The Best Reward You Can Give Employees

Ever asked employees what incentive would most motivate them?

According to one recent study, 40% of employees said they wanted a trip to a destination of their choice. Twenty-three percent preferred a shopping spree. Another 19% chose home improvement items; 10% said season tickets to some sort of entertainment, and 4% chose electronics.

What’s the lesson for employers? That we should all start buying package deals at the local travel agency?

Probably not. If you re-read the results, you find that at least 56% of employees did not choose the vacation. The best reward (at least according to this survey) is probably either one that your employees have chosen together as a group, or one tailored to fit the needs and desires of individual employees.

SOURCE: Survey by American Express Incentive Services L.L.C. (AEIS), June 1999.