The Basics of a Successful Employee

Rewards Program
Reward strategies should be based on years of research dedicated to studying the effects of
rewards on employee performance, not the managers preference or intuition. Below is
information explaining the components of successful employee rewards programs.

Reward Program Types

There are different types of rewards programs that companies can implement. These types
are not mutually exclusive, but rather should all be implemented to some degree in order
to gain the most desired effect.

1. Individual vs. Team Based Rewards Programs

Individual rewards monetary compensation above and beyond salary that is

linked to results or accomplishments.This type of incentive program is also
known as pay for performance. Examples of this type of reward are: merit pay,
bonuses, commission plans and profit sharing. In one meta-analysis, individual
based performance programs increased performance by 19% in employees.
Team-based rewards monetary compensation that rewards individuals for
teamwork and/or rewards teams for collective results.Team-based incentive
programs can be extremely effective in increasing individual and team
performance. They can also be very effective in shaping employee performance
to be more in line with company values and goals. Team-based reward systems
have been found to increase employee performance by as much as 48%.
Both individual rewards and team-based rewards have a positive influence on
performance, however, team-based rewards can have more of a significant impact on
employee performance. Therefore, effective employee rewards programs should include
both types of reward programs but should place an emphasis on team-based rewards as
they have a tendency to have the largest impact.

2. Competitive vs. Non-competitive Rewards Programs

Competitive ProgramsIn competitive reward programs, there are a limited

number of rewards and not every employee that meets performance standards
will receive a reward; only the highest performers will receive the reward. A
meta-analysis of employee reward programs found that competitive programs
produced a 27% gain in employee performance.

Example of a competitive employee rewards program at Samsung.

 Non-competitive ProgramsIn non-competitive rewards programs every
employee that meets performance standards will receive a reward. Recent
analyses conclude that non-competitive reward programs result in a 22%
increase in employee performance.
Thus, both competitive and non-competitive reward programs result in significant
increases in performance. A comprehensive rewards strategy should include both types.

Schedules of Rewards
Considering when to reward an employee is critical in ensuring the reward system has the
largest possible impact on behavioral change. In many cases, the schedule of reinforcement
can actually be more influential on behavioral change than the magnitude of the
reinforcement. There are two types of reinforcement schedules:

Continuous reinforcement
Continuous reinforcement is when every target behavior is rewarded. An example of this is
paying a bonus every time an employee reaches a performance target. This type of
reinforcement schedule is very effective in quickly shaping employee behavior when
starting an unfamiliar task.

Intermittent reinforcement
Intermittent reinforcement is when the reward does not follow every target behavior
response. This type of reinforcement will result in higher frequencies of the desired
behavior. It is effective in maintaining the desired behavior after it has become a habit.

There are 4 types of intermittent reinforcement schedules and each has a different impact
on employee behavior:

Fixed ratio This type of reinforcement schedule is when a fixed number of

behavioral responses occur before giving the reward. An example of this is a
bonus that is tied to a fixed number of units sold. This reinforcement schedule
will increase performance.
Variable ratio This type of reinforcement schedule is when a random number
of behavioral responses occur before the reward is given. An example of this is
gift cards given randomly to employees. This type of reinforcement will result in
 an increase in desired behavior and the behavior will be more resistant to
extinction (weakening).
Fixed interval This type of reinforcement schedule is when the first
behavioral response after a specific period of time has elapsed is followed with a
reward. An example of this is a salary paid on a regular basis. This type of
reinforcement will produce an inconsistent performance pattern amongst
employees.
Variable interval This type of reinforcement schedule is when the first
behavioral response after random periods of time have elapsed is rewarded. An
example of this is a supervisor who gives praise randomly to excellent
employees. This type of reinforcement schedule will result in an increase in
desired behavior and is resistant to extinction (weakening).
Continuous reinforcement is very effective in quickly shaping employee behavior until it
becomes a habit. Once the behavior has become a habit, variable ratio and variable interval
schedules of reinforcement are the most effective schedules of reinforcement. Using these
schedules of reinforcement results in the most significant behavior change in employees
and this change is most resistant to weakening.

Length of Rewards Program

The length of the employee rewards program has an impact on employees subsequent
performance. A recent meta-analysis found that, in general, the longer the implementation
of an incentive program, the greater the performance gains:

Long-term incentive programs (last longer than 6 months) increased employee

performance by 44%
Intermediate length incentive programs (last 1-6 months) increased employee
performance by 30%
Short-term incentive programs (last less than 1 month) increased employee
performance by 20%
The effect of long term incentive programs may be so robust because they act to
continually shape employee behavior in order to make it a better fit for the organizational
culture and preferences. This results in work performance that is more in line with
company standards and as a result, contributes more value to the company. Thus, when
deciding on the length of an employee rewards program, managers should consider making
it long term (last longer than 6 months) in order to gain the most desired results.
Rewards Effect on Stages of Work
Rewards have a different impact on the employees motivation and subsequent
performance during each stage of their work. Rewards can act to motivate the employee to:

Start a new task In this initial stage of work, rewards serve to promote buy
in to start a new task. Rewards increase an employees motivation to start a
new task by 15%.
Persist In this middle stage of a task, rewards serve as motivational
maintenance. They will contribute to an employee persevering in the face of
distractions, challenges and competing work tasks. Rewards increase
employees motivation to persist on a task by 27%.
Work smarter In this stage of a task, rewards serve to increase the quality of
the performance on the task. They will contribute to the employee investing
more mental effort, thinking of creative approaches to solve problems and
strategies to be more effective and efficient. Rewards increased working
smarter by 26% in employees.
In sum, rewards have significantly less of an impact on an employee starting a new task
(15% increase in performance), than they do in motivating them to persist at the task (27%
increase in performance) and to work smarter on the task (26% increase in performance).

Goals of a Good Reward System

Identifying the desired outcome of rewards is essential in developing the most effective
rewards program in a company. The goals of a good rewards system should be
multifaceted. It should be designed to:

Attract talented employees Rewards should be used to entice talented

employees to the company or position. Companies should allocate a certain
amount of funds to the recruitment and hiring of high caliber employees.
Motivate employees to perform optimally Most programs focus on the
motivational component of rewards. They use rewards to shape employee
behavior in the most desired direction. This outcome should be carefully
considered when designing a rewards program.
 Foster personal growth and development Rewards should be used to
encourage and promote personal growth and professional development. When
rewards are used to encourage employees to engage in behavior that will
increase their work performance, the company ultimately benefits from a more
skilled workforce.
Increase employee satisfaction with their work Rewards can promote
engagement with work, resulting in increased workplace satisfaction. They can
motivate an employee to persist in the face of challenges, come up with creative
solutions to tackling tasks and encourage them to derive more pleasure with
their work.
Keep talented employees from leaving When employees love what they do
and are rewarded for their performance, they are less likely to leave their
company. Keeping talented employees on board should be a priority of any
company. Thus, companies should devote resources necessary to ensure that
their rewards program meet the needs of their most talented employees.
Managers seeking to create an effective rewards program should ensure that the programs
objectives are multifaceted. Including each of these 5 goals is critical to the success of any
rewards program.

It is critical that managers seeking to develop or enhance an employee rewards program

must first understand the components required for success. Doing so could mean the
difference between implementing an ineffective employee rewards program and a
successful one. Implementing a successful employee rewards program will result in
increased profits, increased employee satisfaction and a larger ROI.