Employee Engagement Is More than Wishful Thinking

Many, many, many, incentive and recognition programs are formulaic… put some criteria together, connect that to a point list in a catalog or a trip to Hawaii, start the engine and wait for results to roll in. 

And I'll admit, they work many, many, many times.  And that's all good.

But when a program design pops up that really surprises me I love it!  I found one recently that I hope some of you might try to emulate.  I'll recap the program and then add some "caveats" at the end (no program is perfect right?)  The link to the article is here.

Summary:

• Program Theme:  Dream On
• Program Audience:  Call Center Employees (approx. 300)
• Program Design:  Employees complete a "wish" request – no set value or award type.  Management then fulfills wishes.

That's it.  I know – weird eh?

What I like:

• The program includes an element of surprise.  An employee can submit a wish and at some point in the future it might be granted.  It is a great feeling when someone surprises you with a gift. 
• The program also enlists other employees to fill out "wishes" for employees that may not have put them into the "wish" database.  In the article one employee heard another employee talking about a "wish" and that became the award.  Great way to include employees in the program – they now own the program.

What I don't like:

• Too informal.  Without some criteria such as one wish a month is granted based on performance of "x" or even if it is one random wish each month – at some point this will de-evolve into a popularity contest.  At least those whose wish isn't granted will think so.
• The wishes will begin to escalate in value.  Once someone gets a good wish – then you can bet the next wish will be a bit more in value, and then a bit more, then a bit more.  Hey, I love my fellow human as much as the next – but I'm a realist and altruism will only work for a time.

According to the company it has been successful in reducing turnover (90% at this call center) and is paying for itself.

I do like the idea of the "make a wish" element but here's how I'd structure it…

The New-Improved Dream On Program

1. Fund the "wish bank" with donated points from employee earnings from other programs.  That's right, I'd make sure I had a measurable incentive program in place that rewarded performance first.  I'd make sure that the some portion of the earnings in that program be allowed to be donated to the "make a wish" fund – this will help maintain some budget parameters on the wish program and connects the wish program more closely to the employees rather than management.
2. Choose one wish per quarter.  This would be done to make sure each employee knew it was coming – could get their wish in the hopper but also allow for the company to ensure there was an adequate balance in the fund for wishes.
3. Use social technology tools to have employees "vote" for the wish to grant.  Not only do employees put the wish in the hopper – they determine who gets the wish.  This will again, communicate the wish program is part of the employee world but it also will serve as a way to self-police any wishes that are seen as extravagant or out of line.  Employees will never vote for a wish that doesn't meet standards of appropriateness.

I'm not saying this is the best program ever but the concept of surprise tied to employee generated wishes is a nice way to continue to reinforce the value of employees within an organization.

I give it an 80 – good beat, can dance to it.