In their latest 2014 report the Incentive Research Foundations outlines some key developments in employee engagement. Most importantly looking to convert high engagement levels into tangible results including effective communication within the company, innovation and brand management. The full report can be found here which also covers other emerging trends for 2014.
As developed nations are largely service and knowledge based it is key that these results are obtained. Employees on the front line facing customers need to promote brand values while those behind the scenes need to embrace strategic changes to create tangible results in efficiency and productivity.
They highlight the use of non-cash incentives to drive engagement levels to produce these positive outcomes. Successful rewards they recommend are non-cash awards and travel incentives. We have found that our clients have seen great outcomes with these. Often holding annual award conferences at overseas or local travel destinations where success is celebrated with awards, trophies and plaques.
Wednesday 9 April 2014
Monday 4 March 2013
Are plaques or awards a better option for employee recognition
Recognising employees for their contribution to your companies success has long lasting positive effects. Choosing the right kind of recognition product to present to them can affect the success of your awards program. Broadly the options are either wall plaques or trophies. The advantages of plaques are listed below
- They can be displayed for all to see. Plaques and honours boards can be made to large sizes at a lower cost than trophies. If the plaque is being presented to individuals in an office it can be a good idea to have the plaque in plain view. This can motivate staff to put effort into achieving the reward as they see a constant reminder everyday. Creating competition among employees has the added effect of lifting the performance of the whole team.
- Plaques have space to add large winner's plates. Like above, this lets everyone see who has won previously. Those that have will take pride in their performance and strive to maintain their high standards. While others can use winner's as a role model to know what it takes to be recognised within the company.
- Plaques will last longer than trophies. Due to the extra space, there is more room to keep a record of winner's names. Creating some history can give the award more prestige and this will have the effect of people striving harder to win it.
If you would like help choosing good plaques and designs talk to the team at Xpress Awards. They specialise in custom plaques for corporate recognition.
- They can be displayed for all to see. Plaques and honours boards can be made to large sizes at a lower cost than trophies. If the plaque is being presented to individuals in an office it can be a good idea to have the plaque in plain view. This can motivate staff to put effort into achieving the reward as they see a constant reminder everyday. Creating competition among employees has the added effect of lifting the performance of the whole team.
- Plaques have space to add large winner's plates. Like above, this lets everyone see who has won previously. Those that have will take pride in their performance and strive to maintain their high standards. While others can use winner's as a role model to know what it takes to be recognised within the company.
- Plaques will last longer than trophies. Due to the extra space, there is more room to keep a record of winner's names. Creating some history can give the award more prestige and this will have the effect of people striving harder to win it.
If you would like help choosing good plaques and designs talk to the team at Xpress Awards. They specialise in custom plaques for corporate recognition.
Monday 21 January 2013
How to Motivate Lazy or Disengaged Employees
Having an unmotivated or negative employee in the workplace
creates a number of problems. The most obvious being their lack of productivity
and thus the success of the company. Additionally they can harm customer
relationships resulting in lost future business as well as influencing other
employees, bringing the whole workforce down. With the increase in labour laws
it is becoming more difficult to let go of these problem employees so how can
you motivate them to be better? A simple method is to find what motivates them
to perform outside of work and then linking this to their work, or employing
this motivator in the workplace. For example they may spend hours poring over
sports sites (often during work hours!), so how about giving them tickets to
the game as a monthly incentive. You now give them an incentive to perform at
work to achieve a goal that is important and motivates them.
We all respond to incentives, it is how we learn from an
early age which behaviours are beneficial or harmful to us. In the workplace we
are rewarded with wages for our work. While this is enough incentive for most
to perform a good job, it does not work for everyone. Wages are paid periodically
so some can become conditioned to receiving them, thus losing the link between their
work and being paid. So some people, especially those with a lack of foresight,
begin to just expect to be paid regardless of how well they perform at work.
For companies that make monthly wage payments, the long period between working
and receiving one’s reward further weakens the link between one’s job
performance and payment for it. A lack of foresight also contributes to people
not appreciating the money that they get. They may see it as just money,
without making the additional association of what they could use that money
for. For this reason giving non-monetary incentives such as sports tickets or
restaurant vouchers can be more effective than cash.
So strengthening the link between work and rewards is one
way to improve motivation. Another method is to appeal to what already
motivates someone. Two big motivators are self-esteem and family. People want
to be valued and to be seen as important, something that they receive from their
friends and family, especially if one has children that rely on and look up to
them. As in the above example you can use incentives such as family passes to
theme parks or dinner vouchers to take out friends or partners. Another way to
push self-esteem is through recognition in the workplace. In large corporations
especially, people can feel unimportant and unnoticed. Having a regular recognition
programme can alleviate this by showing employees they are valued. It can also
motivate others to perform better to receive recognition; monthly trophies or plaques are an effective way to achieve this.
In summary, strengthening the link between work and wages,
or strengthening the link between work and what one can buy with their wages
can be a very effective motivator for bad employees. A second method is to create
a link between work and other motivators. I have used self-esteem and a feeling
of worth in this article as they are common to everyone. It can be worth the
time to find out a little more about unmotivated employees and what motivates
them in their personal life. If you bring those motivators into the workplace
you will be surprised at how well they can perform if they really want to.
Wednesday 17 October 2012
Effective engraving on your trophies and plaques
Choosing a great trophy or plaque to represent your company and recoginise employees is the first part in creating your award. Ensuring you have effective engraving and an aesthetically pleasing layout, font and design is also key. The engraving can completely change the look and feel of your trophies and plaques, ensuring you achieve the desired impression means finding an awards maker who has experience or qualified graphic designers onsite.
The first thing to consider is the text itself. All the important and relevant details must be present; the recipient, what they are being recognised for and the date are obvious must haves. The recipients name is the most important part of the engraving, so this must be done i na larger and bolder font. What they are reciving the award for is also paramount. The whole point of presenting trophies or plaques is to reward and reinforce a certain behaviour, thus it is very important to make it clear exactly what one achieved. Where possible, be as accurate as possible; specify exact sales numbers or milestones.
Appropriate fonts should be used that complement your company branding, livery and values. Often companies will have branding guidelines that must be adhered to as well. These can often be quite involved with pages of documentation. Ensure your trophy or plaques supplier has qualified staff who can create the artwork to specification.
Secondly the overall layout is also key. The positioning of the logo, text and the sizes and proportions of each element of the design must be put together properly to create the desired look. Graphic designers are trained in knowing what layouts and proportions are best, as well as knowledge of appropriate fonts and layouts. They can also add additional design elements to add to the appearance of the trophy or plaque. Things such as floral accents or lines can be used to space out content clearly and add asthetic value to your trophies and plaques.
With the above in mind, always ensure your trophy or plaque supplier provides you with a proof before they go to print. You can always pass this past any designers in your company or people with a good eye to ensure you get the most from your engraving. Visit Xpress Awards NZ for some examples of well designed engraving and printing onto trophies and plaques.
The first thing to consider is the text itself. All the important and relevant details must be present; the recipient, what they are being recognised for and the date are obvious must haves. The recipients name is the most important part of the engraving, so this must be done i na larger and bolder font. What they are reciving the award for is also paramount. The whole point of presenting trophies or plaques is to reward and reinforce a certain behaviour, thus it is very important to make it clear exactly what one achieved. Where possible, be as accurate as possible; specify exact sales numbers or milestones.
Appropriate fonts should be used that complement your company branding, livery and values. Often companies will have branding guidelines that must be adhered to as well. These can often be quite involved with pages of documentation. Ensure your trophy or plaques supplier has qualified staff who can create the artwork to specification.
Secondly the overall layout is also key. The positioning of the logo, text and the sizes and proportions of each element of the design must be put together properly to create the desired look. Graphic designers are trained in knowing what layouts and proportions are best, as well as knowledge of appropriate fonts and layouts. They can also add additional design elements to add to the appearance of the trophy or plaque. Things such as floral accents or lines can be used to space out content clearly and add asthetic value to your trophies and plaques.
With the above in mind, always ensure your trophy or plaque supplier provides you with a proof before they go to print. You can always pass this past any designers in your company or people with a good eye to ensure you get the most from your engraving. Visit Xpress Awards NZ for some examples of well designed engraving and printing onto trophies and plaques.
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Using trophies to improve business performance
With the economy looking challenging for the next few years it is imperative that businesses ensure their most valuable asset is generating great returns. In most businesses, employees are the most important factor in generating sales and producing quality service and products. Having a highly engaged workforce is thus paramount to success, a disengaged workforce can be extremely costly. Trophies and plaques are a great way to boost engagement levels in the workforce. Having a recognition programme boost engagement through three components; a performance based culture, a teamwork based culture, and through employee respect and appreciation.
Creating a performance culture is all about about settings goals and targets for your teams to achieve. Trophies and plaques are a great way to motivate and reward teams for meeting targets. Is is best to have a regular programme, at least monthly, to ensure regular reinforcement.by breaking larger goals into smaller sizable chunks. Such a programme could have regular trophy presentations for meeting monthly targets, and a larger overall trophy for meeting end of year targets. Alternatively you could maintain one large plaque on the wall which has the goal divided into monthly targets. Each month this can be updated with achievements and winners names.
Teamwork is another important aspect which is closely related to performance culture. Presenting awards, trophies or plaques to teams as well as individuals can improve morale and boost cooperation within teams to achieve common goals. Another method is to have a large trophy or plaque for each team, and each team nominates an individual each month to recieve the team member of the month award. This can motivate other team members and essentially create a performance culture within a specific team, this can then spread through the rest of the company.
Lastly recogniton and respect for employees can boost business performance. We all like to be recognised and to feel we make a difference. Receiving trophies or plaques is one way to formally thank and recognise employees for a job well done. By reinforcing these behaviours you ensure that poeple are more likely to keep giving their best in the future, as we all strive for more reinforcement. Outstanding individual performance can help teams meet targets, which will boost team morale which can then lead to a performance culture throughout the whole organisation.
As you can see these three factors are all interlinked. The great thing about trophies and plaques is that they will affect all three factors in one go. A once monthly presentation of trophies and plaques is enough to boost performance, teamwork and employee wellbeing. With this in mind it is easy to see how an employee recognition programme is an essential investment to make in ensuring a productive and engaged workforce. Visit Xpress Awards for some professional corporate trophy and plaque designs.
Creating a performance culture is all about about settings goals and targets for your teams to achieve. Trophies and plaques are a great way to motivate and reward teams for meeting targets. Is is best to have a regular programme, at least monthly, to ensure regular reinforcement.by breaking larger goals into smaller sizable chunks. Such a programme could have regular trophy presentations for meeting monthly targets, and a larger overall trophy for meeting end of year targets. Alternatively you could maintain one large plaque on the wall which has the goal divided into monthly targets. Each month this can be updated with achievements and winners names.
Teamwork is another important aspect which is closely related to performance culture. Presenting awards, trophies or plaques to teams as well as individuals can improve morale and boost cooperation within teams to achieve common goals. Another method is to have a large trophy or plaque for each team, and each team nominates an individual each month to recieve the team member of the month award. This can motivate other team members and essentially create a performance culture within a specific team, this can then spread through the rest of the company.
Lastly recogniton and respect for employees can boost business performance. We all like to be recognised and to feel we make a difference. Receiving trophies or plaques is one way to formally thank and recognise employees for a job well done. By reinforcing these behaviours you ensure that poeple are more likely to keep giving their best in the future, as we all strive for more reinforcement. Outstanding individual performance can help teams meet targets, which will boost team morale which can then lead to a performance culture throughout the whole organisation.
As you can see these three factors are all interlinked. The great thing about trophies and plaques is that they will affect all three factors in one go. A once monthly presentation of trophies and plaques is enough to boost performance, teamwork and employee wellbeing. With this in mind it is easy to see how an employee recognition programme is an essential investment to make in ensuring a productive and engaged workforce. Visit Xpress Awards for some professional corporate trophy and plaque designs.
Tuesday 24 July 2012
Why recognise success in business
Below is a great article from Recognition is Rewarding on the importance of presenting trophies and plaques in business settings.
Peter B. Grazier, author of the article, Starving for Recognition: Understanding Recognition and the seven Recognition Do's and Don'ts, believes at times people have a tendency to underestimate the importance of recognition. "We just don't seem to thank people enough," he notes. "However, a few years ago, I came across a Harris Poll of several thousand workers that asked, 'What 2 or 3 things do you want most in a job,' The first three more frequent answers were: 1) a good salary; 2) Job security; 3) recognition for a job well done.
Recognition is important because it sends a powerful message that the recipient is important. It says the organization cares about good performance.
While recognition programs contribute to employee satisfaction, they also serve as company communication tool that reinforces and rewards the direction of a company. According to Susan M. Healthfield, About.com, "When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce with your chosen means of recognition, the action and behaviors you most want to see people repeat. An effective employee recognition system is simple, immediate and powerfully reinforcing."
The most successful businesses or associations are the ones that have reward and recognition programs in place to acknowledge excellence on a regular basis. Whether it's a formal or informal program, studies show tangible awards - trophies, plaques, ribbons, medals and other personalized items - have proven to be the most effective way to give recognition, even better than money or gifts.
Historically, praise and recognition in the workplace have been handled from the perspective of, "If you don't hear anything, assume you're doing a good job." In contrast to this old industrial mindset, the new knowledge based worker relies and depends upon praise and recognition as means of defining what is valued by the organization. Today, praise and recognition are communication vehicles for what is deemed as important.
In the corporate world, recognition is used for one reason: to drive more business. While it may sound mercenary to some, it's a reality. Corporations cannot service if they do not make money. Shareholders demand it. Workers demand it. Suppliers demand it. And since costs keep rising every year, and workers and shareholders want to be paid more every year, the company must make more money every year. Thus, your employee recognition culture must recognize people for doing their jobs a little better today than they did them yesterday.
And while every company has its unique motives for affecting this behavior, incentives are typically given to:
Gostick and Elton, Managing with Carrots
The orignal article can be found at : http://recognitionisrewarding.com/why-recognize-corporate.cfm
Peter B. Grazier, author of the article, Starving for Recognition: Understanding Recognition and the seven Recognition Do's and Don'ts, believes at times people have a tendency to underestimate the importance of recognition. "We just don't seem to thank people enough," he notes. "However, a few years ago, I came across a Harris Poll of several thousand workers that asked, 'What 2 or 3 things do you want most in a job,' The first three more frequent answers were: 1) a good salary; 2) Job security; 3) recognition for a job well done.
Recognition is important because it sends a powerful message that the recipient is important. It says the organization cares about good performance.
While recognition programs contribute to employee satisfaction, they also serve as company communication tool that reinforces and rewards the direction of a company. According to Susan M. Healthfield, About.com, "When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce with your chosen means of recognition, the action and behaviors you most want to see people repeat. An effective employee recognition system is simple, immediate and powerfully reinforcing."
The most successful businesses or associations are the ones that have reward and recognition programs in place to acknowledge excellence on a regular basis. Whether it's a formal or informal program, studies show tangible awards - trophies, plaques, ribbons, medals and other personalized items - have proven to be the most effective way to give recognition, even better than money or gifts.
Historically, praise and recognition in the workplace have been handled from the perspective of, "If you don't hear anything, assume you're doing a good job." In contrast to this old industrial mindset, the new knowledge based worker relies and depends upon praise and recognition as means of defining what is valued by the organization. Today, praise and recognition are communication vehicles for what is deemed as important.
In the corporate world, recognition is used for one reason: to drive more business. While it may sound mercenary to some, it's a reality. Corporations cannot service if they do not make money. Shareholders demand it. Workers demand it. Suppliers demand it. And since costs keep rising every year, and workers and shareholders want to be paid more every year, the company must make more money every year. Thus, your employee recognition culture must recognize people for doing their jobs a little better today than they did them yesterday.
And while every company has its unique motives for affecting this behavior, incentives are typically given to:
- Reach company or departmental goals or objectives
- Recognize outstanding achievements
- Boost morale
- Increase productivity and profit margins
- Increase profits an drive more business; and / or
- Keep good employees
Gostick and Elton, Managing with Carrots
The orignal article can be found at : http://recognitionisrewarding.com/why-recognize-corporate.cfm
Wednesday 6 June 2012
How employee recognition can improve business
Recognition is rewarding for business as it sends a powerful message that the recipient is important. It says the comapny cares when people put their best efforts into their work.
While recognition programs contribute to employee satisfaction, they also serve as company communication tool that reinforces and rewards the direction of a company. According to Susan M. Healthfield, About.com, "When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce with your chosen means of recognition, the action and behaviors you most want to see people repeat. An effective employee recognition system is simple, immediate and powerfully reinforcing."
The most successful businesses or associations are the ones that have reward and recognition programs in place to acknowledge excellence on a regular basis. Whether it's a formal or informal program, studies show tangible awards - trophies, plaques, ribbons, medals and other personalized items - have proven to be the most effective way to give recognition, even better than money or gifts.
Modern workers rely and depend upon reward and recognition as a means of defining what is valued by the organization. Appreciation and recognition are used to communicate to employees behaviours that are valued by a company, and can increase employee behaviours that contribute to company mission and vision statements.
In the corporate world, recognition is used for one reason: to drive more business. While it may sound mercenary to some, it's a reality. Corporations cannot service if they do not make money. Shareholders demand it. Workers demand it. Suppliers demand it. And since costs keep rising every year, and workers and shareholders want to be paid more every year, the company must make more money every year. Thus, your employee recognition culture must recognize people for doing their jobs a little better today than they did them yesterday.
Having a recognition programme wthin your company serves a number of purposes. It can increase engagement levels, prevent burnout, prevent employee turnover and increase profitability and productivity. If you have recognition programs that do not lead to fulfillment of the company's goals, they should be reevaluated, and fast.
Source: Recognition is Rewarding
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