You can only make your Employee Rewards and Recognition Programme successful if you communicate it effectively. Here's how
Introducing a new Employee Rewards and Recognition Programme is exciting - but that can soon fizzle out if you don't communicate it effectively. For you to see maximum return on investment, you'll need to make sure all your employees know about the programme you've introduced, are motivated to use it regularly and are happy with the rewards on offer.
Here's our guide to communicating your employee rewards programme effectively.
1) Communicate it... everywhere
It's not enough simply to send out an email ahead of the launch date. You need to communicate your rewards programme everywhere, including on posters, in team meetings and on the company intranet.
You should start communicating a good few weeks before you actually launch the programme. While doing it too long in advance can lead to excitement fizzling out, giving your employees the chance to read into and understand the rewards on offer and how the programme works is essential to getting buy-in right from the beginning.
2) Ensure communication is in-line with company branding
As with any large piece of company communications, you need to ensure it matches your company branding. This means posters should have the same colour scheme and graphics as the rest of your company's marketing, while any language should match the tone and style of your other communications.
3) Put effort into the launch day
An employee rewards programme is a great step forward for your company - you need to show the business really values and is excited about the programme by putting effort into the launch. This means organising a launch event - maybe a meal or drinks for the office - where you explain why the programme has been introduced and exactly how it is going to benefit your employees.
4) Run regular promotion events after the launch
It's very common to see engagement in a programme tail off the longer it has been in place. That's why it's not enough just to run one launch event and be done with it. You need to ensure you're running regular events celebrating big employee achievements or certain programme milestones in order to maintain excitement and employee buy-in.
5) And communicate it regularly!
Likewise, you shouldn't just communicate about the programme before the launch. You need to be releasing regular updates on a variety of factors. These could include:
- Which individual has won the most points.
- Which team has won the most points.
- Particular achievements that have been recognised as part of the programme.
- Which individuals or teams have nominated others the most.
You should also ensure you tell all stakeholders and employees when modifications occur to the programme, for example if the prizes have changed or if the programme structure has been altered.
6) Include top-down communication
The success of any Employee Rewards and Recognition Programme is dependent on having top-down buy in. This doesn't just mean financial support. Senior managers need to show the rest of the company that they really believe in the rewards programme and the ROI that it will bring, both in terms of company profits and employee happiness.
Part of this should be ensuring those at the top are also communicating about the programme. This could come in the form of a monthly or quarterly update recognising the achievements of those that have won the most prizes or are recognising the most people.
A Rewards and Recognition Programme with Power2Motivate
At Power2Motivate, we have years of experience crafting Rewards and Recognition Programmes that work. We can assist with programme design, launch and communication, as well as ensuring lasting engagement. For more information, contact us today or request a demo.