You want your employees to be motivated at work, right? That’s where employee rewards and recognition programs come in. These programs are designed to rally your internal teams or channel partners around a common business goal. It might be a sales goal like “increase overall sales by 25 percent.” Or, it could be a participation goal, for example, to “engage 25 percent of the sales team.” If your team members achieve these goals, then they receive certain rewards and recognition. These could include group travel or the opportunity to redeem points for merchandise. Your employees are happy because they are rewarded for a job well done, and your business goals are met through a team effort.
The impact of a successful employee rewards and recognition program is powerful and stretches far beyond the rewards and recognition program. When executed effectively, employee rewards and recognition programs help establish trust and build lasting relationships with your team. But, your incentive and recognition program won’t achieve these results if it isn’t properly designed.
There are four steps to creating a successful program:
- Inform your team – Make it clear to your team what you’re asking them to accomplish in the first place. Employees won’t be motivated if they don’t understand the end goal. Design your program with the end in mind and communicate this well throughout the program.
- Engage your team – Create a culture of fairness by carefully crafting your program rules. Developing and communicating this rule structure is a critical component to motivating your team.
- Reward your team – The right type of rewards can inspire and motivate your team while helping drive the positive behavior change you need to reach business goals. Not all employees are motivated by the same rewards, so having the right rewards mix is crucial to a successful employee rewards and recognition program.
- Evaluate your program – Did your program accomplish what you hoped? You don’t have to wait until the program is completed to start evaluating your key performance data.
