In the current economic climate, many companies are working with staffing agencies and using other contract employees over longer periods. One of the keys to making the most of working with temporary employees is making them feel like they're an important part of your company.

It can be difficult to be a contract employee when your salaried coworkers are receiving financial and other bonuses that you aren’t. Find a way to give short-term employees incentives for their hard work, and you will be rewarded with higher performance and a more positive workplace.

So what will encourages and motivate short-term employees? Unlike traditional employee incentive plans, short-term employee incentives should focus on immediate, achievable goals. Here are a few that are easy to implement:

Bonus Plans

Set up a bonus plan that rewards temporary staff for each completed project, or one that awards a percentage of total sales achieved. You can also pay period bonuses, such as at the end of each business quarter, at holiday time, or at the end of their temporary employment period.

Paid Time Off

Because part-time or temporary employees don’t usually earn paid time off, this can be an way to reward performance. As short-term employees work a certain amount of shifts or hours, they can earn the right to take time off with pay. This gives short-term employees some of the same flexibility as full-time employees. It also helps to create a more pleasant working environment and happier, more productive employees.

Gift Programs

Purchase gift cards to stores, restaurants, and entertainment vendors in the area and use them as prizes when setting up goals for short-term employees and temporary staff. Employees who reach these objectives on time or meet an important deadline then get a gift card that can be used at their leisure.

Team Awards

If short-term employees are on a mixed team with full-time employees, make sure they are included in any team or group awards. By making the short-term employees equally as accountable as other team members, they can be part of any rewards that honor the team’s achievements.

Individual Awards

Another way to help short-term employees feel like appreciated members of your organization is to include them in motivational employee contests, which anyone can win. Try creative, fun ideas like:

• Most efficient employee. Reward those employees who succeed in finishing their tasks before quitting time.
• Cleanest office space. Honor those employees that are neat and organized and have the cleanest office space.
• First employee in the office. Celebrate those early risers who arrive at the office first. Have someone identify them when they arrive and give them a small but meaningful reward.
• Best dressed employee. Identify and celebrate the best dressed employees in the organization, with a sense of fun.
• Athletic contests. You have a wide variety of options here, from encouraging people to join the company softball team, to handing out pedometers and seeing who takes the most steps in a day.

Effective reward strategies can help to ensure a short-term employee will want to return to work for your company on future projects. And offering strong incentives to your short-term employees can also give your company a good reputation, as a positive place for temporary or short-term employees to work.