by tara | Oct 17, 2014 | Blog
I am rapidly approaching my 10-year anniversary with my company. It’s a family-owned business so already has a friendly built-in quality about it that makes it feel familiar before you even get to know anyone. I have made lifelong friends over the years – some have left and keep in touch and some are still here alongside me.
I am part of the orientation process here so when new employees start – I have the unique opportunity to meet with them one-on-one to talk about my day-to-day and how it fits into the overall company puzzle. The one thing that has struck me about every new employee is that each of them has said the same thing to me — “everyone here is so welcoming, nice, and happy.” So when I stumbled across this article about how friends at work make for happier employees and positively impact the bottom line I found it to be an interesting and relevant read for our industry.
I think my company does a great job encouraging friendships among co-workers – at the very least an atmosphere of true teamwork and support. And it seems to make great common sense that a company should promote this amongst their employees, doesn’t it? After all, when employees are fully invested not only in their work but also the people that they work alongside each day – the entire experience is more meaningful.
While I believe that companies would be remiss to not embrace the opportunity to promote friendships it certainly needs to be genuine and not just about the benefits it brings to a company’s bottom line. There are many ways for companies to foster these relationships not the least of which is a rewards program.
Whether it is a peer-to-peer program or even wellness – these types of programs can inadvertently result in stronger friendships among co-workers. And while these programs are not typically put in place with the sole benefit of helping employees become friends – I think it certainly is an ancillary advantage with the potential for a significant return that pays out in loyalty, increased productivity, and good old fashioned happiness.
by tara | Sep 26, 2014 | Blog
Reviewing the list of the Top 10 Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards for 2014 makes me think about the multitude of ways that a safety incentive program can be structured. Ultimately proactive incentives and rewards are the way to go.
Many companies come to us with a preconceived idea about the types of rules they should establish for their safety incentive program and typically the top item on the list relates to employees being incident and accident free. While being incident and accident free on both an individual and company-wide level is quite an accomplishment there really is so much more that can be incorporated into a program.
Utilizing leading indicators allows a company to measure performance vs measure failure. Rewards for proactive safety behaviors reinforce the correct actions that ultimately lead to an employee being incident and accident free in the long run. So, you end up with the same result but reinforce your safety messaging and training along the way – and furthermore engage your audience in messaging that truly means something. Rewards for leading indicators will significantly elevate the safety culture of an organization to the next level.
Rewarding employees for any of the following should be considered in creating a strong foundation for a safety incentive program:
- Participation in a safety committee
- On-time reporting of near misses
- Wearing proper PPE
- Submitting safety suggestions
- Completion of safety audits
- Completion or implementation of corrective action for previous issues
- Completion of safety training
by tara | Sep 24, 2014 | Blog
I recently read a great article on branding – specifically about “naming” a company or service – that talked about the seven tests that a name has to pass before it should be used. I think it is applicable not only to a product or service but also to an incentive program – at least on some levels.
I have written about the importance of branding a program and giving it a life separate yet related to the company’s brand identity. Those companies that take the time to thoughtfully create an identity for their recognition and rewards program make it easier to engage with their audience and make it more memorable from the start.
Read the full article.
by tara | Aug 21, 2014 | Blog
In a previous blog I talked about the importance of measuring results and I still believe that is a key component for inclusion in the creation of a program strategy. Equally as important is the need for a communications plan.
One of the most likely contributors to a failing program is the lack of a communications strategy. We have seen it happen many times – a company launches a program and then “hopes” it essentially runs itself. Many companies believe in the power of incentives, recognition and rewards but often don’t realize the effort that it takes to create, launch, sustain, and enhance a successful program over time. If a program is not communicated on a regular basis in various ways….well then it is essentially out of sight – out of mind (and the likely demise of the program). Consider the program to be the flower and the communication the water – without it, it dies on the vine.
It is not only important to create a communications strategy for the launch but also one that evolves and is administered frequently throughout the life of the program. Communications must be multi-dimensional and targeted. Similar to the need for benchmarking prior to a program launch in order to properly measure results, surveying your audience(s) about how, where, when they obtain information is critical.
For more on this topic click here to read “Great Program Communications Inspire Employees, Drive Results,” a recent white paper published by the Performance Improvement Council, of which All Star Incentive Marketing is a member.
by tara | Aug 20, 2014 | Blog
Apple rumor mills are working overtime as time ticks down to the September launch of what everyone believes to be the iPhone 6 – with a larger screen size among other features.
There have been rumors about the iWatch for quite some time now and many signs point to us actually seeing its’ launch sometime this fall. Most recently, we saw information that said November. This would be two months after the scheduled September event where we typically learn about iPhone, Mac, iPad, and iPod changes, updates and launches.
Given the excitement around the iPhone 6 and what aficionados and experts alike are saying (this could be one of the biggest product launches ever) I will be interested to see if Apple will make an additional splash (or potentially muddy the waters) with the iWatch. That is typically not their style so seemingly November could be legitimate.
Certainly – wearable technology is very hot and likely to be a major category this holiday season. Soon enough we will all know for sure if the iWatch rumors are true.
For a historical look and the latest on all the rumors – check out this story on CNET.
