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Olympic athletes that are citing burnout and mental health as the reason they’re dropping out of competitive events have been in the news. Athletes are not the only ones that experience burnout and mental health challenges; they exist in the workplace as well. Once an employee has lost motivation, it’s very hard to get it back. What are the signs of employee burnout and how can managers avoid burnout before it’s too late?

Because we’re in the business of helping companies improve business, we are especially skilled in structuring effective employee programs that improve engagement, increase sales and achieve other metrics and improve business in general. (There are many reasons why improving employee engagement is beneficial.) This recent article suggests that some company leaders may be unclear about the difference between corporate gifting and properly structured employee incentive, recognition and reward programs.

Although employee incentive, reward and recognition programs are popular, many program coordinators skip the steps that would prove their effectiveness. Critics of these programs claim that they’re not measurable, they are nice to have but can’t document any financial benefit to the company. In fact, it is possible – and advisable – to measure employee programs. The latest Incentive Research Foundation study reports how many companies are measuring success.

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.

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):