Good managers are always looking for new and creative ways to keep employee morale and productivity high.

The key to motivating without money is getting people to feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment from the project or job they’re currently involved in. When the budget is tight, that’s no easy task.

Here are two proven ways to do it – courtesy of the Harvard Business Review:

1. Get managers more involved

Many firms rely on surveys to get the pulse of employees – and keep track of their engagement levels.

HR is usually charged with analyzing the survey results and then distributing the results, usually to upper managers.

What works better is distributing the employee survey results right to front-line managers who can directly influence staff and help them make key changes.

Plus, front-line managers will take ownership in terms of helping employees achieve the changes they listed in the survey.

2. Offer shorter, more frequent surveys

Some firms offer giant annual surveys that take workers a considerable amount of time to complete and ask about almost everything under the sun.

The problem with this is many employees rush through the survey just to get it done.

What works better: Sending out shorter surveys (one to two questions on a specific subject) more frequently.

For more management stories, go here.