Partner Article

Staff motivation – in it for the long term

Martin Alden, Head of B2B & Partnerships at Wickes, talks about the long term approach and how this can be applied to different aspects of staff incentive and reward schemes:

‘Long-term’ is the buzzword when it comes to motivation and reward schemes. This works in many respects – the length of the incentive or reward scheme, the duration of the behaviour it seeks to encourage and the durability of the reward offered.

Motivation schemes play a crucial role in getting the best from employees and encouraging employee recognition. The figures speak for themselves - the UK is missing out on the full capability of 20 million workers because they are not actively engaged with their jobs and their employers. Also, there is a strong link between employees who are looking for a new job and employee engagement. Of the 39% of employees who are engaged, just 9% are looking for a new job, compared with a survey average of 20%.

However, if you want quality out, then you must put quality in - motivation schemes should be well researched and tailored to the workforce.

When considering short term reward schemes, many tend to offer monetary rewards as a means of achieving a quick fix. Such systems are simple to understand for both employers and employees. Achieve a goal, say a weekly sales target, and an employee will get extra money.

However, although short term incentives are intrinsic to the British approach to business management and a core management tactic, they generally fail to bring fundamental improvements and changes to staff behaviour that are essential in the development of the organisation. Indeed, the consensus in the reward industry has shifted away from cash-for-motivation in favour of long-term engagement strategies.

When it comes to the length of an incentive or reward scheme, motivating people over a long period of time can work best as it allows companies to link a scheme with the long term strategy of the company.

In this way, the organisation encourages behaviour that delivers for the business on an ongoing basis and engages employees with its core beliefs, rather than rewarding staff activities that may have a successful short term impact but are unsustainable in the long run. It is necessary to establish a sense of belonging among employees so they fully understand their organisation, know their role within the business and understand how their activities contribute to its wider aims.

So far so good. Businesses may be clear on the timing of their programme but often need guidance on the type of reward offered.

A motivation strategy can be rendered ineffective if the wrong reward is offered, affecting take up of the scheme and resulting impact.

As with most schemes, understanding the make-up of the workforce, making sure the benefits are understood and offering choice are all essential. Businesses need to bear in mind that one person’s idea of a treat may be very different from that of another. A one size fits all approach does not work - after all, what suits a young graduate may not appeal to an older member of the workforce.

Voucher schemes can form an effective employee recognition strategy as they give both employers and employees greater freedom of choice, with the opportunity to choose products or experiences from a wide range of outlets.

Vouchers and gift cards used as a motivation tool can create longer-term engagement because there is a double element to the reward: when staff receive their voucher and when they go out and spend it. With a voucher or gift card, employees generally remember what they have spent it on. Receiving money instead runs the risk of being absorbed into the monthly salary or being swallowed up in mundane bills. The reward and the message it seeks to communicate is therefore rendered ineffective.

If businesses want to achieve real results, a gift card or voucher that allows the recipient to spend the reward on something long lasting will ultimately have greater impact. A reward put towards day to day spend such as household shopping is quickly spent and easily forgotten. While this may be satisfying at the time for the employee, it won’t achieve long term benefit.

A voucher that enables a member of staff to invest in and improve their home is a powerful form of employee recognition as it positions the business as considerate towards an employee’s life at home, outside of work, and actively helps them to devote time to it.

Giving staff the chance to invest in and improve their lives over the longer term goes a long way to encouraging recognition, productivity and fostering a positive atmosphere at work.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Ward .