26 Jun 2024

How to adjust your recognition programme for different regions and cultures

There are some key points to consider to ensure your global recognition programme reaches people in different regions

If your organisation spans the globe, it’s crucial that employee recognition ismemorable and meaningful, regardless of an employee’s location. There are several compelling reasons to embrace a global recognition solution:

1. Resource efficiencies: Managing a single programme streamlines processes and compliance, allows for shared infrastructure and costs and reduces administrative overheads.

2. Greater transparency: Operating standalone regional programmes within global organisations can hinder monitoring effectiveness and measuring return on investment. A centralised recognition system not only provides a single view of performance but also captures meaningful engagement and trend data for global comparison.

3. Leveraging best practice: The organisation can adopt best practices and innovations, and avoid by sharing successful recognition strategies globally. Regional programmes may miss out on valuable insights.

4. More consistency and equality: Deploying your recognition strategy globally ensures a layer of standardisation of objectives, consistency and equality in programme delivery and overall wellbeing throughout your entire organisation.

5. Alignment to organisation values: A global programme reinforces the organisation’s core values universally.

6. Fosters inclusivity: A global programme encourages cross-cultural awareness and a more inclusive workplace.

7. Stronger employer brand: A consistent global recognition programme enhances the organisation’s reputation as an employer of choice, helping to attract top talent and retain existing employees.

What are some of the key considerations to ensure your global recognition programme has impact for the people in the different regions?

Comprehensive implementation

Too often, off-the-shelf solutions leave out critical components that turn a good peer-to-peer recognition programme into a great one. Overlay the additional complexity that comes with global implementation and factors such as how to integrate regional programmes and cultural exceptions, and how to manage cross-country recognition programmes and regional tax implications, and the risk for oversights increases.

Magnify recognition with culturally aspirational rewards

Recognition holds immense power, shaping the employee experience and fostering a positive workplace culture. When combined with tangible rewards, its impact multiplies.

In a BI WORLDWIDE study, we compared the effects of recognition and rewards. The results were striking: Employee turnover was four times higher among those receiving the fewest recognitions with awards compared to those with the highest rates.

Research consistently shows that cash and cash equivalents fall short in motivation compared to experiences and tangible rewards. Even better, aligning rewards with personal preferences enhances their effectiveness. When navigating a global employee recognition audience, consider a reward solution that offers culturally relevant and aspirational reward choices. The key lies in partnering with a global provider that not only offers the benefits of a globalised solution but also local fulfilment. This ensures that your reward choices resonate with the trends, brands, needs and desires of the employees you seek to inspire.

Business as usual doesn’t work in China

If your organisation has an employee footprint in China, localisation is essential. There are four fundamentals to be aware of:

Business strategies must be connected to China’s digital ecosystem. To effectively do business, you need to be mobile-first as well as integrated with WeChat, Tencent’s super app.
The Great Firewall of China compounds digital engagement challenges. Multinational corporations who want to access Chinese users should engage with them through WeChat or localise websites inside the firewall with an internet content provider (ICP) license.
Data privacy compliance is required and complex. Non-compliance with personal information protection laws (PIPL) can attract significant penalties.
Guanxi (relationships, connections or networks) is a cultural gatekeeper. Chinese culture is based on face-to-face interactions and on guanxi. It’s essential to business success, supply chain management and deal-making.

To learn more, check out our full blog, 4 Fundamentals To Optimise Employee and Channel Partner Engagement in China.

Global recognition

BI WORLDWIDE champions truly global recognition solutions. In our interconnected world, a global recognition programme isn't just practical - it's essential. By embracing empathy and understanding regional and cultural nuances, organisations can create a unified employee experience that transcends borders, fosters collaboration, and builds cultureal awareness.

Recognition isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. To be effective, a global programme must acknowledge the unique fabric of each region within your organisation. A centralised approach, offering global oversight while allowing for regional implementation, ensures a recognition-rich culture worldwide.