You use your management and coaching skills to encourage hard workers, natural leaders, and employees who consistently do the right thing. If your direct report shows up on time, takes initiative, follows through and pitches great ideas every single day, you go out of your way to reward her efforts. Of course you do. But there’s another aspect of productivity that’s often overlooked in the modern workplace: happiness.

Happy employees who seem content with their circumstances are worth their weight in gold. These workers may not be the ones who stay until midnight, and they may not be the ones who produce the best ideas. But “happiness” is nevertheless an important metric of employee value. Happiness is contagious, for starters. One smiling person can have an uplifting effect on an entire office. And this contagious boost in morale can cause a cascade of other benefits, from a more respectful culture to a greater sense of pride in the organization. So if you have a happy employee in your office, what can you do to reward her for her attitude? How can you keep his light shining? Try these tips.

Smile back.

The first step is easy. Let your employee know that his happiness has an impact on those around him. Let him that know that his happiness makes you happy… and let him know that you appreciate this. Not just on an emotional level, but on a professional level as well. His smile is good for business, and he should be aware of this.

Don’t take her for granted.

If you’re pleased with your happy employee, let her know that you’re standing by to keep this fire burning; you don’t expect her to tend the flame all by herself. Ask her what feeds her good attitude, and find out what you can do to keep that fuel coming. For example, if she enjoys having an opportunity to learn new things every day, make a concerted effort to keep her in motion. Don’t let her tasks stagnate or become repetitive.

Increase her compensation.

Literally raise her salary or provide a monetary bonus at the end of the year simply because of her attitude. Let her know that her happiness factors strongly into this increase. If you can’t provide monetary compensation, offer time off, flexible hours, or other perks and benefits that are worth just as much.

For more on how to recognize, reward, and publically praise your happy employees, contact the staffing and motivation experts at PSU.