation.
Protect them from level politics and stress.
Give your team the best equipment
you can afford. Good tools show
respect and improve productivity.
Small or large team rewards where
appropriate can consist of many
interesting activities/ items. If it
allows the team to get together in a
fun and even lightly competitive
manner it will work (foosball table,
go-karting, darts board, video game
console etc). Don’t forget to listen
to what the team wants, each team
will have different ideas.
Ensure they are getting a fair deal
financially from the company. While
different people may have different
expectations of their pay, someone
being paid unfairly will rot morale
for the entire team
