It’s not just the private sector that uses gift cards and vouchers as motivational tools any more: the public sector is finally waking up to the idea that people work harder when you say ‘thank you’ with something tangible. But how do motivational programs differ between private sector and public sector? When you can’t use sales as targets, what can you use? And are there any moral or ethical issues you have to take into account when dealing with the public sector?
Rather than a concentration on profits, motivational programs in the public sector are often focused on performance improvement and can therefore potentially be targeted at everyone from those working in management and leadership through to customer service operatives and street wardens.
With ever closer public scrutiny of how the taxpayer’s money is being spent, vouchers are often used as part of a low-cost, but high-impact, reward and recognition programme. Not only are they quick and easy to administer and can therefore be used to provide an instant reward for a job well done, they can also be given in varying amounts to suit any budget.
A key benefit of using vouchers is that the reward values don’t need to be high to be effective. Far more motivating is the frequency with which the awards are given and public presentation in front of peers. For these reasons voucher cheques, which are readily available and can be given in varying amounts to suit any budget, continue to increase in popularity, not least because they offer the recipient choice in what they spend them on, which is a highly motivating factor in itself.
In the public sector we have also seen a clear trend towards recognising and rewarding staff with long service awards at achievable milestones such as 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 years service in order to encourage loyalty and aid staff retention. To meet this demand, we launched a Long Service Awards offering, which can create awards at various values to reflect a multi-level loyalty scheme.
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