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The Right Rewards and Incentives

Guest articles > The Right Rewards and Incentives

by: Monique Castillo

If you are implementing a new incentive program or simply enhancing your current program, this is an exciting time for you. This is where you can really discover what inspires your team. Do this by making a list of possible rewards, and ask employees to choose their incentive from the list you have provided. Once you have done that, you will have a better idea of what motivates them. Just remember that different incentives will appeal to different people.

Reward and incentive programs vary from company to company. It’s a good idea to get familiar with how other companies encourage their employees to do the best they can. This allows you to gain industry knowledge and remain competitive in retaining personnel. Below are a few simple rewards you can use to motivate your employees:

• Handwrite a note and personally deliver it to your employees. If this isn’t possible, write and send a note via e-mail.
• Thank your staff—sincerely and often.
• Schedule fun, informal activities outside of the workplace, such as bowling, a meal, or a walk by the creek. These can be great teambuilding experiences as well.
• Schedule team meetings in which employees’ opinions and concerns are the focus, so they can really be heard.
• Offer additional training opportunities so employees can continue to develop their skills.
• Award gift cards to favorite restaurants or stores.
• Grant extended lunches or paid time off.
• Provide team members with opportunities to work on higher profile projects.
• Allow some flexibility at work, such as casual Fridays or opportunities to work extra hours.
• Provide growth opportunities at work.

These are incentives that are all across the board, because you want to make sure that people are incented with something that truly motivates them. You can also have different incentives for different corporate initiatives throughout the year. If your company is making changes or you are introducing a new product or service, incentives can really boost employee morale.

By having an incentive program in place, you will be able to keep your employees motivated and in turn they will be happier and more productive at work. It’s a win-win situation!

Coaching Tip

Keep a folder for each of your employees. In this folder, have a list of what your employee likes/dislikes. An easy way to do this is by distributing a blank “reward sheet” during a team meeting. On the sheet, ask everyone to list five ways they would like to be rewarded. You could even put a monetary limit on each item, depending on your budget. When you are ready to offer your employee an incentive, you can refer to this sheet to be sure that it is something that will incent them and mean something to them. Be sure to keep your files current by staying tuned in to what is happening in your employee’s life.

For more information on keeping your employees motivated, contact Impact Learning Systems at 800-545-9003 or visit us on the web at www.impactlearning.com. Impact Learning Systems’ customer service training programs teach valuable skills for handling difficult customers and for bouncing back from challenging calls.

Contributor: Monique Castillo

Published here on: 17-Jun-12

Classification: Development, HR

Website: www.impactlearning.com