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Many companies with employees working from home for the first time during current COVID-19 concerns may be wondering how to keep remote employees engaged in uncertain times.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made many business processes and initiatives easier. From chatbots that improve customer service to programs that help to analyze data better and faster, artificial intelligence technology is changing our business landscape.

Companies with defined incentive, reward and recognition programs enjoy a higher market share, lower turnover rates, a more highly engaged workforce, higher productivity and a host of additional benefits, so it makes sense that an increasing number of companies are turning to these programs. But very few company leaders know which reward vehicles work best, understand the legal tax and regulatory issues involved, or employ staff with relevant experience to properly design programs. Yet, despite this, many still attempt to do so using in-house resources.

An article entitled Five Secrets to Motivate and Retain Employees was recently published by ThriveGlobal. The author is a career coach…but notably, not an incentive professional or specialist in the reward and recognition field.

The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) has completed their survey of incentive buyers, suppliers and professionals in the industry to provide their merchandise outlook for 2020. Some key points follow:

What is the perfect reward for employee recognition programs that target performance in areas like safety, wellness, customer service and training?  Let’s start by defining what we mean by “perfect.” The “perfect” award would be one that is both highly desired by the award recipient and one that will easily be remembered by that recipient for a long time to come.  Without that in mind, let’s first consider what award structures do not work (and yet are still commonly used):