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Want to get more value from employee incentive programs? It's time to stop it with the usual 'employee of the month' awards and time to inspire your employees to work harder everyday by strengthening your employee engagement activities and making it unique for your business and its needs.

 

When your employee engagement program is tailored specifically for your business, it can help significantly by increasing employee engagement & utilization, helping your business to reach the top. This is possible because a unique incentive program awards employees for accomplishments which are highly valued for business success, and gives employees awards that they appreciate.

How do SMART Goals improve employee utilization? Setting up SMART Goals (SMART Goals Examples & SMART Goals Template) for you employees to reach consistently challenges them to improve. Pushing them to the top with SMART Goals will help your business reach the next level. By creating goals unique to your business, you can motivate employees in ways that make sense and helps them achieve their goals while you work towards your business's goals. 

 

 

If an employee on your team is struggling with a specific skill which your business's success relies upon, set up SMART Goals for that employee, so that over time they become the master of that skill. By checking in at performance reviews (performance review examples), you can keep track of progress and continue to motivate your employee to succeed (all made easy with employee recognition software).

How do recognition awards improve employee engagement? Here is a great tool for any manager to increase business success. Awards can be given when an employee exemplifies your company culture, showing other employees what is expected of them.

 

Another way managers can take advantage of recognition awards is by using peer recognition awards. Peer awards give you insight, as a manager, into which employees do the little things to keep your team running like a well oiled machine.

 

 

One important factor to consider regarding awards, is the value of the award itself, not monetarily, but the value that the award will have on your employees life.

How do you give awards that matter? Award employees with things they care about. How do you find out what it is they care about? Simple...Listen. If listening doesn't work, ask. 

 

When your employees receive awards that they care about, they'll be more inspired to continue working hard and deliver great results. Instead of a piece of paper that says 'Employee of the Month' try awarding your employees with these employee incentive ideas: Amazon gift card, free car wash, free coffee, etc. These examples will help boost employee engagement, and aren't hard on your budget.

 

 

According to a survey done by WorldatWork, organizations are spending, on average between 1-2% of their budget on recognition programs. If you are looking for other award ideas that are relevant to your employees and also easy on your budget, try awards like: work from home days and casual dress days.

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Setting up SMART Goals to help your employees constantly improve & reach their goals, and using relevant recognition awards for your employees will get your business a lot further than giving your best employee a piece of paper that says 'Employee of the Month'.

 

That piece of paper may even start unnecessary drama in your office, whereas a more sophisticated employee incentive program recognizes all of your employees who are working hard, giving you the results you expect, and operating at an optimized utilization level.