Category: Frequently Asked Questions

After more than two years of working virtually or remotely, offices are filling up again as employers seek to bring their workforce back to the workplace in the hopes of fostering a healthy yet sustainable work-life environment. 

In the same breath, as work becomes more in-person again, leadership and executive retreats, a staple of the corporate world, have been reimagined to help companies and organizations tackle unique problems, brainstorm ideas, and help generate a forward-looking vision for the company. 

In the past, executive retreats were considered an expensive waste of company funds. Though the pandemic made it easier and a lot more affordable to take the retreat virtually, with the workplace now redefined and with younger generations filling up executive seats, the facilitation of a leadership retreat will need to be reimagined to help teams establish a dynamic, yet functional understanding of each other and the organization. 

What are Leadership Retreats for Executives?

Leadership retreats for executives have developed into several new formats over the last couple of years, as organizations look to make these getaways more valuable and sustainable for both participants and the company. 

More so, these retreats take place over several days, usually involving the CEO and executive team members convening outside the traditional office space. The time used on these retreats is typically allocated in a way to help teams become more connected and boost their natural abilities to support and understand the organization’s forward-looking goals. 

The last few years of the pandemic have brought to light that some companies and organizations have been pouring endless amounts of cash into executive leadership retreats that didn’t make a significant difference to their organizational structure or help them achieve their goals more effectively. 

Ever since, it has meant that companies have been cutting back on excessive spending on executive retreats, and introducing newer and more diverse team-building strategies. On the other side of things, it’s also true that when a company has a clear goal, and all employees can channel their productivity towards that goal, these retreats can become valuable getaways for not just executives, but mid and junior-level employees as well.

Why Organize a Company Retreat?

When starting a strategic planning retreats or organizing a company retreat, it would require you or any of the planners involved to consider the ‘why’ factor to help better understand the reasoning behind these excursions. 

These retreats should be seen as more than a paid getaway for employees or a break away from the company and the day-to-day activities of the business. More so, it should be considered a time when executives can effectively collaborate through meaningful conversations, and team-building exercises to boost company morale, and help to better understand the company’s forward-looking guidance. 

On top of this, it’s also worthwhile to consider how both the company and team objectives will be playing a big part in the overall success of the retreat. 

Company retreats should have a balance between work and play and depending on the size of the company, the budget, and the organizational structure, planners should set clear objectives right from the start to help them and the leadership team better understand what they want to get out of the excursion. 

Having a good enough reason that will support the company, its development, and improve cross-functional teamwork, and improve the overall decision-making process will better help planners and CEOs understand how to structure a company retreat and how it will bring more value to the overall company. 

Retreat Goals and Objectives

During the planning process, it’s important to have clear-cut goals and objectives that will drive the conversation before, during, and after the retreat. 

Not only that, but it’s also important to know the difference between having goals and objectives, and when strategic planning retreats, distinguishing between these two would help improve the outcomes and value metric of the retreat. 

Setting goals will help leaders better understand who their employees are, and how they can build on their skills or improve the qualities they already have. Goals may also include things like creating a more vibrant work culture, bringing leadership team members closer to one another, or what to look out for in future hires. 

Retreat objectives, on the other hand, may include aspects such as resolving a business issue or overcoming any challenge. Helping executive teams build a better sense of communication between each other while also forging better connections between members who are geographically dispersed. Objectives tend to look at what the team structure is, or project may be and how certain activities can help fine-tune or improve cross-functional teamwork. 

Once you have identified the primary goal and objective, planning becomes a lot easier. More so, it means that companies better understand how their employee’s function and what they require in the workplace to achieve overarching business goals. 

On-site vs Virtual Leadership Retreats

Planning a leadership retreat looks a lot different than what it did a few decades ago due to the advent of technology and the digital workplace. It’s now become a lot easier to have a leadership team join in on a retreat, even if they are not in the same location. Better yet, it’s also become a more affordable and sustainable solution for some businesses that are willing to host a retreat but do not necessarily have the financial resources to pay for elaborate employee getaways. 

When planning whether a retreat should be virtual or in-person, it mostly depends on the organizational structure, and whether team members will be able to converse in the same location if they are working remotely. 

For virtual-only retreats, it could help to create an event that suits all team members’ schedules, more so, it should also be at a suitable time that doesn’t necessarily interfere with their work or personal obligations. 

Hosting a virtual retreat is a more comfortable way of getting all team members involved, especially for those that are not directly in contact with any other members of the company. On the flip side, it might be considered that although these virtual retreats can offer a more sustainable business model, there are those members that would value in-person retreats every now and again to help boost focus groups and reinforce the company’s vision.

For on-site or in-person retreats, the case may be different, and this would require the company to have some resources already available to support and fund the employee getaway. On top of this, it would take a bit more planning and strategy building to ensure that the company and team members can get the most out of the money and time they have invested. 

The final decision, on whether on-site or virtual retreats are a more suitable choice ultimately comes down to budget, employee location, and preference. Additionally, it’s also important for planners and CEOs to take into consideration what employees want to get the most out of the retreat and how the company will be able to capitalize on these employee getaways. 

How to Plan a Retreat

The overall planning process requires a bit of ingenuity and research to ensure all employees’ needs are met, and that enough time is allocated to help employees resolve a specific problem or develop better cross-functional communication. 

During the planning process, it’s best to keep the goals and objectives of the retreat at hand, as this will help stimulate a better understanding of what to include in the retreat and how much value the company will be getting out of the employee getaway. 

Set a Goal and Objectives

As already mentioned, it’s important to have goals and objectives clearly outlined as this would make it easier for both planners and team members to understand what they can expect, and what might be expected of them after the retreat has come to an end. 

Have a Defined Budget

A budget will help to clearly outline the amount of resources the company has available to put together an employee retreat. More so, it’s a way for the company to curb irresponsible spending, and having a budget means that every member will get the best possible benefit from the budget spent on the retreat. 

Consider the Retreat Format

The next step is to consider the format of the event, which includes particulars such as the number of days, any specific dates, and whether it will be taking place on-site or virtually. Depending on the budget, each corporate retreat will look different and will consist of several activities. 

If you do require employees to attend an on-site retreat, it would mean that planners should consider the location, accommodation, transportation, and any other expenses that will help enhance the overall experience. It’s best at this stage to consider what the overall goals and objectives of the retreat are, and how the format can fit in with it. 

Consider Employee Schedules

Though several members will be attending the retreat, not all of them work on the same type of schedule, as some may have work or personal obligations they need to attend to. The best way to minimize excessive schedule or date changes is to send out a possible date of the retreat to employees who will be attending, and require them to approve or decline the chosen date. 

If you notice that more employees cannot attend, it’s best to start changing some dates around that could be more suitable for work and personal schedules. 

Choose a Location

If you end up planning an on-site retreat, start looking for places or locations. Remember that if you already have a budget at hand, you will be able to look for places within your range that also meet the primary goal of the retreat. In some instances, it would be best to choose a location based on where employees are located, as you also need to factor in transportation to and from the retreat. 

Keep Attendees Informed

Once most of the planning has been completed and a list of those that will be attending has been compiled, it’s important to keep employees well-informed leading up to the event. Make sure that all those attending know when and where the retreat is, what they can expect, and what the format of the retreat will look like. 

Additionally, you can include a rundown of the retreat and how activities will be scheduled. The best is to make sure that attendees have an idea of what they can expect and what is expected of them during this time to avoid disappointment.

Check Out 5 Tips for a Successful Leadership Retreat:

Leadership Retreat Ideas

Planning a leadership retreat is more than working on finding the right format for the company and those that will be attending. There’s also a part of the planning process that requires planners to think of activity ideas to help keep employees engaged at all times. 

Retreat Ideas for Small Groups

For smaller groups, it’s best to plan something a bit more intimate and relaxing, that does not require too much time or resources from the company. It can be something simple, like going for a company picnic, or even taking a hike at a national park. 

Small group retreats can also be more successful if the company organized an event that includes exciting activities such as a scavenger hunt, incorporating employee communication through an online escape room, or orchestrating activities that can help attendees think more creatively and effectively communicate. 

Retreat Ideas for Large Groups

Larger groups are often a bit harder to plan for, as this requires both a lot of resources and meticulous scheduling skills. For a larger retreat group, a getaway to a pre-planned location may be more suitable, as this brings attendees together in an intimate space, outside of the workplace. 

Another idea could be to invite a guest speaker, which can help to stimulate conversations around a specific topic or problem. For larger groups, it’s best to consider group-based activities that will divide attendees into smaller groups which can ultimately help them communicate more effectively, and get to know each other better. 

Leadership Retreat Agenda Sample

Planning the retreat agenda oversees several aspects of the company retreat and helps employees have a better idea of what will be expected of them during the retreat. 

On the agenda, you can include ice-breaker activities that will help to introduce employees to one another. It’s important also to include some skill-building sessions, which divide employees into smaller groups where they can get to know one another better. 

Activities that follow afterward could be more centered around a specific problem or project that requires employees to resolve either within their groups or individually. 

There should also be time allocated where employees are allowed to network with one another less professionally. In the same breath, working in some wellness activities can help employees feel more relaxed while their creativity is being stimulated. 

What to Bring to a Work Retreat

Packing for a retreat will never look the same for every person as it mostly depends on the event, the location, and what activities employees will be attending over the weekend. 

As a general guide, it’s best to pack the following: 

• Formal and informal attire 
• Bathroom toiletries 
• Athleisure wear
• Comfortable shoes 
• Office supplies i.e. book and pen 
• Electronics 
• Any additional resources outlined in the retreat guideline

FAQs

Final Thoughts

 Facilitating a leadership retreat requires a lot of planning, and although it means that some aspects will make it harder than usual, it’s important to keep in mind what the outcome of the retreat will be. If there is a goal, and employees align themselves accordingly, leadership retreats can be successful, functional, and fun at the same time. 

There are corporate companies that face specific tasks and challenges in their entire organization. One of the many big headaches is communicating with every member of a sales force. This is crucial to ensure that each member knows the task and goal that is set for each group. Sales are no different. 

A national sales meeting is crucial for every sales team in the business world. This will allow the leaders and head of sales to articulate the goals and challenges that the sales team is facing or chasing at the moment. These events can happen in person or online, and some companies run hybrid meetings to ensure that every individual can be present online, or in person. 

Planning a national sales meeting is as crucial as the execution thereof. Companies need to ensure that all aspects of the sales force is covered and that every member walks away with the input and knowledge needed. Some companies hire the right team to manage and plan these meetings while others have an internal planner to cover the bases and ensure that everything moves according to plan. 

What Are The Purpose of National Sales Meeting?

The main objective can differ between different corporations. The main focus of national sales meetings are to ensure that the objective is clear and precise. If the objective is to raise company sales, the meeting must state what the problem is and how everyone involved can increase or fix the main problem within the year ahead. These events can be used to introduces new products to the sales reps or employees. 

According to LinkedIn some of the main reasons for a national sales meetings are to communicate the road to success, build momentum, and the training and development that goes along with it. Developing and inspiring the team to create and take action, as well as know their customers, and lastly to celebrate the success and victories the team has passed and achieved to date.

Sample Sales Meeting Agenda Topics

Setting a standard agenda seems like a monotonous way of planning a national sales meeting, but this allows everyone on the team to expect and prepare specific topics for the meeting. Topics such as

• The drive behind the organization and the values of the company. 
• Allow feedback and information sessions where the staff can ask questions 
• Updates on big events ahead
• Laying out the metrics and goals for the upcoming year or months
• Obstacles and training opportunities 
• Successes and motivation to take charge of what lies ahead.

Every sales meeting will need to have a form of motivation for company staff. This will allow them to reenergize and develop new ways to achieve the goals set out by the sales staff.

Check Out Ideas for a Sales Meeting:

How To Plan A National Sales Meeting?

Scheduling and informing the staff of a meeting with enough time to prepare is one of the key factors that lead to the success of a sales meeting. By scheduling the meeting, the team can draw up questions, queries, and suggestions on different topics and provide solutions to certain problems. 

Setting an agenda will also indicate exactly what procedures the meeting will follow. This will allow attendees and speakers to be ready for what lies ahead. Another great tool companies can use is meeting planning agencies. These professionals can take everything off the company’s plate and run the meeting from start to finish. 

Virtual National Sales Meeting

A virtual sales meeting is an easy and accessible way to have the entire team all on one call. By using the technology companies can save on excessive spending or time wasting due to traveling. The company can save money by allowing all attendees into a virtual world. 

Some key aspects of virtual meetings are to allow the team to have input. This can be to allow all members to ask questions when needed, or to give them access to a camera where they can still be individualized within a big team. 

Keeping energy in the virtual meeting can often be the leading cause of failure. Companies can focus on providing positive feedback, telling success stories, or having giveaways to keep the staff’s energy up. This will allow everyone to be attentive and take in all the information that will be provided in the meeting. 

In Person

In-person meetings are valuable for corporations when they want to address extreme problems that need face-to-face attention. Some corporations will use these in-person meetings to energize the team or provide resources or training that can only be done personally. 

Other than a virtual meeting, physical events do allow team members to connect and build strong relationships. The team can have open conversations with each other and the management without any virtual problems such as connection or technical issues standing in the way.

Tips For Creating A Productive National Sales Meeting

Here are 5 basic tips any business can use to improve their online or virtual sales meeting. 

1. Start with energizing the sales team. This will activate all the team members to take in the knowledge and information that is shared. 
2. Take breaks. Do not set long and tedious meetings without any resting periods. This will leave the whole team fresh. 
3. Provide quality research to back the goals set for the upcoming time 
4. Allow customers to provide input by giving them the microphone to speak. Let the customer explain the strengths and weaknesses of your sales pitch. 
5. Accept and provide a space for the team to provide input and solutions to the problems. When teammates feel heard. They will work harder and provide better solutions. 

Should You Hire A Planning Agency For A National Sales Meeting? 

Hiring a professional team that can create a national sales meeting from the start is a great idea. These professionals know what works and how to set meetings up that show great results. 

Hiring a planning agency will take away planning stress, and will grand the team to focus on other more important tasks. The meeting agency will save the business time on planning as well as the small tedious tasks that no one can see from the surface. 

When Should You Hire A Planning Agency?

The perfect time to get a planning agency is at the start of planning a national sales meeting. This will allow the agency to understand the main objective of the meeting, as well as the tools and pathways for obtaining that objective. 

These planning agencies can use their skills to create the meeting that will have the necessary impact, handle the sensitive topics as well as energize the team to go out and reach every goal that is set. 

These agencies might cost a company some financial loss, but the gain and the high-quality meetings that they put together will be worth it for both the company and the members thereof.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

National sales meetings have been around in the business sphere for decades. This is not only a great way to communicate the teams goal for the year in one event, but these meetings can also assist in reenergizing the national team.

Companies can use meeting planning agencies to ensure that all the right steps are followed and that all necessary information and objectives are shared. These companies can be of great value and can ensure that any successful meeting, virtual or in person is of great sales success.

The changing workplace has seen the dynamic of employer-worker relationships change over the years as younger generations take on more managerial or executive roles and older workers start to step into retirement. 

While employee benefits help to keep teams motivated, droves of workers are leaving the workplace because of the lack of recognition. Employees often feel more motivated, inspired and stay longer at the same company if they notice employers valuing their contribution to the organization. Rewarding employees for their work has been shown to improve overall productivity, and workplace relationships among employers, managers, and younger staff members. 

In a Gallup research study, it was found that those workers who “strongly agree” they receive authentic recognition are 5.2 times more likely to stay at their current firm and envision long-term prospects more positively. Telling employees that they’re being recognized for their work can help organizations minimize employee turnover and help increase overall productivity. 

Why Is Employee Recognition Important?

Employee recognition in the workplace helps to identify and reward individuals that are actively making a difference within their office, contributing to group projects, meeting targets, and improving workplace relationships. 

Giving employees the necessary recognition and rewards helps employers and team leaders establish a more positive working environment, but more so, it provides employees with more motivation and appreciation and encourages individual contribution among staff. 

For instance, it’s been found that Gen Z employees, those born after 1998, are 73% more likely to say they want recognition at least a few times per month in the workplace compared to their older peers. 

While employee recognition is not shared the same among organizations, or even teams for that matter, the right people must be appointed to give employee recognition to ensure equal and fair treatment of employees who can stand about, go the extra mile, and deliver more than what is expected of them.

Who Gives Employee Recognition?

As a business or company, it’s important to make sure that people feel valued, especially when there is a strong culture of positive enforcement among employers and workers. This not only helps to establish a good relationship among employees but also between employers and their employees. 

Employees want to feel that they are being supported. Research has found that in some instances, only 59% of employees said that they feel supported at work, helping them to achieve personal and professional goals. This only further highlights the importance of giving proper employee recognition and ensuring that all workers are treated fairly. 

Top-Down Recognition

The first, and more traditional structure for recognizing employees is the top-down recognition model, which is generally centralized within the organization. There are two types of top-down praises, which differ in the approach they use, but ultimately help to give the necessary praise to those employees that deserve it. 

Manager-to-Employee Recognition

Often the more common approach, manager-to-employee recognition, sees team leaders giving praise to the members of their teams for the work they have contributed. This is a more effective option, as managers tend to work directly with employees and can establish a workplace relationship with them. Manager-to-employee recognition not only creates a more productive environment but it helps to cast a manager in the light of a team leader. 

Company-to-Employee Recognition

Another form of praise is company-to-employee, which sees companies giving their workers more public recognition, either with an Employee of the Month Award or perhaps at an annual prize giving. These rewards are often bigger and perhaps more meaningful but can exclude a lot of other hardworking employees. 

Seeing that companies can at most hand out 12 Employee of the Month Awards, or have only one annual prize giving, it can be hard to choose an overall prestige employee that has ultimately stood out, while not deliberately disregarding other workers. 

Peer-to-Peer or Social Recognition

Although companies don’t often spend a lot of resources in developing peer-to-peer recognition programs, workers can give each other praise, or managers can show support to other managers through direct recognition. 

Having a combination of top-down recognition and social encouragement is a strategy that can help employees feel more valued within their teams and the overall company. 

Where Do You Give Your Employees Recognition?

Giving feedback to employees is the easy part; deciding when and where to do it becomes the hard part of the recognition process. Employers and team leaders will need to decide where would be the best to give employees praise or feedback, either through a public announcement or perhaps something more private. 

1. Private Recognition

Private recognition is often more common in bigger companies that have hundreds, if not thousands of employees, as it’s easier to provide them with monetary praise, or verbal feedback. 

Bonuses

Bonuses can show the value placed on the work employees have brought to the company. Often companies will give seasonal bonuses, which will either be in the form of higher commission or an increased monetary bonus added to their salary. These types of appraisals are only possible if the company is in a financial position to hand out more money. 

Written Praise

Another form is written praise, which can come from executive offices, managers, or team leaders. Written praise can be a letter or even an email where an employer highlights all the important qualities an employee is bringing to the company and ensures they are noticing the work they are doing. This is often easier, and employers can send out written praise at any given time. 

Verbal Praise

In-person praise can help encourage those employees that feel motivated through affirmations, and direct reassurance. Either an employer or manager can give verbal praise where they feel necessary, and can be conducted in a group setting or a team meeting. More in-person or group praise will help boost team spirits, and help those employees feel more motivated through personal validation. 

2. Public Appreciation

The other side of the spectrum sees companies giving their employees public recognition. This news is often shared among employees internally and is perhaps more neutral as it can include more than one individual or group of employees that can be recognized at the same time. 

Newsletter

Some companies will distribute a weekly or monthly newsletter, often praising a specific employee that has done an exceptional job. This can also be seen as in-direct written praise, but is published publicly, and can help to motivate other workers in their pursuit to boost their workplace contribution and be recognized in the office. 

Parties

Here the goal is to ensure that all employees are being recognized for their work, but at the same time uplift their spirits with social gatherings that often include food and drinks and a small prize giving. This is a way for companies to give thanks to their employees in a more public way, and help foster a more positive working environment. 

Wall of Fame

A bit more traditional, but never fails to help give recognition to those employees that deserve it, a Wall of Fame helps to publicly display to both other workers and customers which employees have been going the extra mile. Getting onto the Wall of Fame could help to motivate other employees, and also encourage them to uplift their fellow colleagues. 

Gift

Gifts can be both monetary or physical objects, and they can range depending on the budget, company, and employee. Often an organization will hand out gifts to employees at an annual prize giving such as an office party or give them milestone awards for the time they have served at the company.

Check Out 6 Ways of Employee Rewards and Recognition Program:

Corporate Rewards and Recognition Programs

Having corporate rewards and recognition programs can help to incentivize employees, which often leads to more productive and motivated teams. This not only helps increase healthy competition among colleagues, but it’s also a way for the company to boost sales and become more profitable. 

Employee of the Month

A standard recognition program could perhaps be an employee of the month award. As already mentioned, these can often be limited to at most 12 staff members, depending on the size of the company. More so, this type of program can help encourage engagement among fellow employees, boost morale, and establish employee appreciation on a more public level.

Work Anniversary 

For older companies or those that have been around for several years, a work anniversary can give praise to longstanding employees that have helped to build and shape the company into what it is today. Additionally, this is another platform through which younger staff members can be motivated, and recognize their future within the company and where it is heading. 

Teamwork

While the aim is to ensure that all team members are working collectively to achieve a specific goal, teamwork recognition would entail having a team leader oversee projects, and dedicate their time to delegating. Through this employees will know what their role is and what is expected of them. 

Sales

Giving employees a specific goal or target, and providing incentives will help motivate them to go above and beyond. With sales structures, companies can offer employees a bonus, or a paid vacation once they reach a certain goal within a given time frame. This can help to establish healthy competition among staff, and allow employees to be noticed for their work. 

Leadership Awards

Not all employees are natural leaders, but those that present natural leadership abilities are often able to take on more challenging projects, work independently and motivate their fellow colleagues. Leadership awards can either be a physical prize, a cash bonus, a salary increase, or a promotion. 

Customer Service Awards

For customer-centered companies, employees that receive outstanding recognition from clients can be awarded in several structured ways, and is often an award that can be added to their resume or LinkedIn profile. This type of award highlights employees’ abilities to function well within the workplace, and also foster long-standing relationships with customers. 

Most Valuable Employee Award

It might be a bit tricky to differentiate which employees are more valuable than others, but those that do present exceptional abilities, provide meaningful contributions, and build healthy workplace relationships are often more valued within any company. Additionally, these types of employees are more skilled and willing to learn and develop new abilities to help improve company performance. 

Types of Rewards and Recognition

Just as not all employees are the same, it goes without saying that not all rewards should be the same. These compensations are rewarded to employees based on their performance and can be combined with different corporate reward and recognition programs. 

Monetary Rewards

1. Salary increases

According to a CNBC ALL-America Workforce Survey, 69% of workers expressed being satisfied with their current wages, and more than 80% of them felt motivated by their recent increases. 

Monetary awards not only help keep employees happy, especially for those that deserve it the most, but they can help companies retain talented workers for longer. When employees feel as if they’re being paid what they’re worth and what they bring to the table, they often stay longer at their current employer. 

2. Bonuses

Giving bonuses shows that employees have a high level of performance and that throughout the year they have presented increased productivity, and managed to improve the overall outcomes of their work. 

3. Commission

Another monetary reward that can motivate any employee to go the extra mile is a commission structure. These are often the most simple rewards, as they will encourage employees to make more sales, seeing that their commission will increase the more they sell, and companies can improve their revenue. 

Non-Monetary Rewards

1. Time off

A valuable reward that many employees are often after is getting more free time from work. Rewarding staff members with time off, even if it’s a few hours a week, or an extra day off from work can already uplift office spirits tremendously. 

2. Flexible working arrangements

A growing number of employees want more autonomy in the workplace, and remote or hybrid work roles are becoming an increasing demand from new employees. While this is not also possible, giving employees an extra day off, or allowing them to leave earlier on a Friday or after their shift can create a sense of recognition filtering from top management. 

3. Recognition and praise

Finally, having the time to personally praise employees, either through one-on-one meetings or a newsletter means that they can feel recognized by their employers. Efforts for cultivating more gratitude in the workplace are crucial if employers want their businesses to become successful and thrive in a competitive marketplace. 

Experiential Rewards

Other less-celebrated employee recognition program rewards still provide staff members with the motivation they need but can come in a different form than traditional monetary and non-monetary rewards. 

1. Trips

Breakaways from the office, such as an office getaway party, or even taking employees to a staff lunch can be considered a form of recognition. Trips can help employees engage in a less professional environment, and encourage them to build new relationships with their peers.

2. Team Building Activities

Corporate team-building events can range from flag football to volunteering or community work. There are different ways that team building activities can directly align themselves with employees and the work their company is doing within the direct community. These events can be an exciting way for employees to get to know one another, but also tests their abilities outside of the workplace. 

3. Professional Development Opportunities

Providing members, especially younger employees professional development opportunities can make them feel more involved with the company, and establish a space for them to grow and develop their skills. Development assessments can also increase employee retention, promote positive company culture, company values and deliver recognition for employees efforts. 

How to Implement Rewards and Recognition Programs

Choosing a strategy that will suit the needs of the employees and the company can mean that employers and managers consider the future of the company, and how employees will grow with the business. 

Setting Goals and Objectives

The most important implementation is having clear goals and objectives, as this will help employees better understand how their work will line up with where the company is heading. Not only this, but it makes it easier for them to know exactly what will be expected of them to achieve these goals and objectives during their time at the company. 

Identifying the Right Rewards and Recognition for Your Workforce

Choose the rewards based on employee needs, and what the business can support. It would be shortsighted to select monetary rewards for employees if the company is new, or still struggling to make profit margins. Make sure to have a balance, and that both the company and employees can benefit from these programs. Take some pointers from staff with any ideas on recognition program examples, and any tangible reward choices. 

Communicating the Program to Employees

Clearly state the intentions of the program, how employees will benefit from it, and what the potential outcomes will be. If you want employees to sell more products, give them the necessary information they need or training to be better salespeople. Make an effort to communicate how they will then be incentivized either through key performance indicators (KPIs) or monthly sales targets. 

Measuring the Success of the Program

Once a new program has been identified, and a strategy implemented, it’s time to monitor whether this is successful. Make an effort to track employee performance, and provide feedback throughout the process. This way top performers will know how they are doing on the leaderboard, while other slower performers can improve their forward-looking guidance. 

Check Out How to Create an Effective Employee Recognition Program:

Best Practices for Rewards and Recognition Programs

Ensuring social, business, and wellness rewards can elevate team performance and become an advantage for teams, consider ways that will enhance rewards and recognition programs for team members and the company. 

Tailoring Rewards to Individual Employee Preferences

Make sure that employees are rewarded according to their preferences. You don’t want employees who require extra time off or shorter working days to be rewarded with a pizza party or team-building activities. Make sure to include their opinions in the developing process and know what they want. 

Recognizing and Rewarding Employees in a Timely Manner

Relying on months or years’ worth of work, only to give recognition at the end of their tenure or contract is not the way to go. Be more vocal with employees, and give recognition where needed. Make sure they are being noticed, and communicate ways in which you could potentially recognize employees, and develop more business growth. 

Encouraging Employee Input and Feedback

Give staff members the chance to give their input, whether it’s about the work they’re doing, the environment, or even the recognition program – make sure to listen to what employees want. 

Continuously Evaluating and Improving the Program

Don’t settle. The marketplace is constantly evolving, consumer buying habits are changing, and employee interests are shifting. Having an outdated structure or model can easily leave staff members feeling discouraged and that their workplace needs are not being fulfilled. Recognize employees who, through a successful recognition program or rewards program, fits in with the company values and company culture.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Recognizing and praising employees for their work and contribution ensures they will remain loyal members of the company for the remainder of their tenure. This helps to lower employee turnaround, and employers can keep skilled workers for longer. 

Employees often feel more motivated and positive when they are encouraged, whether it’s through peer-to-peer recognition or company-to-employee recognition. It’s important to ensure that the right employees are being recognized and that when they are rewarded for their work, it’s tailored to their needs. 

Provide different reward programs, and evaluate what works best for you and your staff members. Remember that over time it’s possible to see a shift in employee demands, and it’s recommended to provide developing strategies throughout this period. 

Employee recognition is a fundamental element in the modern workplace, allowing employers, managers, and stakeholders to deliver transparent feedback to workers. These and other forms of recognition have deliberately helped to encourage employees, translating into better productivity, retention, and lower levels of absenteeism. 

The benefits of employee recognition programs are vast, but for the majority of employees, these programs facilitate the ability to be rewarded by an employer or manager. Through these tactics, companies can improve employee morale, boost engagement among workers, and establish a more robust sense of company loyalty. 

As of 2021, employee engagement has decreased after experiencing positive growth for several years. Between 2020 and 2021, employee engagement in the workplace declined from 36% to 34%, respectively. Among the many factors that influence employee engagement, a growing number of workers cite low levels of recognition and career development opportunities as their reason for decreased engagement. 

Increased Employee Morale

Employees who experience some form of workplace recognition are often more loyal to their jobs and employers. One study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 79% of employees tend to work harder, due to recognition programs in the workplace. 

This mindset not only sees improved employee productivity but can actively help boost workplace morale, creating a more positive and engaging environment. 

Successful Employee Recognition Programs 

Companies often implement effective employee recognition program to help increase their retention and lower absenteeism in the workplace. Some of the more common employee recognition programs that have evolved include monetary compensation, written recognition, verbal praise, or group recognition programs such as office parties or office get-togethers. 

The success of these recognition programs will largely depend on the size of the company, executive management, and how employees receive these rewards. On top of this, it’s important to note that often recognition programs are based on employee needs rather than what an employer may want. 

Combining company prospects with the development and growth of employees will help better understand how well recognition programs will be received and whether it’s in the best will of the workers. 

Improved Employee Retention

The short and simple answer – is yes – employees tend to stay longer in their current job if they are more likely to be recognized and rewarded for their work. A Gallup/Workhuman survey found workers 56% less likely to look for a new job or employment if their current employer makes recognition a priority. 

Keeping employees for longer not only makes it easier for the company to grow alongside their current tenure staffers, but it can also lower the costs of sourcing and onboarding completely new employees each time. 

The Financial Benefits of Having a Low Turnover Rate

The actual cost of filling an open position depends on a wide variety of factors, but typically includes elements such as salary and the size of the role that needs to be filled. In the event that multiple employees quit or resign, it will cost companies more to replace these individuals, than simply keep them satisfied and engaged. 

Additionally, production costs can also be factored in, as fewer hands in the office could mean the increased capacity for other employees, leading to lower levels of productivity and quality of work. There are also administrative costs, recruitment costs, and operation costs that will need to be considered. 

For corporate behemoths, these costs are offset by larger quantities of employees. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible for smaller firms and organizations that carry the burden of hiring and onboarding new recruits. 

Increased Productivity

As already mentioned, employees tend to work harder and have increased productivity when they enjoy recognition programs and initiatives within their current workplace. This has been proven by research from Deloitte, which found engagement, productivity, and performance tend to be 14% higher in companies that have some form of recognition or rewards system. 

Additionally, these programs have also helped increase profit and revenue. The same research by Deloitte indicates that a 15% increase or improvement among employees can help boost margins by 2%. For the small business operating on a month-to-month basis, a two-percentile increase could mean better products, more variety, or even better wages. 

Employees work harder, and more efficiently when they have been recognized in the workplace. Simple pleasures such as written or verbal praise, or even a once-off bonus could make all the difference to employees who have endured months of hard work and overtime.

Check Out How To Increase Employee Productivity In The Workplace:

Better Customer Service

Employees are first and foremost the people customers engage with. These are the people that are on the ground, working with clients, helping them through the sales funnel, and providing them with the right services and products they require. 

It’s possible to think of employees as the face and voice of any business, especially those that require person-to-person engagement with customers to survive and turn a profit. 

For any employer, customer service can mean a host of things, and the better a customer is received, the higher the chances of them returning or recommending the business to someone else. 

Again it’s possible to look at research that shows us how 35% of businesses and organizations that have some recognition program in place have experienced increased customer satisfaction. This clearly shows that although many places of work may disregard the importance of employee recognition, the lack thereof will directly be seen in customer satisfaction levels. 

Importance of Customer Service

Customer service is an important element throughout the entire sales funnel, and for small, new, or growing businesses, a few bad customer reviews can easily tarnish their reputation. While it’s not possible to control every customer-related query and resolve issues immediately, it’s essential to ensure that employees are equipped with the right tools and knowledge to resolve recurring issues. 

It’s easy to understand how customers may perceive a company or business when employees are unhappy, unsatisfied, or feeling unrecognized. While you as an employer may not think these traits are visible to the public eye, the real delivery can be noticed in the quality of engagement and work employees deliver. 

Regardless of the business and the model it operates on, customer service is a crucial stepping stone for any organization that wishes to expand and thrive. Having a recognition program that encourages employee recognition and helps with employee retention can already be seen in how engaged employees portray company culture, the employee experience, and employee feedback. 

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, customer service is one of the best places where any business can set itself apart from the competition. The best place to start is by looking after your employees and ensuring they receive the recognition they deserve.

Employee Recognition vs. Employee Rewards

While both employee recognition and employee rewards can be used interchangeably, depending on the situation, some factors help you to differentiate between the two. 

Employee recognition: This is the act of positively encouraging employees and teams with rewards related to their work. Employee recognition is a direct message communicated to a team member, either from an employer or their manager, that helps to encourage them in the workplace. Furthermore, recognition is part of the process that rewards employees for their work and has a larger impact on how employees will perform in the near and long term. 

Employee rewards: This can be considered as the result or outcomes of the employee recognition efforts, which see employers or managers giving workers either a verbal, written, or monetary reward. 

Depending on the level of recognition, these rewards can be anything related to the employees and can oftentimes come in the form of employee development schemes or programs, group activities, or even physical gifts. 

Both these elements can be seen as positive and healthy workplace attributes that can drive meaningful impact within the organizational structure. On top of this, it’s important to consider how these programs can benefit not only employees and their teams but also the output of the company and its performance within its marketplace. 

4 Types of Recognition for Employees

We’ve briefly discussed the types of recognition for employees in the aforementioned, and in the following section, we will now dive a bit deeper into what each of these can do for employees and how they work. 

There is a large quantity of employee recognition efforts that can be used in the workplace, and often these can be used in partnership with another. It’s common to see companies give employee recognition with a prize giving this way, they both recognize and reward their staff members at the same time. 

Social or Peer-to-peer

This is the most basic form or type of employee recognition and sees employees or fellow colleagues recognizing one another for their work and dedication. The peer-to-peer type of recognition typically involves either two or more employees or an employee and a member of the managerial team. 

Companies can make peer-to-peer recognition among employees, as this will help motivate them, and increase their social engagement in the workplace. Additionally, it helps to strengthen the connection, build team spirit, and establish a more positive working environment for everyone. 

Informal

As the name would suggest, informal recognition will see unplanned and unstructured forms of employee recognition being given in the office. This type of recognition is straightforward in what it sets out to do and can help increase motivation, employee morale, and performance. 

Typically employers and managers will either give verbal or written recognition, which can be both formal or informal, but in most cases, the result is the latter. Informal team recognition could be an unscheduled meeting before the day starts or a breakdown at the end of the week where employees are recognized for their performance throughout the week. 

Monetary

Monetary recognition is perhaps the more sought-after type of employee reward or recognition as there are typically financial incentives connotated to it. Monetary recognition can come in the form of a bonus, an extra paycheck, a salary increase, financial incentives, or commission.

Monetary recognition is typically used in the workplace to help keep employees motivated, as they know they will be incentivized for their performance and productivity. Even more, this type of form can boost team communication and spark creative ingenuity. 

There is a lot of good and bad that can come with monetary recognition, but it’s almost certain that employees will work harder and do more if there is any form of money on the table being offered. 

Formal

The final type of recognition that can be used in the workplace is the formal recognition approach. This is usually when companies organize a prize-giving event for their employees and reward them with different types of rewards such as “Employee of the Month” or “Best in Sales” and so forth. 

Formal recognition can also be an employee of the month wall that displays the company’s highest-performing staff members. It’s essential to know that these formal recognitions are usually measured using some sort of key metric, and should help encourage other employees, rather than making them feel as if they are less likely to be recognized. 

It should be understood that formal recognition requires additional planning before any rewards can be given. 

Importance of Recognizing Employees

The best way to understand employee recognition is to consider the effect it will have on the business, customers, and overall team performance. 

Employee recognition can help workers feel more motivated and can boost their morale. It helps to encourage team communication, which can mirror improved engagement. Every aspect of employee recognition, whether it’s formal or informal, monetary, or perhaps peer-to-peer can make a bigger difference in both the short and long term. 

To lower absenteeism, and also employee turnover, employers will need to consider the importance of their personnel and the impact they have on the company and customers.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

With employee reward and recognition programs, it’s hard to decipher how much of an effect they can have on both the company and the employees. Although it’s proven to boost company performance, these programs can keep employees more engaged, and help bring them closer as a team. More so, it can bring them closer to their employer and help them thoroughly understand business objectives and goals. 

Considering what form or type of rewards and recognition program to implement depends largely on the company, employer, and manager, but also employee requirements. If employees see more value in career development programs, then it’s best to consider how this will help motivate them and boost their careers. 

These and other aspects of recognition programs bring teams closer, help motivate them, and can be seen as a tool to increase margins and atop-line performance – a crucial element for any new or functioning business. 

Ever since the height of the pandemic – nearly three years ago – healthcare organizations have been fighting an uphill battle against their employers, trying to get them to recognize the hard work and effort they have been putting in as the healthcare system became overrun with COVID-related cases. 

Now, with the pandemic in the rearview, healthcare workers are still demanding better employee incentives, from increased wages, and being rewarded financially to more time off as an increasing number of professionals are finding it harder to cope with mass work-related stress and burnout. 

Though considered one of the most developed nations in the world, the United States has found itself in the midst of a severe healthcare worker shortage. According to a surgeon general advisory report, the U.S. will have a projected employment shortage of more than three million essential low-wage healthcare workers in the next five years and more than 140,000 physicians by 2023. 

Signs Your Staff is Overworked

To prevent workers from becoming overworked, tired, and disconnected, employers and managers must take note of their team members’ attitudes and emotional stability while at work. 

Common signs of employees feeling overworked include: 

• Often productivity in the workplace tends to be lower, and employees often feel less engaged with their colleagues and team leaders. 
• The quality of their work is not up to standard, and they tend to be less focused. 
• Healthcare workers will often feel as if their growth and development are being stalled if they are not offered adequate access to essential training. 
• Interaction with patients tends to decline, and they are often more focused on getting the work done faster than concentrating on sustaining a healthy relationship with their patients. 
• Some people may feel overworked when they are not noticed or valued for their effort. This can often directly affect their mental health, and have mixed effects in terms of their productivity, and service they provide. 
• Team morale plummets, and employees are feeling less passionate about the work they are doing. 

An increasing number of healthcare workers are either quitting or resigning on short notice. 

In the high-paced healthcare environment, where staff are required to be constantly engaged with patients and other colleagues, burnout can quickly flow from one worker to another. 

Incentives for Healthcare Employees

Some incentives might require employers to dig a bit deeper into their annual budgets to help attract and retain valuable staff. In the case of healthcare workers, many of them tend to debate over higher wages and better healthcare incentive programs as a way to ensure they are paid and valued for their expertise and the services they offer the community. 

Though it’s not always possible to place a monetary value on healthcare workers’ services, this will change according to experience and field expertise.

Give Time Off

A survey by Indeed found that more than half, around 52% of employees claimed to be feeling burned out, exhausted, and tired most of the time. Giving staffers adequate time to rest, and disconnect from the workplace is the best possible way employers can avoid their teams feeling tired and overworked. 

In the same breath, it’s important to allocate enough time off, based on industry standards and the needs of either the hospital support staff or clinic. Ensuring employees are not over-scheduled will give them adequate time to rest and potentially help boost company morale. 

Gift Cards

It’s perhaps not the most conventional incentive to give to healthcare workers. Still, it’s often the smaller and lesser-known tokens of appreciation or incentive programs that can help keep employees feeling valued. 

Gift cards will need to be based on employee needs and preferences. In this case, it would be more suitable to give gift cards that can be translated into a financial incentive. Ensure that employees can make the best use of gift cards and that they are related to their direct needs. 

Lunches 

Providing free or partially subsidized lunches at work is another way to incentivize healthcare personnel. 

Seeing that many of these employees are constantly on their feet, and are required to be engaged with the patients and the work they do, it’s important to provide them with a balanced and healthy meal(s) during their working hours. Nutrition and a well-balanced diet can play a big role in employee performance. 

Better Pay for Productivity 

Better pay and wages are often the biggest, if not the only, incentive programs healthcare industry workers are seeking when they are changing jobs or entering the labor market.

Some research revealed that in 2005, around 75% of American employers paid their employees’ wages based on the Pay-for-Performance (P4P) model. 

This system has traditionally been known to reward employees through financial incentives based on the quality of their work and the patient satisfaction they can provide.

In modern times, better pay for productivity is a big part of the general debate on how much medical staff should be making, and how employers can help to find a way to match worker needs. 

Recognition

In any workplace, it’s common for employees to feel more valued and appreciated when they are directly being recognized, either by their manager or their employer. Though in the healthcare industry it might be harder to actively seek out employees individually and provide them with the recognition they deserve. 

In this case, healthcare providers and employers will need to think of innovative ways to provide employees with the right amount of recognition for their work. 

Recognizing employees not only boosts their confidence, but it plays a big role in how employees will treat their superiors and engage with patients during their normal working hours. 

What Is An Incentive?

Incentive programs can be seen as a reward or benefit that helps to motivate another person or employee, which can positively impact their behavior in the workplace. 

Often incentives are used to help boost employee morale, increase feelings of recognition and appreciation, and help keep employees more engaged in the workplace. 

Check Out Designing Health Incentive Programs That Work:

The Difference between an Incentive and a Motivation

An incentive can be a physical, or non-physical benefit, either employee reward such as a gift card or a wage bonus. Typically incentives are more focussed on the physical value of the nonmonetary incentives or encouraging people to become high performers. 

However, motivation can be words of affirmation or any form of communication used among employers and staff to help personnel feel more connected with one another and help to boost their workplace mindset. Often motivation is used to increase the workplace dynamic by fostering a more positive and welcoming environment for all workers. 

Ways to Improve Work Performance in Healthcare

There are several ways employers can look to improve the performance of healthcare sector workers in the workplace, but generally, it would depend on the requirements of the facilities and the resources personnel have access to. 

In the same breath, some hospitals and clinic managers can improve work performance by: 

• Providing adequate communication from top management. 
• Ensuring that all healthcare employees are well-informed and up-to-date about any changes. 
• Keeping track of performance and incentivizing based upon these milestones. 
• Having workers avoid any unnecessary multitasking that can lead to burnout. 
• Provide enough access to learning and development materials. 
• Ensure that delegation among team leaders and managers are more efficient. 
• Keeping staff healthy and providing enough work-life balance rest. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Healthcare workers have endured a tumultuous few years, and having them receive the recognition they deserve, paired with incentives that help them feel more recognized, has become a crucial part of keeping employees engaged and motivated in the workplace. 

Though the healthcare industry can be an extremely taxing and exhausting industry, employers and managers need to respect and provide employees with adequate assistance and job satisfaction.