Isn’t It Pretty?

“It’s a mobile-enabled, social cloud-based SaaS system that will drive employee and channel engagement to levels not seen since the Roman Empire.”

I know. 

You gotta have it right?

But none of that matters.

You can’t swing a cat without hitting a mobile-enabled recognition system.  Or one that runs on the cloud or one that incorporates “social recognition.”

(Note to readers:  recognition is social whether there is an app for it or not…)

There is an all out marketing war going on to convince you that having the latest and greatest app/technology/(insert reward zeitgeist or bestselling book title here) is what is going to solve your engagement woes.  And it is all crap.

Get the Basics Right First

Spend twice as much time understanding your real problem and your audience as you do choosing the technology du jour and you’ll have a better result in the long run.

Rewards misaligned with culture – there is no app for that.

Recognition done poorly – there is no app for that.

Incentives too rich and too confusing – there is no app for that.

Layering on new technologies for the sake of being hip will not solve your problem (if you even have a reward/recognition problem – I’d start there first.)

Take time to design the core elements of your program before you start putting the bells and whistles on your program.  That is where the real value is. 

Work on the engine – not the hood ornament.

Related articles

• This Just In: Oxygen Good for You and Recognition Is Good for Employees (i2i-align.com)
• Gamification of Incentives and Recognition (i2i-align.com)