FEATURESTORY

3 Things to Remember

#1 - Some people like Yanni.

There's no accounting for taste, so avoid the one-reward-fits-all approach. BI Senior Vice President John Jack's favorite answer to the riddle, why did the chicken cross the road? Only the chicken knows.

#2 - Experiences can't be duplicated.

Travel is a popular incentive for high earners because it's the ultimate indulgence. Tim Houlihan, Vice President of Reward Systems at Minneapolis-based BI, says travel is often thought of as "more savoring." Be sure to provide something more than tickets to a destination, however. Create an experience that can't be duplicated.

#3 - Don't drag it out.

A tendency when using expensive rewards is to lengthen the incentive program's time frame.

That's a mistake, says Houlihan. The trip to Maui for top performers at the end of the year is more recognition rather than incentive. "It's hard to keep people engaged in something for a full year. Very few people in our society pursue long-term goals." Allowing participants to accrue points from several three-month programs will produce better results.
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