Many employees can remember the last time their manager told them they were doing a great job. Receiving recognition for your role in a company can make you feel appreciated and good about yourself. When managers take the time to show their employees how much they value their work, it can motivate them to continue working their hardest.

Positive reinforcement in the workplace can set a good example for everyone in the company. Managers do not have to go to crazy lengths to offer employees recognition for a job well done. Below are some great ideas managers can put to use right away for their valuable employees.

Challenge coins are a great way for managers to boost morale and show appreciation. They are highly-detailed coins that can serve as a token of an employee's accomplishment in the workplace. The coins can be customized to include company logos, the employee's name or any other design that signifies the purpose of the coin being given. Some great ideas for the use of challenge coins include hitting sales goals, bringing in new clients and getting a promotion.

One way a manager can show employees they are appreciated is by taking them out to lunch and letting them choose the restaurant. While out eating, it is best to keep the discussion about work to a minimum because the lunch is supposed to be an enjoyable time together. Managers should show interest in their employees beyond their job roles and get to know more about their hobbies and interests outside of work.

Most people love getting free stuff. A manager can show appreciation in many simple ways including offering the employees they are recognizing free company apparel. Free company t-shirts, pens and ball caps are a great way for a manager to say thank you to their employees.

For larger organizations, parking lots can be quite big. Many of your employees might have to walk a good distance to get from the parking lot to their office. Consider creating VIP parking spots to award exemplary employees for a job well done. The spaces can be used as their dedicated spot on a temporary basis.

To reward an employee on the spot for tasks they do that go above and beyond, hand out time-off coupons redeemable for 15 minutes off. Employees may be able to collect them until they add up to an hour or more. Allow employees to use the coupons for leaving early or arriving late one day. Every employee has their personal life, and sometimes work gets in the way of enjoying precious moments. Allow employees to take days off to work from home when there is something important going on they don't want to miss.

Create a point system to be used for an employee recognition rewards program. Each time an employee does something that deserves recognition, they can receive points. Once they have accumulated a certain number of points, employees will be able to redeem them for gifts. Be sure to offer a variety of rewards to please all of your employees.

When employees go above and beyond their job roles, you can consider paying for a major purchase they have planned. Ideas of what to pay for can include purchasing a new home appliance, making a car payment for them or covering one of their mortgage payments. There should be at least two key factors for making this successful. First, rewards as significant as these should be tied to a huge achievement that brought in additional revenue to the business. Second, it should be communicated to the employee and their co-workers that this is the type of behavior that helps the company gain a competitive advantage and succeed.

A final way to make your employees feel appreciated is by having corporate awards. Recognizing hard working employees in a formal awards banquet not only makes employees feel appreciated, but it also inspires employees to work hard so that they can also be recognized. 

Managers should always be looking for ways to make their employees feel valued and appreciated for the work they do. A business cannot succeed without a great team behind it.