They say money can’t buy happiness.

At work, many employers look for ways other than money to motivate and thank workers. To improve employee engagement, motivation, and productivity, look no further.

Incentives can boost satisfaction in a personal way. Workplaces that want to recognize and reward employees outside of monetary rewards have options to recognize achievements without breaking the bank.

Personal work time: Employees are motivated by what they are passionate about. Offer time to work on personal passion projects. Ask people what they care about and let them spend time exploring those areas. Chances are, those passions overlap with company values and can be used to promote current business goals.

Paid time off (PTO): Employees work harder during business hours when they have time outside of work to turn their brains off. Offering time to relax, go on vacation, and spend time with family or friends gives employees something to look forward to and reduces burnout.

Health benefits: Beyond health care coverage, offering health benefits such as telemedicine services, mental health support and fitness stipends keeps people healthy and productive, reducing sick time.

Additionally, these can boost retention and recruitment.

Life insurance: Whether it’s an individual or family plan, life insurance offers employees security, peace of mind, and convenience. Adding it to an overall compensation and benefits package makes employers more attractive to job seekers and boosts retention by demonstrating care for employees and their families.

Experiences: Employees value opportunities to make memories and meaningful new connections. Experiences could include a spa day, a trip to an amusement park, theater or concert tickets, or a comedy show voucher. Ask employees what kinds of experiences they enjoy and offer those.

Public recognition: Recognition is a big part of employee appreciation, motivation, and self-confidence. Offering public recognition makes top performers feel recognized, but it also can motivate others to perform at that level. It’s a way for leadership to reinforce great work. Be careful, though: Some people cringe at being called out in public, so recognition needs to be strategic.

Employee discounts: Employee discounts on products and services are effective.

Again, ask employees what incentives will be most appreciated. If employees love Sweetgreen salads or Orange Theory workout classes, try to find discounts there.

Bonus points if a business partner offers discounts.

Professional development: Professional development is an investment in people and their future. Plus, it helps companies maintain growth and innovation on a budget. Options include mentorship programs, study groups, job rotations, webinars, conferences, and continuing education. Invest in future leaders.

Flexible work arrangements: Workplace flexibility can include letting people work from wherever they are most comfortable.

It can boost productivity, well-being and reduce overhead costs. Incentivizing workplace flexibility also benefits recruitment since most job seekers value work-life balance and well-being.

Personalized gifts: Brainstorm what kinds of gifts employees would appreciate.

Personalized tech accessories, plants, subscription boxes, gift baskets, or experiences are all great options.

No matter the choice, send a note or thank employees in person to make the incentive meaningful.

Recreational team activities: Like experiences, recreational team activities are a fun way to connect your team and build memories. These activities can be as simple as a local sports league or an all-day, company-wide tournament. Recreational team-building activities can be competitive or leisurely, whatever employees prefer.

To get the most out of incentives, listen to employee feedback regularly to ensure the incentives are meaningful enough to be effective.

Bob Helbig is media partnerships director at Energage, a Philadelphia-based employee survey firm. Energage is The Denver Post’s survey partner for Top Workplaces. To nominate your company as a Top Workplace, go to denverpost.com/nominate.