How technology can be used to boost motivation among employees
An overall approach to boosting employee motivation through new technology is to empower your workers to use it to work more flexibly, more remotely and more freely.
But there are also some very tangible ways in which you can deploy technology to boost your reward and recognition offering, which as we all know is intrinsically linked to motivation levels among employees.
Instant gratification as a key motivator
In the fast-paced, hyper-connected world we live in today, people have high expectations of their daily interactions and very little patience for bad user experiences. A positive experience, by contrast, acts as the ultimate motivator.
We have all become used to an online world where everything we engage with is easy, fun and instant, leading to instant gratification. The need for instant gratification is not new, but our expectation of 'instant' is becoming ever faster.
Just as we gain continual feedback and validation from our devices and social media in almost real-time because we're constantly plugged in and turned on, we have the same expectations of reward and recognition in the workplace.
The instant reward experience in 4 simple steps
Consider the following four key drivers to maximise the success of your instant reward scheme:
1) Access
Take advantage of the rise in automation to make your offer appealing and accessible anytime, anywhere. If it can fit seamlessly into your employees' lives in and outside of work, their engagement with it will be far better.
Ensure that all the touchpoints of your reward programme are designed and delivered in a way that provides choice so that each member of your team can engage with it in the way that suits them best.
2) Branding & personalisation of digital communications
Use your reward strategy to maximum effect by allowing it to extend the reach of your employer brand.
For example, a fully customisable email template designed according to your own brand guidelines and look & feel, for example, will get your employees' attention by reinforcing your brand and corporate values, thereby increasing loyalty.
When it comes to individual recipients, the option to personalise an email template for each member of the team at the simple touch of a few buttons will make the reward feel all the more considered and special, and therefore much more effective.
Nothing can replace the personal touch from a manager, either - research shows that an email directly from their manager makes employees happiest. Include a personal thank you and your reward can't fail to make an impact.
3) Choice
The best schemes offer employees a wide range of instant rewards and incentives including vouchers, retail cards, instant eGift Cards and travel and experience days.
This will give your employees ultimate flexibility and demonstrate to them that you understand and respect their different priorities and needs.
Prepaid vouchers and cards in particular please almost everyone, whether they're used as a one-off treat or towards practical, everyday things, thereby helping with the ever-increasing cost of living.
4) Experience
Think about the reward experience being a positive one for both the giver and the receiver.
Systems that integrate seamlessly into existing reward mechanics and that can be managed from one central point -regardless of the complexity of the different branding and messaging - will simplify the administration process and increase engagement by the recipient.
Instant delivery of the reward by email with redemption options that are fast and easy will satisfy your employees' need for instant gratification, while real-time visibility of redemption activity will allow for accurate measurement of the process and its success.
Andy Philpott is marketing and sales director at Edenred UK.
This article was provided by Edenred.
In partnership with Edenred
We help you build stronger connections with your employees to drive higher engagement&performance.
