In the last post I talked about how the company for which I worked had found itself in the same position as many of its corporate peers. Facing financial difficulties throughout the year they had needed to layoff many good employees. Those of us who remained were called upon to handle a greater workload at the same – if not less – pay. It has been a tremendous strain for all of us. Now, while we were doing a little bit better and things were essentially stable we found that morale was at an all time low. Employees were nervous and mistrustful; they worried about their jobs, their families, and the fate of the company itself. After much discussion we decided that the modest investment in an employee program would be well worth our time and effort in order to raise morale.

We worked with a professional company with solid expertise in implementing incentive programs in industries across the board. They helped us put a rewards program in place that – while not extravagant financially speaking – was enough to really motivate our employees. We found that our employee recognition program did several things including:

• Increased morale. We had just come off of many months of stress and anxiety. For employees who were unsure if they were even going to have a job in the weeks and months to follow, the implementation of an employee program gave them newfound confidence that the company was doing okay and that, in turn, their jobs were secure.

• More connection with management. When employees fear for their jobs they tend to go out of their way to avoid management and ownership. We had always been a company that operated without boundaries but the last several months had seen a real separation in the workplace. The employee program united us once again in a common goal.

Popularity: 43% [?]

Share This

Our company – like so many others right now – has been struggling to make our numbers for the past year. We have come so close to closing at certain points that I thought for sure that come the end of the week I would be out of a job. While I was able to keep my management position I watched many other great employees be let go simply because we could not make payroll; and the rest of us were asked to maintain our salaries without increases and bonuses or even take a pay reduction in the short term. These have been trying times to be certain.

While we- and the economy at large – are by no means out of the woods, we are now holding steady and have taken a collective sigh of relief at least for now. As a manager it has been part of my job to listen to the concerns of our employees and try to keep morale as high as possible during this difficult time so that production does not decrease and we are able to stay effective.

The employees, with good reason, are not sure if they should trust this sudden lull in the layoffs and they are on edge overall. Morale was becoming a big problem and so after careful thought we integrated an employee program into our operations.

Incentive programs offer multi tiered prizes for employees who reach particular goals set out by their employer; these can be sales goals, production goals, safety goals or whatever else the company deems appropriate and worthy of encouraging.

In our case, we didn’t choose a rewards program that was expensive – only those prizes that we could afford. But while the prizes were not extravagant they had a tremendous impact on the morale of our team. More in the next post…

Popularity: 43% [?]

Share This

It doesn’t take a master’s in psychology to understand that workers who are truly cared for by the companies that employ them tend to perform better. While there are exceptions to the rule, most employees will perform at their peak or near it if they are compensated fairly, treated with respect and are given the recognition they earn. Unfortunately, in a time when most companies are stretched to the brink, sparing even a few minutes to recognize excellence isn’t easy. This is where it can really pay off to institute an employee program.

Starting incentive programs doesn’t have to be as difficult as some might think. When a professional facilitator is used to provide the backbone, rewards program designs can practically run themselves. A reputable facilitator won’t necessarily handle the initial design of an employee recognition effort, but this type of specialist can oversee eventual management, prize awarding and distribution.

There are a number of benefits involved with hiring a facilitator to assist with employee incentives. They include:

Better program design – While facilitators won’t tell you who to recognize or why, they can help by showing you models for programs that have worked well for others. This saves you from having to reinvent the wheel.

Better prize selection – Good facilitators have access to thousands of different prizes in a variety of price ranges. This saves you the time and effort involved in tracking down prizes for an employee program. Having a variety of prizes to offer employees in a rewards program can sweeten the proposition for workers and really grab their attention.

Reduced hassles – Facilitators can take a great deal of the day-to-day management of a program off your shoulders and still ensure it runs smoothly. This can be vital when schedules are already stretched to the limit.

An employee program is a solid way to help workers strive to do their best. Getting this type of program off the ground doesn’t even have to be difficult to pay off with rewards.

Popularity: 51% [?]

Share This

Look at the most successful companies and chances are you will notice a common theme when it comes to employee relations. The best of the best tend to consider their workers as the backbones of their business. If employees are well trained, well taken care of and are given opportunities to excel, their companies excel, too. This philosophy is one that can permeate a business for the better. If it’s time to set the foundation for success correctly, incentives programs can help out.

If foundation business is the plan, it is important to understand what an employee program can and cannot do. A good rewards program can pay off in a big way for a company, but it won’t replace the need for employers to do a few other things.

A well rounded employee recognition program can:

Provide motivation – Even a relatively modest employee incentives program can provide workers with a great deal of motivation to achieve at work. Tiered programs can prove especially beneficial by rewarding workers based on the level of their achievements.

Improve morale – An employee program is an excellent way to let workers know their efforts are valued and appreciated. When these things happen, morale tends to improve. A positive workplace environment benefits everyone from the workers right on up to the customers.

While incentive programs go a long way toward boosting morale and motivating employees, they cannot do everything. For companies that truly want to build a solid foundation around the skills and dedication of their employees, a few other moves are necessary. To make sure employees get all the support and security they need, it is important to not overlook the value of good training programs, competitive pay and decent benefits. When these things combine with incentives, the results can be very pleasing.

Incentive programs can help any company build a solid foundation by benefiting the most valuable assets going – the employees who make a company truly work. When this type of program is blended with other wise choices, employees benefit greatly and so will the company they work for.

Popularity: 42% [?]

Share This

With all the angst in the world today, it can be hard to maintain a positive atmosphere in the workplace. Even when a company is financially stable and workers feel secure, morale can sink as a result of the pressure. This is where employee incentives can really pay off for boosting the prevailing attitudes.

An employee program that rewards workers for putting their best foot forward can make a huge difference on a number of levels. Not only are incentives programs beneficial for workers, but it can also make managers’ jobs more manageable and improve treatment of customers.

Putting together an incentives program isn’t as difficult as it sounds. There are companies, in fact, that specialize in overseeing programs and helping with prize selections and delivery. The benefits of putting a program into action are clear and do extend beyond the workers themselves.

When an employee recognition program is put into place, it can help improve the atmosphere in these ways:

With workers – Employee incentives can bolster workers’ attitudes by helping them feel more appreciated and needed. The right rewards program can also give workers something to strive toward, which is excellent for goal setting.

With managers – Managers always need effective tools for thanking employees and motivating them to keep performing at their peak. When a well thought out rewards program is put into place, managers will have the tools they need to succeed in recognizing workers who go above and beyond.

With customers – Client relations are always improved when a workplace runs smoothly and employees are happy. When employee incentives boost morale, customers will take notice. The benefits of this can show in return business and referrals.

Employee incentives can go a long way toward improving workplace attitudes. When a good program is instituted, everyone benefits.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Share This

There’s nothing that motivates a man like electronics. I know that a salary and benefits should be enough to do a job to the best of your ability; but I’ll tell you that adding something else to sweeten the pot really takes performance to the next level. This is what was happening in my company – somewhere where I had worked for many years and to which I had given a lot of my heart and soul. This employee program was a relatively new program that was created to give the employees who worked there the recognition they deserved; there were different prizes for which we could work – reaching different goals meant that we were eligible for different incentives.

I already worked hard for the company; that much I knew. But when it came to one of the incentives, I knew that I would go above and beyond to get what I wanted. The prize? A flat-screen television that I had long had my eye on in the store and an extravagant purchase that I couldn’t see my way clear to buying for myself. By achieving a sales goal that had been set out by my company I was eligible to win a flat screen television – even bigger than I would ever be able to afford on my own.

You would be surprised to see how well an employee recognition program works for most people. We want our efforts to be recognized; we want our work to mean something. When a company puts together a rewards program it is saying to its employees that they care about what they are doing and want to make special things available to them. The morale of the entire company was lifted, we were all excited and competitive with each other; it was fun. Most of all, it put the spark back in our work and gave us all something for which to strive.

Popularity: 41% [?]

Share This

I have been with the same company for nearly twenty years. You know how when you start out doing something you think it’s going to be “for now” or a “starter” job/house/car, etc.? And then you blink your eyes, turn around, and a decade or two has gone by without you even realizing it? That’s what happened with this job. Not that it’s a bad thing; I just expected that maybe I would have moved on by now when instead I have worked my way up the corporate ladder so to speak and have come to rather enjoy the feeling of security of working for the same company. Right now, especially, it’s nice to know where I’m going every morning with so many of my friends and family without jobs and the economy shutting businesses down left and right.

I’ve been really lucky; I know that. But sometimes it is difficult to do the same thing day in and day out and lately it’s been really challenging because we haven’t had raises in a couple of years. Instead, however, the company implemented a rewards program that recognizes the effort by those employees who reach particular goals. I guess it was a way for the company to show us that they were still appreciative of everything that we are doing on a daily basis and even though they couldn’t afford to give pay increases across the board they could at least put something in place that showed our efforts were being noticed.

Incentive programs usually have a host of prizes that the company chooses from or from which the employees themselves can choose. Our company had put something out there last year that said that anyone who reached a particular sales goal would receive their choice of electronics. I wanted that flat screen television and I was going to get it!

Popularity: 39% [?]

Share This

Recognizing employees’ work is something that often doesn’t come too easily at this time in business. We are running from day to day – trying to cover all the bases; and this economy where many companies are operating with skeleton crews, covering all the bases can be more challenging than ever. Good employees work hard for us; they have our backs. The least we can do is have their back in terms of expressing our appreciation and offering them a level of benefits befitting all that they do.

While most people count health benefits, 401k, and a variety of financial programs as among their benefits package (not to mention the sick, personal, and vacation days we are afforded) there are other benefits that can be integrated into a company and really show employees how much we appreciate their efforts day to day.

Incentive programs are useful in companies large and small and can be tiered according to needs and budget. For those companies that are interested in showing their employees how much they appreciate their work – but want to do so in a way that is financially responsible to their bottom line – an employee recognition program can be the perfect choice.

A rewards program lays out a particular schedule of goals. Those employees that reach these particular goals then have access to a set prize selection; companies can choose those prizes that suit their needs – everything from trips to jewelry and electronics.

In addition to helping companies recognize the work of their employees, incentive programs offer motivation for employees – giving them the support they need to continue working as hard as they do and giving it their best each and every day. This kind of support improves company morale, decreases turnover, and can improve overall company productivity and profitability. When faced with these benefits it’s difficult to argue with the importance of a rewards program.

Popularity: 41% [?]

Share This