How to get an extra week of work out of employees without raising salaries

Ever since the financial collapse of 2008, the corporate mantra has been “Do more with less.” Now, new survey results show that employers can get more work out of employees, without even boosting base pay.

You can't read fast enough, can you?

According to a poll from Staples Advantage, one-third of employees would be willing to put in an extra workweek each year — and 30% say they would take on extra responsibilities! — if their company offered a performance-based rewards program.

Holy cow! Get your gift cards out, people.

As if the added productivity weren’t reason enough, employees also say that such programs make them:
* Feel more valued (85%).
* Happier and more motivated at work (70%).
* More loyal to their company (65%).

Who knew rewards programs could be such an engagement goldmine? Anthony Luciano, for one.

Luciano, an exec at rewards and recognition firm TharpeRobbins, told me recently that there’s an undeniable “link between recognition and bottom-line results. There's pure evidence that engaged and motivated employees create a better work environment, and the best companies to work for are always the companies that have the highest levels of recognition.”

There you have it, pros. What do you think? Are performance-based rewards and incentives the holy grail to boosting employee engagement and productivity? Or, are they just bribes for getting employees to do their jobs? Share your thoughts in the comments.