Does your reward program use the “golden rule” or the “platinum rule”?

In a recent article, Jennifer Dulski advocates “Instead of using the “golden” rule of treating other people as you would like to be treated, treat them as they would like to be treated”
Using Jennifer’s Motivational Pie Chart, organisations can establish what motivates each individual team member whether it is – public recognition, challenge, team work, flexibility etc. rather than applying a blanket approach, as prescribed by the line manager or head of HR based on their motivational influences.
We believe the same logic can be applied to reward programs: when reward and recognition programs are aligned to both organisational goals as well as personal employee motivational sweet spots, their effectiveness is bound to be dramatically increased.

When a physical reward is deemed appropriate or motivating, it is essential that the same platinum rule rather than golden rule be applied – that is, reward with something people actually want -not just what you would like or what is easy to administrate.

So often, a failure to incentivise with the right rewards can spell disaster for a rewards program. However, generally this is not because an organisation hasn’t thought about it enough or because it isn’t given enough importance – quite the opposite – the selecting of gifts, rewards and incentives for an employee reward program can be the most exciting part!
The challenge lies in the fact that employees in organisations in Australia are made up of a multitude of age groups, demographics, pay scales, nationalities and ultimately personalities. This means the rewards you offer are bound to be not of interest to, and therefore not considered motivational, by segments of your employees. Even if all the other elements of your program and culture are perfect, this final step can undo all your good work.

Stop rewarding people the way you want to be rewarded!

If your analysis identifies a physical reward to be appropriate, don’t tie your team down to a restrictive store gift card  for some store you like or a voucher for a restaurant which is the bosses favourite – Rewards Come True provide eftpos gift cards which can be used by your employees anywhere eftpos is accepted. So, whether they want to bring a loved one out for dinner, buy some equipment for their favourite hobby, or buy a new TV, you can guarantee you are giving them the right reward.