Award Employees

This article follows on the heels of similar blog posts we’ve seen lately that discuss the need in business today to create a culture of “thank you.”  This is something we posted on over a year ago and it is something that all businesses should be thinking about all the time. 

I can’t recall a single manager I ever worked with that didn’t say they wanted to do more in this area, we all do.  But inevitably we get caught up in our day to day lives and concerns and these intentions get pushed on the down the road. The end result is we do not spend enough time in one of simplest forms of decent human behavior that we should… extending a sincere thanks when someone does something for you. 

Everyone deserves thanks when they perform well, achieve higher standards and accomplish goals.  I would argue that everyone deserves thanks at least once a day for something, but to do that you need to be cognizant of doing it and it has to become a habit that you reinforce all the time.  Some people just do it naturally, some don’t have it their makeup to do it at all, and others do it when something prompts them to.     

We have all seen times when a face will brighten, and a smile will appear when we take just second or two to sincerely thank someone for what they did.  People will remember how you treat them.  Not only does it help people feel good about their work, and that their manager noticed, but it can help your employees feel good about themselves. 

Don’t underestimate the positive impact you can have on an employee’s self-esteem and self-respect.  When you say thanks it tells employees what they did that you would like to see them do more often, and that’s a powerful communication.   

As stated in the article mentioned above… 

“We all fall victim to appreciating things people do for us and never say anything” 

Isn’t it time to see if we can’t change that one “Thank You” at a time?

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Are you still on the fence on whether to use cash or non-cash incentives to motivate employees to perform better? According to this article from Business Line…

“most Human Resource professionals  would opt for offering non-cash incentives”

While we don’t know where the author received his data to support this conclusion, at Award of Choice we tend to strongly support this position, with a caveat that it is important to make sure that the total cash compensation package is sufficient to get satisfy performance.  If not, you will need to fix that as non-cash incentives cannot solve that problem.

The author goes on to provide a couple of arguments in support of his position.  One, a fairly common one in the industry, that non-cash creates trophy value and a lasting memory for the recipient.  He maintains correctly that cash likely ends up being used to pay everyday expenses and the bills, where non-cash will not.

The second argument he makes from a slightly different perspective.  He states that in these down economic times, income is often less than what most need to maintain a similar standard of living as in the past.  People are living within their means trying to satisfy their necessities and don’t indulge in the luxuries without feeling guilty.  Non cash incentives in these cases are very powerful motivators as they provide for guilt free shopping giving the winner permission to indulge.  As he states,

“offering only non-cash incentive would cause a positive reaction; for the employee, having tasted luxury, is likely to further improve their efficiency. Besides, sharing their experience with fellow workers could tickle their urge to experience the luxury for themselves, driving them to work harder too! “

The Award of Choice card is an ideal non-cash award because it offers a true value to those receiving it.  And with the almost unlimited number of choices, each individual is sure to get the award that they want, the one that will fit their lifestyle.

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Should it be the responsibility of business to keep employees happy?  Certainly an employee’s happiness has something to do with the company they work for, but is that the responsibility of the company?  Happiness has many facets, and while work environment does have an effect on it, some has to be the individual’s responsibility.   

Here’s an article from Incentive Magazine that we found very interesting.  It’s about ten ways of keeping your employees motivated, engaged and happy.  You know, all those motherhood and apple pie type things that the author says are so important in business these days.  Far be it from me to argue with such admirable management talents such as, 

“being nice, caring, mindful, helpful, courteous, sensitive, present, happy, responsive and grateful.” 

but after I read it I felt like I just came out of being dropped into a syrup bowl.  It reminds you of a Boy Scout motto for business, doesn’t it?   I’m sure that if more of those things happened in the business worlds, the workplace would be a better place for all concerned, and I’m sure there are businesses where little of this is ever the norm.  And that’s a shame. 

As we have been in the employee recognition world for many years we certainly applaud any attempt to make the workplace a better place to be, but feel that there is another very important side of the issue.   

What about teaching employees how to be responsible?  What about fairness?  How about not providing the pabulum of the moment when dealing with annual or other performance reviews?  How about telling the truth about performance?   How about teaching them how to be accountable for their actions?  What about extoling honesty and integrity?  How about measuring performance accurately and taking out the subjectivity?  What about teaching them how to set personal and business goals and then how to achieve them? 

I’m all for appealing to employees through the pleasant touchy feely things, but they need to go hand in hand with the realities of business and why employees are there in the first place.  You could have a department full of happy souls doing marginal work and barely achieving their objectives.  But standing around in the afternoon holding hands and singing Kumbaya won’t cut it when you’re faced with competitors that are eating you alive because their employees are hungry to be the best. 

Happy, caring, helpful etc. employees are fine, but they are so much better when that is combined with a winning attitude shared by hard working no nonsense winners!

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Wouldn’t you just once like to give a gift that was guaranteed (well at least almost guaranteed) to be the one that the recipient really wants?  Take a look at this article on Consumer Reports that speaks to the new electronic options for gift cards.  While somewhat unrelated to the subject, it starts by mentioning that…

“the number of people getting a gift card of any type this year has dropped over the last few years.”

Has a gift card become less popular as gifts this year, or is it that the economy has caused most of the decrease?  In another Consumer Report article it shows that eight in ten consumers intend to give a gift card this season.  In fact gift cards were the #1 gift this year as they have been for the last several years.  So why do folks like Consumer Reports like to look on the negative side of gift cards?  Because in the spirit of full disclosure, they think they owe it to the unsuspecting public that there are some negatives in purchasing and giving gift cards, such as fees, expiration dates, the fact that people often add money to them to get what they really want, and of course that some of the cards are never used, estimated at below 10%.  And, they’re right, although recent legislation has dramatically decreases the problem of fees and expiration dates. 

What about gift cards as used for employee awards…do they have some of the same problems?  Sure, when you purchase them on your own, but to a lesser degree because you supposedly know what your employees want.  However, when you use an Award of Choice card, the answer is a resounding “NO!” they don’t have the same problems.   When you use an Award of Choice card you give your participants a choice of over 500 of the most popular gift cards to choose from.  And there is a decided difference when someone gets to choose the gift card that they really want, one that fits their own lifestyle.  When they really want that card, they use it, and they usually use it within a short time of receiving it.  All internal focus groups that we’ve conducted as well as survey’s to participants after programs have issued rewards show that the vast majority use the cards for items that they want, and often items that are discounted at sales by the retailers so they actually get a bonus on the amount on their card.

So, if you want to use gift cards as awards, consider using the Award of Choice, it will almost guarantee that your participants will get the award that they really want.  And when you can buy the Award of Choice for the same price as purchasing a card on your own, it will save you lots of time in acquiring it which can translate into money saved as well.

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There’s no doubt that the electronic options available for gift cards will make them more and more popular as an employee award.  Gift cards have grown to become the #1 incentive and recognition award in only a few short years.  Now with the ability to issue and redeem gift cards from your mobile phone or other electronic devices, gift cards will only grow in popularity. 

Consider this article from Bankrate.com stating that big named retailers and a major credit card issuer have recently rolled out e-gift cards and it won’t be long before most retailers will have this option.  According to Rebekka Rea, Executive Director of the Retail Gift Card Association 

“It’s definitely something that if retailers don’t have now, they are behind.” 

While new technology will continue to help in the growth of e-cards, this market is still small and makes up less than 5% of the close to $100 billion in gift cards purchased last year.  No one thinks that the traditional plastic cards will be disappearing any time soon, or ever.  There’s something to be said for the use of the old plastic especially in the desire to give or reward something that is tangible.  But as the newer generations who live in the digital, texting and IPad world become the heart of working class America, it’s only time before this type of award system takes over the old world of the pewter trophies, the diamond watches and the silver bowls.  Those items may still be in recognition and reward programs, but the channel to acquire them is changing dramatically.  I would be concerned if I were in the traditional merchandise award business where winners are forced to go to a website to pick from a rather limited list of items.  That won’t be their world.

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