As the temperature drops and the long nights draw in there can be a slump in energy levels and employee motivation. An incentive scheme is a great way to boost morale and drive sales. Giving your staff something to aim for can be a key factor in hitting both individual and collective targets, whether they be revenue, productivity or something entirely unique to your business. Having that common goal is a great way to incorporate team building into your day-to-day operations too. Here are Bien Venue we often organise incentive trips and other treats for lucky employees. Whatever your budget this winter, we have some creative ideas and tips for ways to reward achievements in your workplace.
An incentive scheme that really motivates!
If your company works on a model where sales targets form a major part of your measurable success, then rewarding those who go beyond what’s expected is invaluable. Of course, commission can be part of this strategy, but injecting some fun, innovative incentives into the mix can add another dimension and give employees something exciting to aim for. If your sales force is divided into teams you could also add a friendly competitive spirit by incentivising team achievements too.
Of course, it’s not just sales people who need motivation in the winter months and not all businesses work in a target-driven way. You could have an ‘employee of the month’, ‘team player’ or ‘above and beyond’ reward scheme to acknowledge those who go the extra mile for the colleagues and the company in general.
Individual and small-group incentive experiences
Many people book a skiing holiday early on in the year, so why not offer your top performers a voucher for skiing lessons at an indoor slope such as Chill Factore in Manchester? That way they can hone their skills before hitting the European slopes or just enjoy a fun activity if not!
If snow isn’t their thing, we’ve loads of other suggestions. Book out a cinema offer a private screening to your outstanding team members. You could even make this a whole-company event! Let your top-hitter chose the film, therefore combining team-building actvities and incentives into one. We regularly use Soho House in London for both staff rewards and corporate hospitality – it’s a real ‘wow factor’ experience. Or how about a cocktail making class? There are bars and restaurants across the country that offer these experiences, we love Cloud 23 at the Hilton in Manchester for the views as well as their incredible mixology skills!
If you want to go all out, why not send some special individuals on the experience of a lifetime? At Bien Venue we have connections across the world and regularly book things like luxury spa days in top hotels to trips abroad for clients.
“Incentive trips to Lapland are a great motivator with a seasonal theme.” says Bien Venue Account Manager Melissa Smith. “A few nights away can include husky sleigh rides, snowmobiles, even a concert in an igloo where all the instruments are made from ice! And of course, there’s the chance to see the Northern Lights, which should be on everyone’s bucket list.”
Try a company-wide incentive
Incentive schemes don’t have to have an individual focus. It might be that your entire business has a productivity or profit target to hit. Help motivate and build camaraderie with a ‘totaliser’ showing progress so far. You could either have this up on a board in the office or use a company screensaver that’s updated weekly. Next to your target-total have the collective prize so that people are aiming for more than just the numbers. In fact, you could even have staff prizes at key points – something small for when you hit the half way mark (a round of coffee and doughnuts, a catered lunch or something unique to you) and then the ‘bigger prize’ when your final goal is hit.
The logistics of a whole-company incentive experience can be tricky depending on the size of your workforce, but you’ll find that event management services like ours are used to organising anything from the intimate to the enormous. Many of the incentives we’ve mentioned above could also work for your whole team, or why not include some special touches to your Christmas party as an incentive? You could bring cocktail making classes or gin-tasting to the company do if targets are hit, for example.
Celebrate achievements for all to see
Seasonal staff awards can also work as retrospective incentive; when people see their colleagues’ achievements celebrated and appreciated publicly it can drive them to do work that bit harder. Why not have real awards made up for your Christmas party and include a ceremony recognising your best-performing staff during the festivities? It’s a great way acknowledge them and to show that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed!
Do you run an incentive scheme in your work place? We’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments section below, on Twitter or Linkedin.