The behaviourists of the last century taught us a lot about how punishment and reward can control reflexes in animals. To cut a long story short, rewards where found to be much more effective than punishments. This idea has revolutionised animal rights, and it is now taboo to train a dog through punishment methodologies.
People are of course animals, albeit very intelligent ones. We too have behaviours that can be guided through simple reward methodologies. This isn’t meant to patronise, and we can be aware that our behaviour is being improved, whilst undergoing the changes willingly.
In the workplace this is where our behaviours are most coerced, and so where reward mechanisms can produce extremely positive results. These reward mechanisms and methodologies are often labelled incentive programs, which can in real terms improve your business.
It is a cliché but businesses are about personnel. Therefore, when you neglect your people, they are liable to either go off somewhere else or begin to compromise on efficiency and productivity. Either of these scenarios could considerably undermine your business, and so incentives that reward positive behaviour could indeed save your business.
Employee incentives can take many forms. At their most simple they can be in the form of bonuses or cash rewards, however vouchers can also work well, and are beneficial as they closely link a positive behaviour with your brand or business.
