Why organise long-service awards for your workforce?

Thursday, 23 February 2012 06:32

Long-service awards can help to motivate workers

Long-service awards can help to motivate workers

The idea of staff rewards for long-serving employees is far from a new one, but the rationale behind it has changed over the past 30 years. It was once seen as the done thing, but is now viewed as an important part of a staff retention strategy.

As the UK's workforce has become more transient, an increasing number of companies have been affected by churn. Having a high turnover of workers is costly in terms of recruitment and training, and can also be disruptive, as inexperienced employees have less knowledge of the requirements of individual customers and are more likely to make mistakes.

Reducing the number of good staff who leave your business can help to avoid key relationships with clients being damaged and productivity being hit. However, as we now live in a world where it is not unusual for people to work for ten or more firms during their career, it can be difficult to achieve.

The first idea that springs to mind will probably be higher salaries and improved benefits packages, but that is an expensive solution and one that may not work. A good alternative is an employee scheme that rewards long service.

This is very different from the traditional gold watch after 40 years – and not only because the 'job for life' has all but disappeared from the British economy. Modern incentive programmes could reward people for every five years they have worked for an organisation.

You will discover they are relatively inexpensive to run, with the rewards on offer including gift vouchers and prepaid cards for retailers, along with personalised mementos. Organise your scheme through a specialist firm and the experts will ensure the items available comply with HM Revenue & Customs guidelines for long-service awards.

Such programmes have a number of benefits to employers. The overall goal is to persuade good workers not to leave the business and giving them an incentive to stay for at least five years is an effective way of helping to do that.

The rewards themselves are only part of the reason for that, as many recipients will see the fact the company has recognised their contribution as the most important thing. People who feel valued by their employer are much more likely to have a high level of job satisfaction.

You will also discover that this type of scheme has a wider impact on employee motivation. Other staff will see your company as one that views its workforce as important to its success, and the handover of gifts will also help to give your office the feel good factor.
 

 

Comments

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  • Top 5 uses for employee incentive schemes

    A well-designed incentive scheme for employees is a good way to motivate staff and help your company move towards its goals. There are a number of different ways they can be used and, if you pick the right ones, you will find such programmes are a cost-effective way to improve performance.

  • Low cost ways to improve employee benefits schemes

    Opportunities to reward your workforce will be in short supply if your company has been hit by the recession. However, there are still some small steps you can take to improve employee benefits packages without putting too much financial strain on the business.

  • Why set up a staff retention scheme?

    Staff retention is an issue all companies have to deal with, as losing key workers is both expensive and disruptive. There are ways to reduce the number of employees who leave and not all of them will break the bank.

  • How should staff reward schemes be organised?

    With money tight in the current tough economic climate, companies are looking at alternatives to pay rises to keep their employees motivated. Among the options to consider are staff reward schemes that demonstrate to workers that they are valued by the business.

  • What do customers look for in a business?

    With many people finding it difficult to manage their finances in the tough economic climate, it is easy to assume that price is the only factor that can help attract the public to your business. However, you may be surprised to discover how important service is to customers.

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