This study examines the identification of non-financial motivational instruments applied in SMEs and their influence on employee work effort and productivity. The research involved 223 participants from small and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic. Findings revealed that SME employees now demand non-financial motivational tools more intensively than in the previous year; however, enterprise management is largely unaware of this need. The results suggest that if SMEs recognized the importance of non-financial motivators and implemented them, employees would value a broader range of reward forms, which could positively affect their productivity and, consequently, the overall performance of the enterprise.
