"Keep up the good work and
there's a weekend in Paris for you!"
Motivation and
incentives
Keep them happy and they will be productive and loyal
You want to combat attrition and boost morale and productivity. These experts in
incentives and motivation pass on some valuable advice you can use
My three key thoughts will make the difference
CALL centres are one of the few sectors that regularly offer incentive and
motivation schemes – they realise that such schemes can make the difference
between an indifferent and an involved workforce.
Here are my three key thoughts:
Keep it simple With a large number of people and a scheme that reaches
across several initiatives, it is of paramount importance to keep the award
criteria transparent, consistent and simple.
One potential client proudly presented me with a 100-page document that included
several levels of authorisation before a single suggestion acquired a “Level 1”
status, and so it went on, and on, and on. Staff would never have understood it
or signed up to it and managers would never have had the time to administer it;
and I told them so.
The moral of the story: don’t strangle your scheme with bureaucracy. Tell them
what they can achieve, tell them how to achieve it and make it a pleasure and
not a chore to sign up.
"Keep up the good work and
there's a weekend in Paris for you!"
Communication, communication, communication I have never heard of a
reward scheme criticised for over-communication, but many where the staff were
“pretty sure” something was happening but weren’t sure what.
Most companies spend half their efforts/budget in specifying an incentive
mechanic and other half making it happen. Some companies spend a third
specifying, a third making it happen and a third launching it.
My advice is to devote only 50 per cent to these three and keep the other 50pc
for ongoing communication. How many schemes have launched in a blaze of
publicity but sink without trace because the sponsors presumed this was enough
to achieve critical mass? Make it part of someone’s job to come up with ways to
publicise the scheme throughout its term: growth in participants, high fliers,
new initiatives, tactical changes – e.g. “Double points on blue widgets this
month”, redemption stories, league tables, etc., are all good excuses to talk to
users.
Hobson’s choice is generally not a good thing! Unless you have a narrow
demographic and the ability to keep coming up with consistently appealing
offers, I suggest offering as rewards multi-choice gift vouchers and/or a broad
choice of merchandise.
Any choice should feature aspirational rewards which will incentivise
participants to hit the mark on an ongoing basis. If your scheme is based on
“little and often”, you might want to consider a points-banking scheme such as
our VIP (Virtual Incentive Scheme). These encourage users to build up points
and then exchange them for a more significant reward, which they then associate
with your scheme. Without an accrual system, the temptation is to cash in
awards immediately, which doesn’t encourage the longer-term behavioural change
you probably desire.
Martin Cooper,
sales and marketing manager, Love2Reward
Martin.cooper@love2reward.co.uk
How to make sure your scheme will work
THESE key factors are imperative when putting together a motivation programme
for call centre staff:
Profile your target audience Whether for individuals or for a team,
factor in the participant’s age, gender, marital status and interests. What
appeals to a 25-year-old single man may not be as attractive to a woman of 45
with a family. And decide carefully on the type of incentive. Holidays to
exotic destinations are wonderful, but not everyone likes flying. “Experience”
vouchers are popular, but age or agoraphobia may well preclude someone from
wanting to bungee-jump!
Involve your senior personnel They will be instrumental in driving your
scheme forward and in ensuring that the project is workable. It’s also sensible
to elect a project leader to co-ordinate research and activity and to answer
queries.
Think about how it can help your business plan Your motivation programme
should be aligned to the company’s business plan in terms of possible
improvements in customer service, increased efficiency, etc. If the scheme is
spread across the company, consider how departments will inter-relate, and how
communication will be organised with personnel working in disparate parts of the
organisation. After all, a recently introduced motivational scheme may prove a
focal point of the business; generating enthusiasm and excitement amongst
personnel and hence not only motivating staff but also improving synergy between
departments.
Make it simple to understand – and communicate! Comprehensive
communication, using bulletins, intranet, newsletters, etc., will help. Spend
some of the budget in communications materials and the programme launch to
generate as much attention as possible.
Theme the schemes to make it fun, and ensure you communicate regularly using
more than one medium, i.e. company email/weekly/monthly meetings. Update
participants regularly on progress, and remind them of the rewards available to
maintain enthusiasm.
Make sure that the rewards are attainable There is little point in
designing a motivational scheme where the targets are perceived as unachievable.
A truly appealing reward that is considered realistically within reach is sure
to encourage staff to work more diligently in contrast to one that is not.
Make some noise about a job well done Everyone loves a public pat on the
back, so publicise good news stories at presentations or conferences.
Acknowledgement of success is almost as good as the reward itself, and
specifically made certificates/trophies help build a success story.
Measure performance It’s key to measure performance via sales and
revenue reports, and customer service feedback forms. Break the year up into
quarters and report in that way. Offer interim awards for those who reach
quarterly targets, and give a major award at the year-end for best overall
performance.
Choice of incentive One of the benefits of using vouchers is that
different values can be used at different levels of achievement. Ours are in a
range of denominations and we have a generous discount structure. As well as
merchandise, we have personal shopping consultants in our major stores, together
with our “Pure Indulgence” experience treats at our stores in London’s Oxford
Street and King William Street. We also offer bespoke hampers, which can be
tailored according to each company’s requirements.
Catherine Forrest, business incentives manager, House of Fraser
catforrest@hof.co.uk
Don’t forget the poor performer
IT IS too simple and easy to regard below average agents as “on the way out” or
“too set in their ways to improve” – they are just not worth the bother of a
motivation scheme.
Instead, such schemes are aimed at the average achievers – who comprise the
middle 80 per cent of any ream – as well as the top producers.
Yet your poor performers frequently have the biggest potential for development.
They may respond well to a carefully structured incentive programme. Here are
some simple steps you can take:
Set achievable targets No one single element is likely to switch people
off – particularly low achievers -- more comprehensively than a seemingly
impossible target. Targets must be realistic and fair and the best way of
setting them is often to ask individuals to set their own. This means that the
commitment is greater because the figures are “mine” not “yours”. They actually
become “ours”.
Have lots of winners Nothing succeeds like success. Being able to
recognise and reward all those who have succeeded is better than lots of
losers. Winners must be genuine, of course, but the process can be helped along
by the creative use of the reward structure.
Make frequent awards with special categories Focus on the bottom 10 per
cent by including special categories. For example, “biggest improvement” can
encourage an employee to keep trying by giving them the opportunity to qualify
for an award next month, despite early poor performance.
Nothing de-motivates the poor performer more than seeing others streaking ahead
from the start, leaving them with no chance of catching up. If everyone starts
afresh each month, the poor performer has another chance to compete on equal
terms.
Award values need not be huge, but the impact of having frequent winners can be
vast. This is where vouchers come into their own as an instantly available,
low-cost option. Capital Bonds, for example, are available in £1 to £20
denominations.
Present rewards publicly The efforts and achievements of all these, and
any others in this category who perform well, should be publicly recognised at
company meetings with personal presentations by a senior manager, as well as in
any communications.
By raising the performance of the bottom 10 per cent, the whole team becomes
more effective and their raised confidence in their own abilities will benefit
the business overall in the long term. However, successful motivation requires
a balance that recognises others’ needs. At the other end of the scale, the top
performers should not be ignored. They will respond to different stimuli and
their need for rewards and recognition should be recognised within the framework
of the motivation programme.
Graham Povey, managing director, Capital Incentives & Motivation
www.capital-incentives.co.uk
How to appeal to
those who ‘have it all’
MOST call centre staff are part of the “millennial generation” and the eldest
are now 30. They embrace change and diversity and they understand that “jobs
for life” no longer exist. They are typically more cynical and meritocratic
then the previous Generation X and form part of the “have it all” society,
spearheaded by celebrities.
They are happy to work anywhere or at any time, but demand a good work-life
balance and are more concerned with “what's in it for me” than other
generations. They are very team-orientated and loyal, so short-term objectives
with immediate feedback and recognition will ensure that they remain engaged.
They are familiar with all forms of communication -- from SMS to FaceBook – and
when communicating they try to use a variety of tools, from blogs and email to
video-links, using informal language and style.
We developed a reward programme for the call centre of a big bank. It included
“money-can't-buy” music-based experiences for a group that was largely young and
single. Each Friday, those who beat their weekly sales targets took part in
lucky dips to win prizes such as CDs, iPods and DVDs. Those who beat their
monthly targets won tickets to see Kylie, Coldplay and REM, with a back stage
pass, signed merchandise and even “meet the band”.
It was simple to
ensure older people were not excluded by offering choices around the style of
music, venue, etc. It also needed to work across different languages, locations
and tax legislation.
Our brief was to
motivate the sales teams and change sales behaviour, so the programme was
designed to keep the focus on increasing revenue, not just sales volume. The
result was a great buzz in the teams and a renewed focus on customer service.
Every six months there was an awards dinner, including a live concert, at an
exclusive venue. Top performers had the opportunity to win prizes such as to
see U2 in New York or a Caribbean holiday.
Entrants, and award winners, totalled 25 per cent of participants, far exceeding
the previous 10-12 per cent.
Once you have a format that works you can keep the same structure but change the
look and feel for each new incentive. Use a different theme -- such as music,
film or sport – to give it fresh appeal, and you’ll save time and money
Paul Brown,
incentives specialist, Maritz
Paul.brown@maritz.co.uk
Put yourself in their shoes
IF YOU don't nurture and support your staff then in the long-term it will come
back to bite you. Whether it results in high attrition or the inability to
recruit new staff, much of this can be down to word of mouth.
If you treat everyone well and they are contented in their work it can have a
viral effect inside and outside your call centre. Just the odd disgruntled
employee can have a powerful impact on how the rest feel and behave, not to
mention how you are perceived locally.
We are in Southend and -- although we are lucky that there is a large labour
pool here -- we can't afford to have a reputation as a poor employer. The
awards we have won are good for our reputation – but they also rub off on our
staff because they feel they are part of an organisation that values them.
We treat all our staff the same, but because we also give them regular personal
appraisals and goals, we can detect and address any problems early on.
It's sometimes tricky to accurately benchmark the effects of treating staff well
but -- apart from better productivity and higher profits -- there are signs. We
regularly run incentives with awards such as high value prizes and meals out,
yet they do not seem to be taken for granted and it's not unusual to find a
“thank you” card on my desk. This kind of feedback tells you that there is a
happy relationship between management and staff.
We also encourage staff to have as much independence as possible. If you put
your trust in them, nine out of 10 will be grateful for your faith in them. In
a job that is often accused of being repetitive and monotonous, introducing more
challenges and variety can make a huge difference.
Probably the best way you can begin to understand how to treat them well is to
put yourself in their shoes. Get on the phone during busy periods and you will
show your staff that there is no “them and us'” mentality. Do unto others….
These are some of our schemes:
Inside Converso's call centre
in Southend
Dino Forte, director,
Converso Contact Centres
www.converso.co.uk
Smaller and more often will appeal to younger staff
BE CAREFUL about introducing the wrong incentive scheme at the wrong time. It
could have the opposite effect – it could demotivate the team and actually
reduce performance against targets. If you're wondering about introducing
incentives, these tips may help:
What behaviour are you trying to encourage? Do you want increased
activity? Better sales figures? Improvement in morale? The team to work
better as a unit? Depending on what you are looking for, design your incentive
system around it.
Do you have the team's "buy-in"? Will all the team be motivated to
achieve what you want, based on the incentives you've offered? Do they actually
want to win it?
For example, in a typical sales team the "standard" is to reward best
performance over a year – usual examples are a car for a period of time, or a
holiday, etc. If there’s only one prize and, six months into the year, one
person is way ahead the rest may just give up. It will actually demotivate
them, resulting in lower activity and performance. It’s the same if (when the
incentive is announced) certain team members don't believe they can win, or they
believe it is already biased in favour of a particular person.
How are you planning to track, monitor and enforce it? Beyond the
basics, most incentives are introduced without much thought of how to monitor
and enforce them. However we know salespeople are creative and if there is a
loophole, believe me, they'll find it!
Think of every eventuality before introducing the incentive and how it will be
tracked, monitored and enforced at every step of the way. And to avoid
confusion, it’s important that it is simple and the process is easy to
understand.
How long is the incentive period? As a rule of thumb, the longer the
incentive period, the less impact it has. If it is any longer than a month, be
prepared to work hard to keep the team focused and motivated towards it.
Salespeople generally tend to be attracted to the “latest thing” -- keeping
their attention on a long, drawn-out incentive period can be challenging.
What are you offering? Again, the rule of thumb is the longer the period,
the bigger the offering; and the bigger the increase in performance, the bigger
the offering! However, don't think you have to have a huge incentive to get
people motivated. Quite the reverse can sometimes be the case! As we move
towards a younger and more flexible workforce, “money” has less and less impact
– it is an “old school” motivator.
Some of my clients have seen big increases in performance from incentives such
as:
These might seem small
compared to traditional incentive schemes but, as people and their motivation
habits change, we have to change with them, or risk being left behind by those
who do.
Andy Preston,
founder of Outstanding Results, a sales training performance company
www.outstanding-results.co.uk