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From the Chair
Getting started - planning reward and recognition
Today's HR professional runs programs to solve business problems. So we ask: what behaviour will add the value we need? How do we best communicate, measure this behaviour and then recognise it? How do we begin to choose the right partners to drive this?
There are many service providers in the market and it's important to understand the differences in their offerings:
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Incentive fulfillment companies (Typically deliver "product" in the form of merchandise, travel or experiences.)
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Full service incentive companies (Design, software, travel and non travel rewards.)
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Full service performance improvement companies (Provide integrated, enterprise wide motivation and engagement programs that include sales incentives, peer recognition, length of service, culture and values. Services include consulting, performance analysis, tailored software, communications, unbiased selection of travel and non travel rewards.).
So when your business needs are on the line, here are some signals to watch out for:
If you meet with a company and they tell you only about the great rewards they have for you to include in your program - be very alert. Being rewarded is about recognition, not about merchandise, vouchers and experiences. So if the incentive company automatically pushes you to their reward selection, rather than working out the best form of motivational recognition, their interest is to sell you rewards. They will not be a partner who will be consistently focused on improving the performance of your people.
If your prospective R&R company only tells you about the great software they have to run your program - beware. You need a program that's designed for you, not a piece of software your program has to fit in to. A great performance improvement partner will recommend you do an audit first and design a tailored program with clear performance, communication and reward metrics.
If your potential partner shows you an off the shelf communications suite - be alarmed! Communication is absolutely critical to the effectiveness of any reward and recognition program. Collateral items that other companies use will often not be the best ones to engage your audience. Communication is personal. It must be bespoke-designed for your environment and it must be interactive and social, not just an item once a month because once a month seems neat.
Finally, if you meet with a company and they say they'll give you your plan for free - it's a signal to run. But why? That sounds so good! Well, because the plan is more valuable than any other single thing you can do. Anyone who wants to give you a plan for free wants you to buy something in the plan off them. Back to 'buy my rewards or software'. Your plan must stand alone and be unencumbered from people who want to sell you stuff. Maybe the best plan for you means you don't actually have to buy anything from them, but I don't think that's one the "free-plan" guys will recommend.
Now, if they assert that by designing the right enterprise wide, culturally aligned program the program will more than pay for itself, that's another story. Keep talking!
Sue Jackson
Executive Chairman
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