Did you know that more than 2 million Americans voluntarily leave their jobs every month? Even in this unreliable climate with nearly 7.3% unemployment, employees are fed up and willing to walk away. Forbes cited Mercer’s What’s Working study, which claims that 43% of those employees leave because of a “lack of recognition”. This trend has catapulted launching an employee incentive program to the top of many organizations’ to-do lists. And as we all wade through endless task lists, it can be tempting to throw a cookie cutter program out there just to get something up and running. But employees are not all cookie cutter, and employee motivation is certainly not all the same.
It is just like those Christmas mornings where you and 10 cousins all unwrapped the same hand-knit sweater from Grandma; yes it is the thought that counts, but if the color clashes with your hair or the pom-poms on the sleeves just don’t go with your style, it leaves you uninterested and maybe even feeling a little misunderstood. Don’t let your program leave your employees feeling like they are just another grandkid that someone didn’t know what to buy them. Instead, create employee engagement with a personalized employee incentive program that works for your organization and provides personalized, relevant awards.
1. Include all employees, at all stages of experience
Make sure your employee incentive program doesn’t exclude entire groups by rewarding only for budget-based goals. Are you planning to reward when your sales team exceeds a quota? Great, but you should also plan a way to recognize the support staff (assistants or operations teams) that helped them get there. You may consider allowing team members to nominate or recognize each other through a peer to peer program which would encourage appreciation of those things not specifically outlined by the program, but that are important nonetheless.
2. Combine tradition and technology
Honor all different personality types. Email and E-Cards are a great way to reach a broad range of people quickly and keep up to the minute with changes or announcements. However, some employees will be elated with a public declaration of their fabulousness, so ceremonies can be a great addition. And let’s be honest, you can’t print an email and frame it, so physical certificates can be another key to maximizing employee motivation. Mix and match the features that work best for your employees.
3. Provide rewards that are relevant to each individual
Allow employees to select a reward that is valuable and motivating to them. Instead of offering a collection of monogrammed goods, excite them with a catalog of brand-name merchandise and the freedom of choice. Perceived value will vary greatly between employees, but it can jump exponentially when someone is allowed to select a reward that is personalized to their life. Another upside? They’ll think fondly of your employee incentive program every time they turn on that TV or slip on those earrings that they received as a gift of appreciation from you.
Don’t be tempted by a cookie cutter employee incentive program, no matter how much time it promises to save you in setup. Trust us, put a little more effort in on the front end to create something meaningful for your organization and you’ll reap your own rewards in the end in the form of ROI and increased engagement.
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