Let’s face it, there can be quite an investment of effort (and possibly time and money) put into setting up employee reward programs and nobody wants to go through all of the processes just to have it fail. Unfortunately, because they’re not planned correctly from the ground up, there are quite a few failing employee reward programs.  So, what does it take to set up a get one to work properly and successfully? Here’s a quick checklist that will help your organization get their program started off on the right foot:

The Rush to Recognition

A rush to implement is a race to failure. Take the time to plan out your program. While “ready-fire-aim” can work for some areas of your company likes sales, it will hurt your program in launch and longevity. An organized plan is needed for the individual and team to embrace the recognition process and results. It helps make everything more genuine.

Confusing expectations and rewards

Without being aware of it, management teams can send confusing messages to their teams of what is acknowledged, when it’s acknowledged and how it’s acknowledged. This ends up creating confusion and frustration for the employees and the managers. It can also cause a huge waste of time and money. How is this avoided? By simply following the Keeping It Simple Silly (KISS) Principle. If the expectations, rewards, and timing can’t be explained to a child, you’ve made it too difficult and the program is likely to have a rocky start and less longevity. Speaking of longevity, managers and organizations in general, often fail to understand that even the best of programs require reassessment and must be updated with time. Leaders must identify what’s working and what’s not and then try to fine-tune the program accordingly.

Timing

Rewarding recognition is truly all about timing. Want it to have a solid impact? Then recognize the recipient as close to the fulfillment of the task you’re recognizing them for. Doing so will give a sense of achievement vs. the feeling of “oh, it was an afterthought.” Plus, it can even be confusing for your employees if the reason why they’re being rewarded is not clearly explained and they could even forget the details of what they did to gain your recognition if too much time has passed. One way to help with the timing is to keep an eye out for any “small wins” that you can recognize employees for during their day promptly and efficiently. One final note regarding timing, set up the program to be autonomous. Recognition decisions that need approvals every time should be avoided because the delay can make the reward come after the moment has passed.

Rewards that simply aren’t rewarding

Acknowledging the team’s fantastic performance throughout the company can make a difference.  Both motivated and unmotivated employees should be able to raise their concerns. However, it’s important that the praise and rewards cannot be generic, inconsequential, and trite through thought or feedback. Employees will see through it and sense the emptiness of recognition. Unfortunately, there are many instances where employees receive rewards under incentive programs or contests are not happy. It is due to a lack of true buy-in to the programs and it causes more problems than fixing. Take the time to determine what your employees value the most by asking them, otherwise you’ll miss the motivational mark.

One Size does not Fit All 

Everyone in your company is different. They have different needs, wants desires, and goals. Because of this, there really can’t be an employee reward program  that is designed to be “one size fits all.” It won’t fit everyone and will fail. You must work to provide some level of acknowledgment or reward that appeals to every employee. Not just the “ideal employee.” This isn’t as hard as you think, just engage the employees. Poll them for what rewards and acknowledgments mean the most to them and then weave them into the program.

Incorporating a Reward and Recognition Program can help you reach goals, keep employees motivated, happy, and at the same time focused. If you think about the above items and get buy-in from the teams you will be well on your way to having effective and fun  employee reward programs.