What ‘they’ want

There’s been an increase in ‘points-based recognition programs’ (Red Balloon Days, Power 2 Motivate, WooBoard, etc.) across the business world.  These points-based systems work by letting working peers and managers assess colleagues and reward them with points.  These points are then swapped for non-financial incentives, much like the incentives offered on credit card rewards programs.

This, in theory, should lead to happier and more motivated individuals.

The problem with points-based rewards systems (no matter how sophisticated) is that it pretends most people work as individuals when most people work as part of a team.

There’s no ‘I’ in team

There are no team rewards.  Points are earned and spent by the individual employee.  The culture will follow towards individualism and pursuit of personal goals.  This may not be a problem if your business relies on individual performance.  If however, your business relies on teams working and performing together, then it is a problem.

The workplace where they talk about “team work” and “collaboration” but in practice reward and recognise individual performance has a culture at odds with its systems and structure.

A budget just for ‘me’

Points-based reward systems are easy for HR to administer and justify.  Select a budget for each employee and then set points according to the milestones for each employee.  The problem is this uses all the budget and businesses no longer have the budget for team based exercises that go to the heart of culture building.

Team conferences, the corporate sports clubs, pub meals or for ‘shared experiences‘ like a visit by 3 Minute Angels are all culturally important to a workplace.  These should have a budget alongside individual points-based rewards.  There should be a budget for ‘we’ and not just a budget for ‘me’.

What is the reward saying psychologically

Points based rewards systems have a gallery of rewards each person can choose from.  Most of these rewards are experiences like going to the movies, jumping out of a plane or a fine dining experiences.

All these rewards happen outside of work.  As a result, it implies that work is physically and psychologically detached from the ‘feel-good factor’ of the reward.

By contrast, team-based rewards like the massages within the office premises provided by 3 Minute Angels result in the work being physically and psychologically linked directly to the ‘feel good factor’ of the reward.

In essence the workplace based incentive like massage is more psychologically motivating on an individual basis and a team basis