Workplace Recognition and Incentive Programs
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February 17, 2012

Did You Know…?

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: appreciation, employee engagement, inspiration, leadership, morale, purpose, recognition, Reinforcement, Retention, Rewards, Valued Employees — admin @ 5:27 pm

March 2nd is Employee Appreciation Day! It provides the opportune time to take a break from the routine of business to say Thank You to your workforce. Without them you have no business so make it count!

Offering recognition to your employees doesn’t have to be a huge effort – in fact, sometimes the simplest methods are the most meaningful. A quick, handwritten note can be just as memorable as a gift. Whatever your means of acknowledgement, following three simple rules can help you leave a lasting impression with your staff:

  1. Be Concrete – Tell them exactly why and for what you are recognizing them. A general Attaboy doesn’t work too well. Be specific.
  2. Sincerity – goes a long way. Don’t say or write anything that seems canned or out of character. Be natural and true to yourself and you will find good reception.
  3. Purpose – let them know their efforts have purpose and how their contributions impact the success of the organization. Everyone wants to know that what they do is important. This is a good time to review the company mission and goals.

Using these simple rules can be very rewarding for your employees and your company. When employees feel valued and appreciated, it can improve overall morale and company success. And that is something you can celebrate every day.

January 31, 2012

Managing Different Generations

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: appreciation, employee engagement, inspiration, leadership, morale, motivation, purpose, recognition, Reinforcement, Retention, Rewards, Valued Employees — admin @ 10:22 pm

Generational values can impact how you manage, but it is only part of the equation. If you are looking to manage a broad group this may be a better technique, but if you run a small office spending time with the individual and determining what they respond well to is a better practice. Of course, even in large organizations, managers have the best opportunity to know and understand their employees. Therefore, it is important that managers are trained on how to coach people. People are mentored and coached, processes are managed. Keep generational influences in mind, but don’t let the stereotype rule your management choices until you know your particular office and staff better.

Individuals have all types of variable opinions, needs, and motivators whether young or old.

Let’s stop categorizing people based on one variable. People are more than their birth date, place of origin, shoe size, and astrological sign.

For more insight read this: Retiring the Generation Gap: How Employees Young and Old Can Find Common Ground by Jennifer J. Deal

Here is a good summary of her points:

1. All generations have similar values; they just express them differently
2. Everyone wants respect; they just don’t define it the same way
3. Trust matters to everyone
4. People want leaders who are credible and trustworthy
5. Organizational politics is a problem–no matter how old (or young) you are
6. No one really likes change
7. Loyalty depends on the context, not on the generation
8. It’s as easy to retain a young person as an older one–if you do the right things.
9. Everyone wants to learn more than just about anything else
10. Almost everyone wants a coach

December 1, 2011

November Newsletter in December! But Timely for Season…Onboarding

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: employee engagement, incentive, inspiration, leadership, morale, motivation, recognition, Retention, Rewards, Valued Employees — admin @ 10:45 pm

I guess it is better late than never! We have a guest blogger today, Kyle Lagunas, an HR Analyst. He is keeping up with important trends and hot topics in the industry. But let’s allow Kyle to speak for himself…

During peak periods – around the holidays, tax season or over the summer – it’s critical that businesses can easily manage the addition of temporary employees and quickly get them up to speed. And from recruiting and training to offboarding, seasonal employees can put your human resources software and processes to the test. Not only do you have to find and hire the right people, you have a very short time to train them and get them connected to your organization. Here, I’ve outlined a few ways to go above and beyond your normal onboarding process to get seasonal employees geared up and ready to go.

5 Tips for Onboarding Strategies

Some people may assume I’m focused on training when I say “onboarding,” but the fact is that the employee experience starts in the recruiting stage. With this in mind, here are a few key strategies to help you throughout every phase of the process:

Tailor your recruiting strategies. Your recruiting efforts should be tailored to meet the specific needs of a seasonal workforce. It’s important to make the details of the opportunity clear from the get-go. Also, be wary of how you communicate potential for further employment, as you don’t want folks making assumptions.

Perform due diligence. Don’t skimp on due diligence in collecting legal papers and monitoring employees’ schedules. “A lot of people short-circuit processes like verifying work eligibility or tracking hours correctly. It should go without saying, but you really need to be sure you’re following the law,” says John Rossheim, a senior contributing writer at Monster.com.

Provide proper training. According to Forbes Woman columnist and onboarding expert Emily Bennington, onboarding should focus on integrating new employees in three areas:

●     Technical Skills: To what depth of expertise do seasonal employees need to be trained to perform their jobs?

●     Company Culture: How thoroughly do seasonal hires need to understand company policies and values?

●     Social Integration: In what ways can you connect seasonal employees to your organization so they feel like they are part of the team?

Know your capacity upfront. Whether you have a general human resources software system or a hodgepodge of spreadsheets and checklists – it’s important to know your capacity. Can your back-office system efficiently handle an increased volume in applicants and new hires?

End Things on a Good Note with Offboarding

Bennington says “there’s definitely an opportunity to establish brand ambassadors.” Offboarding provides a chance to make a lasting positive impression, while gaining insight into the worker’s experience.

Standard off-boarding practices include surveying workers on their experience. Bennington suggests going beyond surveying, and having one-on-one exit interviews with select employees to get more candid responses.

October 20, 2011

Rewards Vs. Recognition

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: employee engagement, extrinsic, inspiration, morale, motivation, purpose, recognition, Reinforcement, Retention, Rewards, Valued Employees — admin @ 9:15 pm

To optimize the results rewards and recognition should go hand-in-hand. Where self starters don’t achieve results because of a reward (they operate from an intrinsic position), others need that extra challenge and stimulus to get moving (motivated). Unfortunately, that is most people.

One can be done without the other because they are two very different things. Rewards are incentives and are given in response to an achievable goal. That is a company says if you do X, you will receive Y. Then it is up to the employee to decide if the work needed to achieve the result is commensurate with the reward and then do it or not. (Risk-Reward Analysis)

Recognition on the other hand is something bestowed on someone after the fact in sincere appreciation for and in praise of contributions that may or may not be above and beyond behavior. The award is not an expectation of or a requirement of the results. It is given at the discretion of the employer. A long time example of this is tenure or service award recognition. Another is when someone goes beyond what is normally expected of them on their own initiative to resolve an issue or help another complete a task. (Discretionary Effort) The point is that they don’t do this expecting reward. That is when recognition for contributions makes sense and can make a huge impact on motivation and engagement.

When employees see and feel that their company notices what they do and shows they value contributions through specific, sincere recognition is the time you begin to have truly engaged employees who are one with the mission of the company.

September 16, 2011

Performance & Profitability

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: appreciation, employee engagement, incentive, inspiration, leadership, morale, purpose, recognition, Reinforcement, Retention, Rewards, Valued Employees — admin @ 7:12 pm

Results matter, because as Towers Watson showed in Driving Business Results through Continuous Engagement, a 2008/2009 WorkUSA Survey Report, consultants have found that:

  • Highly engaged employees are twice as likely to be top performers.
  • Three-quarters of them exceed performance expectations.
  • They miss fewer days of work due to illness.
  • They more readily identify with the organization and its customers.
  • High employee engagement is correlated with high client satisfaction.

Regardless of industry we are all facing some tough economic times.  Now more than ever we need to ensure we are connecting with our employees.  Help them understand the business realities of today, but also share the company’s strategy to respond to the environment and profitability grow.

Three Steps to Engagement

  • Decide what your goals are and the desired outcomes you want from an engagement initiative
  • Clearly communicate the goals and the impact they will have on your company’s mission
  • Sincerely and timely recognize and show appreciation for employees’ achievements and their value

Recent studies from Gallup and others show that employee engagement can have a positive impact on the bottom line.  Companies with engaged workforces report:

  • 87% reduction in employee turnover
  • 57% improvement in discretionary effort
  • 37% less absenteeism
  • 26% increase in productivity.
  • Ultimately this translates into 19% greater shareholder return.

Engagement matters!

August 9, 2011

Cash is Desirable, But Lacks Motivation

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: appreciation, employee engagement, inspiration, leadership, morale, motivation, purpose, recognition, Reinforcement, Results, Retention, Rewards, Valued Employees — admin @ 8:45 pm

A recent survey conducted by Maritz Research reveals that while cash may be the most desired reward, it’s not necessarily the best motivator. Employees who received a non-cash, tangible or experiential reward received more encouragement from their colleagues, family members and friends than those who received cash. Survey participants also supported another long-standing claim: that non-cash rewards are more memorable than cash rewards. These findings are consistent with the “four-drive” model of human behavior, which describes what motivates people to take action. The drives to acquire, bond, create and defend are pivotal in determining human behavior.

Acquire: Stuff, Turf or Praise and even Power. Many people are motivated by this drive above others. This is important to recognition programs because it is the foundation of all incentives, recognition and rewards.

Bond: Making connections within the organization, especially with managers who “know and understand” them as people is important to be able to drive recognition. Peer to Peer recognition also helps strengthens bonds and culture. When managers understand who their employees are they can begin to build trust which supports your culture.

Comprehend: To create or learn and innovate in the pursuit of a greater good. People look for challenges. Recognition should include opportunities for people to recognized for their innovative and forward thinking ideas that support the organizational culture.

Defend: Supports other drives in that it is a drive to defend your turf, status or ideas and knowledge. Recognition and rewards must be perceived as being fair to all involved, not just the top performers. Everyone must have a chance to succeed.

July 14, 2011

What is Employee Recognition & Rewards?

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: appreciation, employee engagement, inspiration, leadership, morale, motivation, recognition, Reinforcement, Valued Employees — admin @ 3:49 pm

Recognition & Rewards are:

•Any word or deed towards making someone feel appreciated and valued for who they are and recognized for what they do.

•A range of formal and informal practices in the workplace that support organizational values, goals, objectives and priorities through positive reinforcement of desired behaviors and performance.

Why is Employee Recognition & Reward Important?

Employee recognition and reward is an important tool used to…

  • Make employees feel valued
  • Foster pride about being affiliated with the company
  • Improve employee engagement
  • Reinforce linkages between employee performance and organizational goals
  • Improve employee motivation and satisfaction
  • Attract and retain employees
  • Create a supportive work environment
  • Reinforce organizational values
  • Improve overall organizational success
  • Improve client service

WorldatWork

WorldatWork (formerly the American Compensation Association) found that non-cash rewards programs achieved three times the return on investment compared with cash-based programs. A recent Incentive Federation survey found that on average, 79% of respondents found non-cash reward programs to be fairly to extremely effective in motivating participants to achieve sales and marketing goals.

In conclusion, money does not, cannot impact these areas or sustain commitment over the long term. It is too fleeting and its effect lost when lumped in with all compensation when used as a reward. It is not distinctive enough to have lasting value to your company. Cash is not recognition, it is compensation.

A recognition culture is achieved by developing and implementing recognition activities and programs that support the organization’s strategic goals and corporate values. Dr. Bob Nelson

May 27, 2011

Little Things That You Do

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: appreciation, employee engagement, incentive, leadership, morale, motivation, recognition, Reinforcement, Retention, Valued Employees — admin @ 6:38 pm

Little Things that you do can add up to some pretty big results for your company.  By being thoughtful and considerate of your employees in small ways, you are showing them that you value and respect their contributions and efforts.  Even if things are not always positive and there is strife, quickly coming to a mutual understanding will go a long way towards a happy workforce. Recognize that employee happiness is integral to effective management and effective management is crucial to the success of any business, especially those that are customer-centric.

How an employee feels about themselves and their company has a direct impact on how they interact with customers and clients and their peers. If an employee believes that the company truly cares about them, they will in turn care about the company. It is the old truism, “You get what you give”. Caring begets caring. Loyalty begets loyalty. Respect begets respect. When this is in place and employees feel good about themselves and the company, you get more fully engaged employees who are willing to give that extra discretionary effort to make sure their tasks are completed well and on time and that clients are well treated. As this occurs the company reaps the benefits in goodwill and bottom line profits.

This is good business practice, but why?   Where employees are dissatisfied (for whatever reason) the goals of the company become pushed aside and thus much more difficult to achieve. Success becomes that much easier to accomplish when employees feel that their work is appreciated. Companies with above average employee commitment, exhibit above average revenue growth 71% of the time as reported by Corporate Executive Board. Yet 88% of employees surveyed by Lynn Learning Labs cite lack of acknowledgement as their top work issue. Clearly, employees do not feel valued.

Why would an employee give the extra effort to a company that does not value her efforts? If she have to deliver on time or solve a customer’s problem or how she works at a full resolution to the problem is her decision to make. Sure, she’ll go the extra mile, but what about the company? Will management make the effort to (a) encourage her; (b) support her with the necessary tools, resources, and time; and, (c) provide clear recognition of her efforts? (From “thank you” to other tangible recognition?) But “going the extra mile” means being seen to make the effort so that she truly feels that her own efforts make a difference. And that calls for recognition and acknowledgement.

Therefore, it is good business practice to acknowledge, praise and show employees that they are valued. That is, if you care about profits.

May 3, 2011

Reward for Results

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: appreciation, employee engagement, incentive, inspiration, morale, motivation, purpose, recognition, Reinforcement, Results, Retention, Rewards, Valued Employees — admin @ 6:02 pm

The best way to reward individuals varies but is a necessary foundation for efficient management. Cash is in no way the only motivator of people, however too little cash de-motivates absolutely. Studies have proven that once the basics of salary and job security are met, tangible rewards are more effective than money to motivate.

1. Determine Levels of Reward

Appropriate rewards are something valued by the intended recipient. Think about what level of reward will entice, retain and inspire people of the caliber that you require. If an employee does one thing that leads to a one-time boost for the company, a one-time incentive is most appropriate. However, if the action provides ongoing benefit to the company then something more substantial is in order.

2. Why Give Workers Added Rewards In Addition To Wages?

Understand that the principle purpose of giving a worker a reward is that you want distinctive results, not comparable performance. Adequate work does not warrant reward but distinctive effort will command an appropriate reward.

- Employee rewards needs to be set for noteworthy achievements

- Rewards have to be related to a predetermined target activity

- Staff will be encouraged to repeat their latest achievements

- Ensure the employee is aware of why they are receiving the award

-The award should make an emotional connection with the employee

3. Employee rewards should not be an alternate for reasonable compensation

Recognition and compensation are not the same thing. We work for a salary that is based on job type, our experience and ability to perform these tasks. Recognition is provided as a means to show employees that their contributions are appreciated over and above the norm. Excellent execution and conscientiousness should be recognized so that level of performance will persist and set an example for other employees.

When money is used as a reward it becomes part of their compensation in the employee’s mind and is mixed in with their pay and is therefore not distinctive. It ceases to motivate over time and becomes an entitlement.

4. Reward for Results

Employee rewards should be based mostly on results, whether you need an increase in production or an elevation of creative output.  The employee knows what is expected and what the outcome will be.  In theory, this gives the employee the most effective incentive to maximize output as long as he believes the company will honor their word and can live up to the promises made. In actual fact, employees tend to put a ceiling on their earnings and thus on their effort. Rewards then can trigger increased effort and transcend this self imposed ceiling.

Nonetheless, the key concept is that management should only give an employee reward that is tied to personal achievement. The rewards have to be moderately significant to have value – nobody likes getting a very small reward. It may be insulting and have the opposite effect creating a negative view of the company or more importantly seeing themselves and their work as undervalued.  Never reward a worker for what has been accepted as a common objective. It needs to be given for above and beyond achievements only.

A 2010 McKinsey study found that the best workplace motivators appeal directly to the emotions, with 67 percent listing praise or recognition from an immediate manager as “effective” or “extremely effective.”  What’s more, respondents found all emotionally based motivators to be more effective than financial ones.

March 17, 2011

Capturing Intellectual and Emotional Commitment of Employees

Filed under: Motivation Stream — Tags: employee engagement, extrinsic, incentive, inspiration, intrinsic, morale, purpose, recognition, Reinforcement, Rewards, Valued Employees — admin @ 11:33 pm

A new study on the future of incentives and recognition by the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) underscored the need to capture the intellectual and emotional commitment of employees. It further identified that a key component to accomplishing this is through personalized incentives based on personal performance, skill mastery and innovation. The study found that today’s more highly educated workforce responds better to more non-cash incentives that have been individualized and that celebrate their innovation, creativity and those activities that promote a workplace focused on excellence.

“While salary remains the primary pact between employer and employee, this study underscores that personalization of rewards is key to individual effort and motivation,” said Jeff Broudy, chairman of the IRF board of trustees. “Customized non-cash incentive programs based on job code, skills and previous performance are highly effective in helping a company meet specific goals and objectives.”

Today, more than ever, proper design of recognition and incentive programs is critical to their success. If you want to drive business outcomes and avoid program problems you must consider the complexities of motivating today’s savvy employee. Building an effective rewards strategy takes an understanding of what drives the individual and how to align those drives with the organizational goals and objectives.

“The study found that not all people are equally motivated by extrinsic factors,” said Van Dyke. “Put another way, money is not all employees seek. As work force composition shifts to more knowledge workers, we find rewards that celebrate the mastery of a skill and the personal innovations exhibited along the way are very effective.”

Compensation and recognition are not synonymous. To be effective rewards must be distinguished from compensation. Cash has no separability as an award. People mentally segregate some sources and uses of funds, and aggregate others. A type of mental accounting process occurs. For example, most people mentally separate investment income and home (real estate) appreciation from salary; however, because salary and a cash bonus are both earned as part of the job, they are likely to be mentally combined with the rest of the participant’s employment income. Cash bonuses lack separability, because they go into a base salary mental account. Thus, the value of the cash bonus as an award for performance “above and beyond” does not stand out anymore. Non-cash incentives are usually consumed less frequently; they are separated into smaller, more specific mental accounts and not aggregated with other compensation. Therefore, create a situation where individuals will separate the award from compensation. This makes the award unique and the performance “stand out”.



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