The X’s and O’s of Incentive Program Design

February 4, 2014 by

The X’s and O’s of Incentive Program DesignAt QIC we decided to follow up the Broncos – Seahawks Big Game with a soup bowl (or two) of our own.  For a little friendly competition we had a soup cook-off (dubbed the QIC Souper Bowl) on the Monday following the Seahawks’ victory.  In the process I discovered a direct parallel to effective incentive program design.

Although the soups were delicious and the conversation was excellent, our competition was missing one major element: a clear rules structure and scoring system.  When the time came to turn in the scorecards, many were confused on how to vote for their favorite soup. An unclear ballot and rating system (created by yours truly) was to blame. Some contestants were ready to throw their red flag onto the cafeteria floor! Luckily we cleared up any confusion and Joe’s Cheesy Wild Rice Soup was declared the 2014 QIC Souper Bowl Champion.

We work with clients every day to develop effective incentive program rules and guidelines – which are communicated to program participants via easy to understand program guides.  As you can see from the example above, even the most practiced of us can drop the ball when we are creating programs on the fly!

To avoid confusion – like our Souper Bowl balloting process – the program guide should clearly communicate program specifics.  Consider these key elements when drafting yours:

  • Audience type.  Who are you trying to motivate and what is their knowledge level?  For example, within an employee recognition program, using industry-specific acronyms may be appropriate. On the other hand, if you are targeting a new customer base utilizing a loyalty program it may be beneficial to be more specific.
  • Key Performance Indicators.  Clearly define and communicate actions or behaviors participants will be rewarded for, and explain these as specifically as possible.  If your program has several ways your participants can earn points, grouping related activities together can help make your program guide easier to understand and remember.  For example, in a safety incentive program there are most commonly monthly, quarterly, and annual goals that need to be achieved in order to earn incentives. Grouping them by time-period helps your participants to stay engaged and on track.
  • Ongoing Communication.  Finally, make sure you communicate your rules and any changes made throughout the year.  It is an excellent idea to call out some key elements via an email blast and then direct them to your rewards website to get all of the details.  The more your participants know the more successful and engaged they will be.

Although our soup cook-off was small in comparison to most incentive programs, the impact a little disorganization had was significant.  Make sure you give the development of your program guide the time and attention it deserves, and contact us to find out more about effective incentive program design.

Website Demolition and Incentive Program Design

February 3, 2014 by

There’s a very interesting, somewhat tongue-in-cheek article in a recent edition of the Marketing Profs news compilation and blog. (Side note: If you haven’t already checked out this excellent service, I highly recommend it). This particular article, Destroy Your Website in 13 Easy Steps, by Andy Crestodina, highlights some practices that companies definitely should avoid… Read more »

Prescription for Healthy Behavior – Employee Wellness

January 30, 2014 by

The importance of employee wellness programs has greatly increased over the past several years. As heath care expenditures are soaring, there is an increasing interest among policy-makers, insurers and employers in methods of improving health while lowering cost. Karen Smith points out in her article entitled Why Workplace Wellness is Important  that “changing our behavior… Read more »

Managing to Motivate – Improving Employee Engagement

January 29, 2014 by

Monday I referred to Gallup’s study entitled The State of the American Workplace: Employee Engagement Insights for U.S. Business Leaders – and its finding that managers and leaders hold a powerful influence on workers’ engagement levels.  Employee engagement is enhanced when leaders focus on employee strengths – motivating them to participate in the success of… Read more »

Employee Recognition: Meet the New Boss – Same as the Old Boss?

January 27, 2014 by

The need for effective employee recognition programs is driven by many factors – obstacles to your efforts to improve employee engagement and develop a true culture of recognition.  Some are the result of “external” factors, as mentioned by Sarah White in her article entitled Top 3 Employee Rewards and Recognition Trends for 2014 – company… Read more »

Recognition and Incentive Rewards – Trophy Value Lasts a Lifetime

January 23, 2014 by

In the Incentive and Reward Recognition industry, there are many articles, whitepapers, etc. written about this idea of Trophy Value as it relates to the rewards offering.  Trophy Value meaning the continued reminder tangible rewards, as opposed to non-tangible rewards (e.g., cash and gift cards), provide of the task completed and the work performed in… Read more »