All Star - Blog listing page

Highlighted in this month’s Engagement Strategies Online Magazine is a snippit from BlessingWhite’s website regarding a Perks Culture vs a Purposeful Culture.  My first observation of the author’s comments is why do these two things have to be mutually exclusive?  In fact, we at All Star would recommend that you do everything in your power to intertwine your company culture with your rewards program.  Utilize your program messaging to not only emphasize reward program features but also highlight company milestones, new business achievements, and corporate responsibility initiatives.  Rewards programs will not work in a vacuum.

Most of us in the industry are well in tune with the fact that Wellness is a key area of focus for many companies these days.  Companies are doing as little as simply offering literature to as much as opening workout facilities with fitness classes on site.  A recent article from The Boston Globe highlights a few local companies and what they are doing to achieve desired results.  What the reporter fails to mention is how a reward and recognition program seamlessly can tie into a company’s wellness program and not only increase workforce motivation but also drive participation and results.

As related follow up to our resident product guru (Allison Wooten's) blog "Are PCs a Dying Breed?" an interesting study reveals hat Tablets are the go-to alternative to TV -- and PCs and Smartphones are not keeping up/

It seems that every day a new social media tool sneaks its way onto our radar screens - but there are certainly a few key standouts (based on usage, followers, visits, etc.) that are worth a company’s time. An interesting Linkedin article/infographic breaks down usage and demographics on the top sites.

A recent Forbes article speaks to a new wave of employee confidence to which company executives should take note.  In an economy that continues to struggle (with slight improvements) – employees are finding their confidence and slowly emerging from the “I’m just happy to have this job” fog.  Companies need to recognize that to motivate their employees to not just work harder but simply stay on the job – incentives are critical.

In sales and business in general, we are always looking for ways to generate leads, make connections, promote our business, and network. With social networking sites and online tools, it has never been easier (or more overwhelming) to get connected and be heard. But with all of the options – what is the best and do we really need to have our name associated with every site out there? The answer to those questions is subjective but certainly one thing is undeniable – you can’t ignore it (it’s not going away)!

In the article “The Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail to Keep Their Best Talent,” I believe that the writer omits one very significant reason.  Rewards and recognition clearly play a critical role in keeping top talent at both small and large companies -- but were left out of the article.  Companies that choose to ignore this fact will notice that it is a contributing factor to their best and brightest walking out the door.

Recently in the news we learned that many anonymous donors are paying the layaway balances of families less fortunate enabling them to fulfill their holiday hopes.
(Anonymous Donors Pay Off Kmart Layaway Accounts)