Tailoring employee rewards: why one size doesn’t fit all

Little Johnny just celebrated his eighth birthday and his dad gave him a top-of-the-line chemistry set. I’d been hearing about this chemistry set from his dad, almost daily, for several weeks leading up to the birthday. In fact, Dad was probably more excited about this chemistry set than Johnny was. And therein lay the problem.

At his birthday party, Johnny was playing excitedly with his many presents, but the chemistry set lay unopened on one corner of the coffee table. His grandmother noticed, “Johnny, why aren’t you playing with your chemistry set? Don’t you know that your dad picked it out specially for you?” In complete childish innocence, Johnny replied, “Yes, I know, but it isn’t what I wanted. I asked Daddy for a Rescue Ranger.”

Consider how you are tailoring employee rewards

If you’ve attended one of my leadership sessions, you’ve heard me say that different employees are motivated by different rewards, and it’s important to find out what motivates a specific employee. Some employees thrive on public appreciation, others appreciate a small gesture such as a coffee certificate, and yet others prefer a simple thank-you note or e-mail. The key: for a reward to be motivating, it must involve tailoring employee rewards to that specific individual for it to be meaningful. The best way to find out what motivates specific employees is to ask them.

But … it’s just as important to listen to the answers. Leaders who practice tailoring employee rewards will see the biggest impact.

Leaders, are you giving your employees the “Rescue Rangers” they’re asking for, or the “chemistry sets” you think they should want? How do you uncover what truly motivates your team, and what have you found works best in tailoring employee rewards? I’d love to hear your experiences.  Please share your thoughts by adding your Comments below.  We can all learn from one another!