When you have your head down doing a job day in and day out, you oftentimes lose perspective of what it is that you are doing. I had been doing my job for so many years that I have to admit that I was on autopilot - going through my day with little more thought than driving down a straight highway. I knew what to do and how to do it and that was all I thought about - nothing more and nothing less. Incentive programs, however, changed all that.

When our company instituted an employee recognition program, I had no idea what it was or how it worked. I know it sounded good but I thought it was just another way for management to say “thank you” without it really meaning anything. We had gone several years without bonuses but the economy was what it was and I was just happy to have a job to be honest. The employee program, however, turned out to be so much more than I thought it was.

So here’s how it worked. Management put together a goal board and told us what they were trying to accomplish over the next several months. They broke it down into short term goals and long term goals - achieving such and such over the next couple of weeks means meeting this monthly goal and meeting this monthly goal means putting us in the position of reaching our yearly goal and so on. Of course a great year for the company meant bonuses and jobs for us so we were all for it, plus it was nice to see - on paper - what we were all working to achieve. Then they told us about the incentives that we would be eligible for if we reached particular goals and that’s where things got really interesting. More in the next post…

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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.

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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.

Popularity: 15% [?]

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Knowing what works when it comes to running a successful company is paramount for success going forward; and sometimes that thing that helps foster success is something that can be transformed and “tweaked” over time so that it remains relevant to the goals of the company as they inevitably change and grow. For us, one of the lynch pins of our success - past and present - has been the incentive programs that we launched five years ago. So confident are we in its ability to foster success, that we are sure that it will continue to be a large part of our company in the future as well.

An employee program came to us as an idea from one of our managers - a way to help us improve morale and production as a result. There was never enough time for us - seemingly - to do right by the employees who work so hard for us everyday. We tried to stay as competitive as possible when it came to salaries and benefits but a rewards program was something that allowed us to go above and beyond in terms of honoring the work of our employees.

An employee recognition program gives us the ability to take control of how we treat our employees and give them the power to take ownership of their own work - to work towards specific goals and have the option to choose particular prize incentives should they reach those goals.

The beauty of our employee program is that it has successfully grown with us over time - given us the ability to grow and stretch the program according to our budget and our needs and we know that when we need it in the future we will be able to use it well - in a way that is in line with our needs at the time.

Popularity: 41% [?]

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When people think about employee incentive programs they think about programs that are used to motivate employees who are doing less than perhaps is expected of them; that are working just enough to get by but not really putting themselves out there or going above and beyond. This is what we thought and the reason that we made our first attempt at a rewards program geared towards our lower level employees. Don’t get me wrong; it worked wonders. Our employee program definitely has worked to motivate our employees and they are generally putting forth much more of an effort with everything that they do. It took us several years, however, to realize that a rewards program could have an equally stunning impact on our managers who were already producing at a high level. Wasn’t it just as important to reward good work so that we could maintain it?

We implemented our employee program for our managers and we haven’t looked back. It has done everything that we wanted it to do and more. Our management team feels rewarded and appreciated for their efforts and this, in turn, motivates them to continue doing great work. Plus, since they are motivating the team below them, they are more likely to work hard on this front because a motivated team produces more and this, in turn, reflects well on the manager in charge.

We have found that an employee recognition program offers cyclical benefits that just keep giving and giving. There is nothing that has been more prominent in our continued success and our continued leadership in our industry. This is because we know that we would be nothing without our employees and by taking care of our employees we are taking care of our company as a whole. Incentive programs will continue to be at the forefront of everything that we do.

Popularity: 34% [?]

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When it boils down to it, we’ll all looking to make a difference in our businesses. We want to sell the best products, deliver the best service, and make our own mark in the world. As business owners, this is what we all try to do in our own way and in our own terms. For our company, one of the ways that we were able to make our mark was through the implementation of an employee program; which was our way to give our employees the motivation they needed and the recognition that we thought they deserved. It has worked very well for us and its benefits have extended far beyond the impact that it has had on our employees’ productivity.

We worked with a management company to put together a rewards program that worked for us. We had done much research on incentive programs and knew that we could set it up to include the prize incentives that we thought would be interesting and well received and were, of course, within our budget. We were able to choose the prizes that we wanted and to connect those prizes with the achievement of particular goals within our company. The inclusion of our employee recognition program has yielded many benefits, including:

Improved morale. Of course the most important benefit of an employee program is the fact that employees are recognized for the work that they do and the goals they achieve. This is a huge boost for employees and reflects well on the company as a whole.

Increased production. The rollover benefit of there being a higher morale in the workplace is the fact that more work gets done. People are motivated and have goals within their sight at all times.

Better strategy. Setting up an employee recognition program meant that we really had to define our goals as a company - and we have to continue to define them as we make changes to the program so that employees know what they are expected to achieve and what they are eligible for if they do. The great benefit of this is that we have been able to be more organized and strategize much more effectively about what can help our company achieve success.

Popularity: 62% [?]

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It’s been said many times that you can’t ask employees to do something that you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself. As company management, you are expected to set the example; employees look to you to know how to behave - to know how enthusiastic they should be about their jobs. It is incumbent upon employers, therefore, to do all that that they can to lay the appropriate groundwork in their offices - to set the stage, so to speak. While it is obviously important to communicate the highest level of enthusiasm and to behave in a manner that is appropriate in order to set the bar for employees, it is also important to appropriately acknowledge employees and the work that they do every day. An employee program is a wonderful way to set the tone in the workplace and set the bar high for employee and management achievement.

An employee rewards program is a terrific way to recognize employees for their work today and to motivate them - and others - to put in a great effort in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. While many may think that setting up an employee recognition program is difficult, time-consuming, and too expensive to even consider, the truth is that incentive programs are relatively easy to set up and can be as affordable as you want or need them to be for their situation.

Working with a reputable company, employers can custom tailor their employee program to work within their budget - offering a variety of incentives that may include everything from jewelry to electronics. Should their budget expand to the point that they would like to offer higher ticket items, they are easily able to do so - as well as making any other adjustments that they need to make throughout the program in order for it be continually successful.

Popularity: 46% [?]

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In the last post I talked about some of the reasons why we decided to put an employee program into place in our company. We knew it was the right thing to do for us. We have a very fast-paced environment where we are constantly moving on to the next thing. Sometimes it becomes difficult to stop and acknowledge the work that is being done on a daily basis. An employee program allowed us to offer that well-deserved recognition, to set goals for our employees in a business that is very goal oriented and results-driven, and to improve morale and production as an extension. It was in no way difficult to make the decision to implement a rewards program. However, we wanted to make sure that our employee program could be changed frequently and thus reflect the style and pace of our business and industry at large.

Because we work in a very seasonal environment - with merchandise being brought in and out and strategies put into place - we wanted an employee incentives program that reflected this standard of operation. So we worked with our rewards program company to put a tiered incentive programs into place that we could literally change seasonally with prizes that are reflective of the season. For instance, in the fall we tend to offer more gift cards and big ticket electronic items - fan favorites during the holiday season. In the winter, it’s all about extended weekend vacations in a tropical location. And so on.

Now that spring is here we are adding to our collection - including apparel, jewelry, household items, and spa visits as people refresh and renew for the season. We have found that rotating the incentives in our employee recognition program goes a long way to retaining the interest of our employees and lighting that competitive spark.

Popularity: 46% [?]

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Our company is very season-driven in terms of the products that we offer so that the shuffling in and out of the seasons is a very big deal for us. We are always making room, paring down and strategizing the next step. Nothing stays the same for too long in our offices; this is just the way that our business is run and so the atmosphere has always had a bit of frenzied activity in the air. Those who are drawn to this business actually appreciate and enjoy the environment. So when it came to setting up our employee program we knew that we couldn’t simply put a stagnant campaign into effect that would remain unchanged; we had to make sure that it complemented our business. The reasons that we initially choose to use incentive programs was simple:

We run a fast-paced business where it quickly becomes difficult to recognize individual efforts. Goal achievements that were being tracked through our employee recognition program would ensure that we knew what was happening in the company and who were our star performers.

We operate a very results-driven team where meeting goals is critical. Our rewards program would allow us to call out and recognize those team members that had gone the extra mile. This reflected well on us, let the employee know they were appreciated, and inspired other team members to work just as hard.

Incentive programs improve morale because they are an added value to the employee that is over and above their salary and any benefits and bonus structure that they receive. Improved morale is important for the workplace all-around. Happy employees mean better production and better production means a successful company.

We knew why we wanted an employee program but we also wanted to make sure that it reflected our standards and expectations as a company. More in the next post…

Popularity: 48% [?]

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In the last post I talked about my concern with my company. I had put a lot of heart, soul, and - of course - money into starting my own business and I had worked hard every day to make sure that operations were as smooth as possible. Things were going along pretty well until the economy crashed and I - like everyone else - was thrown into a tizzy. My plans were put on hold - plans that included hiring additional staff and increasing salaries. My employees - who were already working so hard - were now called upon to work even harder and to do so without any help. Needless to say they were not happy and as the months went by I was noticing that the hostility in the workplace was directly proportional to the decrease in production. I had to do something and that’s when I looked into an employee program.

I found a company that had a great reputation implementing and managing employee recognition programs and I worked with them to put something in place for my company. I was relieved to know that I didn’t have to have a huge company with a monster budget to put an effective rewards program into place. I started with incentives that were within my budget but they were still attractive to my employees and they were anxious to be eligible to win them. We put goals down on paper - those goals that we wanted our employees to work towards - and we matched them up with incentives that we could give away to those who achieved the goals we set forth for them.

Our employee program made a huge difference. It was really something to see. Our employee morale was way up after we put our program into place. They felt validated and happy to work towards prizes that they valued. Best of all we could always make changes to our incentive programs as we got bigger and had a bigger budget.

Popularity: 50% [?]

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