MP3 players, gift vouchers, cash and extra holiday time are more likely to motivate UK employees than other incentives such as employer-sponsored drinks or extra time off for charity work, new research suggests.

And relatively small rewards are also far more appreciated than a ‘no-motion’ (a promotion without extra pay), according to the research, conducted by HR experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

PwC surveyed nearly 1,000 UK workers in December 2009, asking them to rate how highly they would value a series of different rewards for good performance in the absence of a pay rise. Cash bonuses, gift vouchers and extra annual leave scored highest, with 90%, 89% and 89% of respondents saying they would value these, respectively. Extra time off to do charity work was the least favoured non-work reward, with just under half valuing this option (49%).

More employees would value a free MP3 player, digital camera or similar technology gift (80%) from their boss than would appreciate being ‘fast-tracked’ for promotion (67%).

Jon Terry, partner and head of reward at PricewaterhouseCoopers, says: “While not everyone would opt for a MP3 player over getting closer to promotion, the employers that get the best value from their spend are those that align reward with individuals’ wants and needs and the behaviours they want to encourage.

With bonus pools shrinking and many workers’ wages frozen, employers need to find lower-cost, tailored ways of showing their staff that good performance is always appreciated. One-off gifts in reward for particularly successful projects work very well if a pay rise is not an option, particularly if employers are flexible in terms of what they offer the recipients.”