In the last post we talked about how our company was growing by leaps and bounds, after being the underdog for so many years. The economy had changed things and now, while other - bigger - companies were closing up shop, we were able to take the steps that we needed to grow our business. As more work came our way, we were able to bring on additional employees and this growing staff meant different challenges for our company. We needed to make sure that we put very detailed operations in place to ensure that we were able to keep pace with our growth and an employee program was one of the things that we did right off the bat.

Our employee program, as we discussed earlier, allowed us to provide incentives for new employees and keep turnover at a minimum, provide motivation for existing employees and give ourselves the opportunity, as a company, to discuss and identify the goals that were most important to us going forward. Some other benefits of our employee recognition program include:

Promoting teamwork throughout the company. Because our employees essentially work in teams in order to get particular projects completed, there is a certain amount of cooperation needed to reach some of the goals that we have set forth. Achieving a level of accomplishment that gives employees the option of choosing from our incentive programs means making sure that everyone in the group is pulling their weight.

Improving morale all around. It is important that our employees know that we are listening to them and that their work means something to us. Our employee program is one way in which we can communicate this message.

Improving production. With so many people working so hard towards common goals it only makes sense that production should increase in our company and it has.

Popularity: 11% [?]

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We were mostly considered a dark horse in our industry; the new kid on the block that couldn’t hold a candle to the big guys - the established companies with the huge staff that had been in the game for decades. The economy, however, had leveled the playing field and suddenly we found ourselves very much in the game as companies bigger than ours closed their doors. We flew under the radar and were already operating on a shoestring budget when the economy got really bad. This meant that we were somehow able to survive and even continue to grow and as a result we were able to bring on more employees. This was when we first established our employee program; something that gave us the tools that we needed to further grow our company from the inside out. The reasons that we chose an employee recognition program included:

We were growing at a fast rate and this included bringing on additional employees almost on a monthly basis. If we weren’t careful we were going to face possible turnover. We needed to make sure that every new employee was properly trained and given the opportunity to earn incentives for a job well done.

We knew that a rewards program would give us the ability to offer incentives to our existing employees as well as our newest employees. By setting up a tiered employee incentives program we could give our entire employee base the motivation they needed to achieve spectacular goals.

We needed to be able to discuss and identify the company’s goals. With so much going on and so much growth happening on a daily basis, things could get scattered easily. Having an employee program in place gave us a reason to discuss goals and priorities and articulate those objectives to our employees.

More in the next post…

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There is so much to consider when you open a business; you have to look short term as well as long term and it often gets overwhelming to keep track of the many details. The details, however, are crucial for survival; every piece of the puzzle must be accounted for, so to speak, in order to know where you have started and where you need to go - as well as gauging your level of success along the way. When I opened my business I put many things on the back burner, so to speak. I figured there was only so much that I could handle in terms of time and finances and there were things that were going to have to wait. A rewards program, however, was not one of them; I built my employee recognition program right along with my business.

There were definitely things that I didn’t know about running a business but this much I did know: my employees were going to determine the success and long term health of my company. Anything that I did to promote a healthy morale in my workplace was going to pay off for me along the way; I wanted a company where employees enjoyed coming to work and where they felt that their ideas were met with respect and their hard work was appreciated. Incentive programs are fantastic ways to communicate with employees on another level; their work means something and does, in fact, bring them rewards over and above their salaries.

Through our employee program we established short and long term goals for employees that coordinated to particular prize incentives. We definitely started out small because our budget wasn’t big but we have grown the employee recognition program right along with the business, expanding it as we have more money to invest.

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In the last post I talked about how I had been involved with an employee program back when I worked for one my old employers. I had long since lost the passion for doing my particular job but the fact that my employer gave us the opportunity to earn prizes over and above our salary and benefits - and great prizes at that - kept me around for much longer than I think I would have ordinarily stayed. Now that I was running my own business, I had made the decision to implement an employee program. We put together those goals that we wanted to achieve in the coming year - goals that could be achieved by all levels of employees in our company - from sales figures to production numbers - and assigned particular prize incentives to each goal. As I said previously, my budget was strict at that time but it didn’t stop me from choosing interesting but affordable prize incentives for my employees. I knew that I could adjust the prizes as my budget grew; that was one of the best things about such a program.

Now, six months into the program I am here to tell you how happy I am to have made the decision to go for it. We are a relatively small company with great dreams of expansion. I want to have my core people around me to see this company flourish under their knowledgeable protection. I know the way to keep great talent is to respect and acknowledge their work and I’ve made every effort to do that - both in the way I interact with and talk to my employees and through the compensation that I offer them - their salary, their benefits, and now, the participation in our companywide employee recognition program. Putting this program into place will always be one of the best decisions I made as a company owner.

Popularity: 14% [?]

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This is not the first time I have been involved with an employee program. Back when I worked for someone else, rather than ran my own company, I was a participant in an employee recognition program. I wasn’t very happy in my career at the time, but I hung in there much longer than I think I would have because of the rewards program. I felt like my employers were at least making an effort to reward our hard work and I loved being able to win great prizes. It kept me working hard and fast even when my passion for what I was doing had long since evaporated. Now that I run my own business I always look for ways to reward the work of my employees. I know that an employee program can’t stand on its own for the long haul. Employees want to be feel acknowledged by their employers, not just a program that is put in place. I make a real effort to tell my employees how much I value their work and I pay close attention to salaries. I just felt that this method of management - combined with a really great rewards program - would go a long way towards a successful company.

That’s when I made the decision to include an employee recognition program in my day-to-day operations. I, along with my management team, sat down and identified those goals that we wanted to see reached as a company. We then communicated those goals to our employees along with the introduction of the employee recognition program - attaching prize incentives to the reaching of particular goals. In the beginning, I didn’t have a large budget so I kept the prize incentives relatively modest but still chose things that I thought my employees would like the chance to win.

More in the next post…

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It’s no secret that an employee program can have an enormously positive impact on those businesses that chose to implement them. Employees themselves certainly are bound to feel as if their employer is invested in their hard work and their efforts are being rewarded by something that is more than just the standard salary and benefit package. Employee recognition programs can benefit employees as well as companies as a whole that see results in improved employee morale, higher production rates, lower turnover, and a happier, more enthusiastic workplace. So how do companies know how to choose an appropriate employee program and how do they go about implementing it into their everyday operations?

There are certainly many incentive programs from which to choose. Ultimately, finding the right program is a matter of personal choice. You need to know your company and you need to know your employees. It is up to you to choose the benchmarks for prize incentive eligibility. Do you want to determine a specific number in sales that you would like each employee to strive for? Are there production goals that make more sense in your line of business? Will all employees be eligible for the program or will only a particular group of employees at a particular level in the company? These are the details that will define your personal program.

Choosing actual prize incentives also comes down to knowing your employees. Which prizes would be most appealing to them? Which are they likely to work towards? Do you want to set prize incentives for a longer period of time or switch them up frequently? Also, obviously budget is a consideration here. The great thing about an employee recognition program is that it can be adjusted at any time to meet your needs - budget or otherwise.

More in the next post…

Popularity: 25% [?]

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In the last post we talked about the ins and outs of an employee program; how a company identifies particular goals that they want their employees to work towards - whether those are sales numbers, production, or customer service benchmarks. How the company identifies those employees that are eligible for the program - who can participate and what their particular objectives are as individuals and as a group. Finally, what the prize incentives are for meeting these goals - prizes that are likely to be well-received by employees and are in line with the company’s budget. These prize incentives can certainly be changed to meet needs and changing budget; that’s the beauty of such a program - it can grow along with your company.

As we said previously, those employees who achieve particular goals and are eligible to receive prize incentives as a result, are getting an added benefit from their company - over and above their salary and traditional benefits. A strong employee program, however, offers benefits as a whole to the entire company in terms of:

Improved employee morale. Everyone wants to go to work at a place that they love. Employees that feel valued by their employer are likely to be happier at work and a happy workplace benefits everyone.

Improved production. Happy employees equal improved production. When employees feel good about their job and the work they are doing, they work harder and are more willing to go above and beyond to get the job done - especially when there are prize incentives on the line.

A stronger feeling of community. Success fosters success. Those employees that receive prize incentives will set the pace for a strong workforce. A feeling of friendly competition could ensue as well as the coming together of teams to meet a particular goal.

Lower turnover. Let’s face it; happy employees don’t leave. Having employees stay for longer periods of time, cuts down on money and time lost in training new employees.

Popularity: 21% [?]

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Running a business - a successful business - is no small feat; it takes a team of knowledgeable professionals who are focused on a common goal. Every player on this team matters; all components must be intact for there to be true success. So, the companies that honor their employees as integral parts of the team, are doing much to lay the groundwork for success going forward. After all, how can a company be truly strong if their employees are unhappy and unproductive? Or constant turnover is an ongoing issue? A well-planned employee program - while not the only ingredient for success - can certainly be one of the more important components in a successful company.

Incentive programs are nothing new but are surely more accessible now that businesses have gone online operationally and are gathering more and more information through resources on the Internet. An employee rewards program is tailored to meet the specific needs - and budget - of each company but essentially works like this:

The company identifies particular goals to use as benchmarks for employee recognition, as well as the employees of the company - level of management, etc. - that are eligible for the program. They then choose prize incentives that will be offered to those employees that reach these particular goals. Again, the prizes are completely customized to the company - what incentives they think will be well received by their employees, as well as the cost that they are comfortable investing in the program. Prize incentives can also be adjusted at any time to reflect the company’s budget for that year or particular goals that they have set.

When employees achieve the goals that the company has set forth - sales goals, customer service, production, and the like - then they are able to choose from among the prize incentives available to them - a bonus for them, as well as the company as a whole because of the benefits that come with such an employee program. More in the next post…

Popularity: 27% [?]

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If you have a competitive bunch in your employee pool, you know how beneficial competition can be to a company as a whole. Employees are not only working hard for their salaries, they are competing against each other for recognition, bonus, bragging rights, and whatever else; and good, friendly competition never hurt anyone. In fact, many companies large and small may find that this is just what they need to spark their own employees’ motivation. One of the best ways to do this - regardless of size or industry - is to implement an employee program that will further inspire employees to reach particular goals.

Companies that consider setting up incentive programs will find there are many benefits to their overall operation - inspiring go-getters within their organization that work exceedingly well within the context of competition and lighting a fire under other employees who see their co-workers given access to a variety great prizes.

Benefits of a rewards program include:

Employee motivation = increased production. It’s a no-brainer that when you inspire your employees to work harder the work gets done faster and often at a higher level of quality. Improved employee morale can have an enormous positive impact on your company as a whole.

Saving money on training by lowering turnover. Every time an employee leaves, it costs the company money. You have invested time, training, and sometimes equipment in bringing someone on board and when they leave you lose that investment. Employees who feel valued through an employee program are less likely to leave. Lowered turnover means more money in the company’s wallet.

Creating a positive work environment. In the end you want to establish a great work environment for your employees; a place where they feel heard and valued; a place where they are happy to go everyday. Nothing benefits your company more.

Popularity: 28% [?]

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In the last post I talked about how I typically make decisions for my company based upon the longevity of particular programs. I don’t want to choose something today - implement it into our operations, invest in it, introduce it to employees - only to find out a year from now that it’s no longer viable. I felt strongly from the beginning that an employee program would afford me what I needed now in the short term as well as what my company would need in the long term. It was something that could grow with us and be adapted to fit accordingly. In the last post I asked several questions that I used to determine if a rewards program was right for us. The following are the answers to my own questions as determined through my research…

Would I be able to offer prize incentives within my budget that would still be interesting and desirable to my employees? Could I change those prize incentives based upon my budget year to year?

I learned that the employee program was exactly what I wanted it to be in terms of goals, prize incentives, and budget. The beauty of such a program is that I can tailor it to fit our needs exactly - no matter what our needs are at the time. This means that while prize incentives may be low key to start they can easily be adjusted later on to reflect our growing business and in the meantime even the lower cost incentives are interesting and exciting enough to be well received by employees.

Would an employee program have the impact I expect on company morale, production, and even employee turnover?

I spoke with other companies that had implemented an employee program and that were really happy with the results. They found that morale greatly improved and because employees were working so hard to win prizes, increased production was the benefit. Plus, employees felt like they were being recognized appropriately for their work and happy employees are less likely to leave for another opportunity.

Would I have hands-on control of the employee recognition program; to really be able to make it our own? While the vendor that we chose has been managing the employee program we are always solidly in the loop in terms of making decisions and choosing those prize incentives that are best for us. I’m happy with the relationship.

Based on this information and the way that the employee program has already been received, I know that this is a program for life - something that will continue to grow and change with us from year to year.

Popularity: 31% [?]

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