Affordable ways to boost employee happiness, loyalty and motivation.

THE PAST FEW YEARS HAVE NOT BEEN THE BEST FOR BANK. The industry weathered a brutal recession, and many banks are not out of the woods yet. It's not just bank revenues that have taken a hit--employee morale is suffering, too. In the battle for survival, many organizations have developed perpetually stressful atmospheres in which employees are asked to do more with less--often with little thanks.

Fortunately, it does not cost a dime to make your people happy at work or to show them just how much you care about them and appreciate their efforts, says author Todd Fatkin, an employee motivation expert.

"Feople will never admit it but money is not the thing they desire most from their work. Instead, showing appreciation, respect, and, yes, even love are the three most important ways to make your people feel great about their work," points out Fatkin, author of the new book "Finding Happiness: One Man's Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and--Finally--Let the Sunshine In." "And happy, engaged employees are the single best way to impact your company's bottom line."

Fatkin says that as a leader, he quickly found that if his team was content and their work environment was a positive one, they would be more engaged and motivated, and they would truly care about the organization's future.

Here are five of Patkin's show-the-love strategies that you can use to say "Thanks for a job well done!" to any employee, any time ... without spending a cent:

* Send "love" notes. Writing and sending a thank-you note is standard practice when you receive a gift. And great, thorough work by your employees is really nothing less than a gift to you by your employees. When you notice that an individual has done an excellent job or has achieved an important goal, send a specific handwritten (not typed!) note conveying your most sincere appreciation and admiration. This will take only one sheet of paper and five minutes out of your day ... but it'll make a lasting impression on your employee.

* Distribute inspiration. Our society tends to think of work as a place of drudgery, obligation and boredom, as exemplified in the now-iconic movie "Office Space." People certainly don't think of receiving inspiration and rejuvenation between 9 and 5. According...