Design an innovative and targeted variable pay plan with a “Why” that is meaningful for those impacted (individual, team or organization) and an appropriate reward that truly drives desired performance.
People use rewards expecting to gain the benefit of increasing another person’s motivation and behavior, but in so doing, they often incur the unintentional and hidden cost of undermining that person’s intrinsic motivation toward that activity. 
Understanding Motivation and Emotion by Jonmarshall Reeve
One of the most critical factors for satisfaction and engagement for all employees, especially top performers, is a meaningful and actionable performance assessment with developmental feedback.
For many organizations, review processes generate dissatisfaction from leaders and employees alike. Significant time and expense related to these processes add to the general frustration. When it is unclear what ratings measure and they are not strongly associated with the organization’s ability to attract, retain, develop and motivate talent, the value proposition should be questioned.
Abandon Performance Ratings with Caution by Brian Levine and Linda Chen, Mercer
A supportive and positive organizational culture is critically important for attracting, engaging and retaining talented employees as well as an important indicator of “readiness” for growth. We will conduct a culture assessment through questionnaires and employee/management focus groups resulting in actionable recommendations for improvement.
A great culture is not easy to build — it’s why high performing cultures are such a powerful competitive advantage. Yet organizations that build great cultures are able to meet the demands of the fast-paced, customer-centric, digital world we live in. More and more organizations are beginning to realize that culture can’t be left to chance. Leaders have to treat culture building as an engineering discipline, not a magical one.
How Company Culture Shapes Employee Motivation by Lindsay McGregor and Neel Doshi
Too often, we believe that only dollars motivate and recognize employees. However, there are many innovative and creative non-monetary ways as well. Workshops will explore and define both traditional, monetary methods and non-traditional, non-monetary TR options that will inspire employees to contribute to the success of the organization while remaining cost effective.
For artists, scientists, inventors, school children and the rest of us, intrinsic motivation — the drive to do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing — it is essential for high levels of creativity. But the ‘if-then’ motivators that are the staple of most businesses often stifle, rather than stir, creative thinking. As the economy moves toward more right brain, conceptual work…this might be the most alarming gap between what science knows and what business does.
Drive by Daniel Pink
The right balance of TR programs will meet the needs of a diverse employee population, inspire top performance/engagement and be cost effective. After assessing the competitiveness and equity of current compensation, benefits, reward, recognition and employee development programs, a Total Reward Platform will be designed to include non-traditional, creative reward and recognition systems beyond salary.
…Rewards can often produce less of the very things they are trying to encourage. But that’s not the end of the story when used improperly, extrinsic motivators can have another unintended collateral consequence: They can give us more of what we don’t want. Here, again, for business does hasn’t caught up with what science knows. And what science is revealing is that carrots and sticks can promote bad behavior, create addiction, and encourage short-term thinking at the expense of the long view.
Drive by Daniel Pink
Sustained success occurs when there is a well articulated strategic plan conceived from an authentic vision and accompanied by clear, actionable and achievable short and long term performance goals.
Average companies give their people something to work on. In contrast, the most innovative organizations give their people something to work toward.
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Develop a communications strategy regarding new or changing compensation, variable pay and/or benefit plans so that messaging is clear, timely and direct. Transparency builds trust and improves the receptivity and success of programs and plans being introduced.
For a message to have real impact, to affect behavior and seed loyalty, it needs more than publicity. It needs to publicize some higher purpose, cause or belief to which those with similar values and beliefs can relate. Only then can the message create any lasting mass-market success.
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Daniel Pink, the author of Drive, states “the better strategy is to get compensation right and then get it out of sight.” It is important to have a pay structure (i.e., grades, ranges), pay practices and administrative systems right so employees can focus on doing their jobs!
The more prominent salary, perks, and benefits are in someone’s work life, the more they can inhibit creativity and unravel performance…. The better strategy is to get compensation right — and then get it out of sight. Effective organizations compensate people in amounts and in ways that allow individuals to mostly forget about compensation and instead focus on the work itself.
Drive by Daniel Pink
A truly effective benefit program must meet the varied needs of diverse employees and their families and still be financially sound. Non-traditional options along with prevention and wellness strategies must be included to achieve an effective balance.
Most people assume that Google spends a fortune on doing special things for our employees. Aside from our cafes and shuttles, we don’t. Most of the programs we use to delight and care for Googlers are free, or very close to it. And most would be easy for almost anyone to duplicate. The astonishing thing is that more companies don’t come up with ones of their own. All it takes is imagination and the will to do it.
Work Rules by Laszlo Bock
