“If managers just increased their praise and recognition of one employee once a day for 21 business days on a row, six months later, those teams as opposed to control group had a 31% higher level of productivity.” Ref: HR Zone.

The process of reward and recognition doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. A certificate or thank you e-card, combined with either a voucher or voucher cheque, can be presented to a recipient is a simple and quick reward mechanism that doesn’t cost the earth.

It is for this reason that many companies are choosing vouchers as their preferred gift for recognition schemes. They are as simple as cash to deal with, yet far more memorable.  An alternative to vouchers is voucher cheques. Which provide all the  benefits of vouchers but allow the recipient to choose the voucher which best suits their taste.

Both rewards are simple to set up and process, and partnered with a recognition scheme could see your company’s productivity substantially increase, making perfect business sense.

So, what better way to motivate your employees than with an incentive which can improve their health? Reloadable debit cards are one such option. They can be used in a huge array of retail outlets, meaning employees can choose where to shop for their reward. The very act of spending said reward could be improving their health, as well as it being redeemed on something you know your employees will appreciate. Incentivise your employees and be rewarded with a happy and healthy workforce!

So how can you get round this? One solution is to introduce a two-staged approach to redemption. Instead of allowing your managers to reward staff from a pot of vouchers ask them to complete a coupon or cheque with a reward value. The employee is then presented with a list of different vouchers that they can choose from. This approach has three important benefits:

1. It gives greater flexibility and ownership to the employee, as they can choose what they would like.
2. It allows you to measure the take up of the scheme – how many people actually redeem their cheques, which is a measure of engagement with the scheme and indicates whether the reward value is appropriate.
3. It allows the employer to understand the range of vouchers that are selected, giving an insight into people’s interests and motivation. This is valuable information that can be used for one-off incentives or promotions.

So next time you think about rewarding employees think about the best way to measure its effectiveness.

A recognition scheme, for example, may offer low value, token rewards which employees can win if nominated, as these are one off and low cost vouchers are probably best suited. Whereas if an employee can earn for sales on a regular basis, and they are traditionally a high performer, a card would be better suited, as they can save up their reward with a view to spending it on a larger value item. They could even top up their account with their own money to achieve a dream item. The card acts to reinforce the message of how they earned the reward every time it’s used. 

There will always be a place for paper vouchers because they do exactly what they say on the tin.  Vouchers are easily understood and are liked for their ease of use – there is no need to go online or to ring a hotline to check the available balance. They are as close to cash as you can get, but with the added benefit of not being ‘swallowed up’ in the costs of everyday living. Vouchers are more memorable and have a greater impact, making them an effective tool to incentivise or motivate. 

Cards are simply a modern twist on vouchers and appeal to those who prefer a quick and easy transaction at the till, as opposed to a short wait while vouchers are counted and verified.  However, vouchers will always have a place in the market as they can be purchased by organisations at a discount, therefore offering a better than cash solution which is cost effective and offers high perceived value to the end user.  Over the next few years we do believe we will see the introduction of more card based solutions but vouchers will always have a home in the incentives arena.

In our opinion you should not ‘sell’ change to people as a way of accelerating ‘agreement’ and implementation. ‘Selling’ change to people is not a sustainable strategy for success. Change needs to be understood and managed in a way that people can cope effectively with it. Change can be unsettling, so the manager logically needs to be a settling influence.

There are 5 basic principles which help us understand how to deal with people and change:

• People react differently when faced with change
• Everyone has fundamental needs
• Change involves loss : loss is perceived as negative
• Expectations needs to be managed
• Fears have to be dealt with

It’s not easy – so don’t think a single book or any one individual can provide all the answers. The answers actually lie within your people within your organisation – you need to work hard to hunt them out.

Our research found that a private sector organisation is much more likely to start rewarding staff relatively early on in their career, with one leading high street retailer, for instance, rewarding staff after just three years of employment. In contrast, the public sector begins to provide rewards after 10 years of service at the earliest and in some cases is not recognising employee loyalty until 20 years have passed.

It is also interesting to observe that the values of rewards vary significantly amongst the organisations surveyed. Looking at rewards for 20 years of service, which the majority of public and private sector organisations recognise, the public sector in some instances set the value of a reward at £200 while a leading high street retailer offers reward values of £1000. Similarly one chemical and business supplier provides rewards worth £30 for 10 years of service while, for the same period, a transport company says thank you with rewards of £250 and a high street retailer £500.

Recognising employees, taking the time to thank them and show appreciation for their efforts is a crucial element in encouraging them to stay with an organisation and build up their knowledge and skills so they add even more value to the organisation over time. Feelings of dissatisfaction will come to the fore and staff turnover may increase if a long service scheme is poorly researched, offers derisory amounts or only starts rewarding after 25 years of service.

When we become a bit stagnant in learning we in turn become somewhat dormant in carrying our selves forward as a specialist in business. Speaking from experience, here at The Voucher Shop, being a provider of staff recognition schemes, we have been running our own in-house programmes since 2000. Through a total of 5 programme themes, we have learnt a lot from our own employees and have in turn developed a 10 point guide to establishing a successful recognition scheme.

1. Peer to peer recognition works. This fosters a motivating & encouraging environment & boosts team morale. We included peer to peer nominations in our 2002 programme & have continued ever since.
2. Make it fun! Our 2002 programme was more formal & business focused, based on our needs at that time. Our ensuing programmes came with the added element of fun, from employee events to dynamic website content to communications. It doesn’t have to cost the earth to engage.
3. Reinforce your company values. Our programmes drive our company values. All nominations are made against one of our values, driving awareness & encouraging employees to live the values.
4. Focus on what is important to your company. We introduced a prominent team element in our 2003 programme, which is a vital aspect of our company performance.
5. Aim for continual improvement. We keep our programmes sustainable by encouraging ongoing improvement, not just ‘one off’ performances.
6. Celebrate recognition! Recognition means nothing if it isn’t celebrated. We hold monthly award celebrations to showcase recognition & our winners.
7. Involve employees in the process. We ask employees for feedback each year & use this to improve our programmes. The programme is also managed by our employees with the team being selected annually.
8. Keep it current & up to date. Our present programme is updated regularly – from automatic recognition feeds to seasonal design, copy updates & personalised e-cards. This enhances the user experience, ensuring every time they log in the content has changed.
9. Personalisation increases engagement with the programme. Our 2011/12 programme allows users to upload a photo of themselves to appear in the live recognition feed. E-cards can be personalised with a choice of design & messages, making the recognition feel more personal.
10. Future proofing & continuous improvement. Finally, we are continually evolving our programmes to match our changing company needs and technological advancements. We are constantly alert for ways to improve.

How to make it memorable

In order to keep awards exciting, mix them up and ask employees what they prefer. The same rewards over and over again can become mundane. Give your employees the opportunity to choose a gift that they truly want and value, you can be sure that the source of their award will be remembered long after receipt of their gift.

The Voucher Shop

It could not be easier than with The Voucher Shop, we save you time and effort, ensuring you never miss an important anniversary date whilst giving your valued employee an award that offers them freedom of choice that they will definitely enjoy.

Our self-managed award service includes:

• Bespoke or standard award presentation packs
• Personalised voucher cheques to whatever value you require
• Regular statement of awards issued, together with their associated value
• Maintenance of an awards diary – we’ll keep track of staff joining dates, who is due an award and when

Where it is not practical or possible to gain feedback from all staff, often focus groups with representation from various levels and divisions will enable the organisation to gain necessary feedback as to what is important to staff at all levels i.e. management, administrative staff, production operatives etc.

Other points for consideration:

1. Are payroll systems and administration outsourced or fulfilled by internal teams? What is the potential impact on internal staff / outsourced operations?
2. How will you communicate to staff what benefits are being introduced? Letters, posters, e-shots, SMS, web hosting, on-site road shows with representation from key flexible benefit providers?What budget is available to implement the benefits and support them going forwards?

Asking participants a range of questions from what benefits they had access to and what benefits they would ideally like to receive. A third of respondents had access to a voluntary benefit of some sort, however when asked what benefit they would like to receive if given a choice the most popular answer was help through high street discounts – a staggering 59%.

With 3 reward mechanisms specifically designed to deliver retail savings, The Voucher Shop has a solution to suit all organisations and employee tastes. Choose from…

 FlexVouchers

FlexVouchers are used by some of the UK’s best known employers as part of a salary sacrifice scheme that gives their participants fantastic choice and savings at high street stores. By committing to purchase a particular voucher or card type from The Voucher Shop’s extensive range each month (via a salary deduction) participants can save substantial amounts on their household shopping.

• Up to 15% savings at high street retailers
• Minimal administration
• Security & reliability
• Professional unbiased advice on voucher selection
• Delivery options – home & workplace 

FlexBank

As an employer that cares for their staff you can supply your employees with a portal to help them manage their monthly expenditure efficiently, and save up for seasonal extras such as Christmas or holidays. Our online flex calculator works out the savings available on specified vouchers / gift cards, giving employees control over what they save and spend.This can be accessed anytime to order from over 45 voucher and reloadable gift card types at discounted rates. You still receive the same fast, efficient service from The Voucher Shop but Flexbank offers even more.

•  UP to 15% savings at high street retailers
•  Choice, Employees can choose when and what vouchers they require
•  Mininmal administration
•  Security & reliablilty
•  Delivery options – home & workplace

Spree

Employees commit to a monthly salary deduction which is loaded onto a Spree card that can be used  anywhere that accepts MasterCard®, offering an obvious alternative to current flex voucher options. Employees are free to spend as much, or as little, as they want from their Spree card at any of our retail partners and, most importantly, reap the benefits of a range of discounts on offer. That means more money in the pocket for them and more contented staff for you.

• Savings on spending at over 40 retail partners
• Pre-paid MasterCard
• Can be branded to your company’s benefits scheme
• Re-loadable – valid for 2 years
• No hidden fees or additional charges as with some cashback card products
• Higher cash back rates than all known competitors
• Shopping made easy without the delay of waiting for paper vouchers
• Universal acceptance
• No cardholder qualification
• Balance enquiries via web or IVR 24 x 7
• Balance can be spent anywhere that accepts Mastercard offering additional flexibility