Improving performance through staff incentives

As opposed to employee benefits, which are offered as standard to workers in certain positions and job roles, employee incentives are rewards or motivational tools used to encourage workers to demonstrate increased performance and achieve higher levels of excellence within their organisation. By implementing a reward scheme with clear objectives and real rewards at the outcome, staff members can be encouraged to give their full effort and boost your business considerably - making the incentives themselves an extremely cost-effective investment.

The value of incentives should be roughly proportional to the level of achievement required, and the time scale. If you're hoping to achieve a major turnaround in overall performance over a number of months, offering suitably grand incentives may be an appropriate and effective way of meeting this aim. However, short-term goals that are perceived as less challenging may only need to be rewarded with something simpler, such as luncheon vouchers or other predetermined prizes.

Staff incentives are not only useful for achieving short term goals however, as their effects can be felt long after their original intention has been achieved and forgotten amidst new business. By introducing reward schemes, you can increase competition within your workplace and create an environment where workers are more determined to excel in their jobs, particularly when they feel their achievements will be recognised and appreciated. It's important to remember that money isn't everything to employees, and while they may work harder when guaranteed a cash reward or other tangible benefits, the satisfaction that comes from being justly praised for their hard work and commitment can be invaluable, and help to boost motivation and productivity considerably.

If you are offering a number of rewards to your workers, you need to strike the right balance between informing employees about the rewards available and being too vocal - which could have the opposite effect of what you're hoping to achieve by making employees feel resentful and suspicious about the goal of incentives. Many companies now choose to produce total reward statements either in the form of slips distributed at regular intervals like wages or on secure websites that can be accessed by employees at any time to check the rewards they have available, and which ones they are currently working towards.

There are numerous employee reward schemes available to make use of in your company, or you may prefer to come up with your own ideas - always bearing in mind that the rewards you offer should be relevant to your company's image and work culture, and proportional to the size of the achievement.