More participants, more results
Once reserved for the sales team, use of incentive travel to motivate employees throughout an organization is becoming increasingly popular. Based on the principle that organizational success is better achieved when all areas are driving performance, the trend is to use incentive travel programs to motivate staff members throughout an organization. According to a 2006 incentive travel user survey by Incentive, an industry publication, today’s travel incentive trip earners’ breakdown as follows:
• Sales personnel 65.9%
• Non-Sales personnel 39.5%
• Dealers/distributors 39.5%
*Note: Some respondents indicated more than one group is included in their programs.
Travel incentive programs are still most frequently used to motivate sales. But more and more companies are beginning to successfully drive total organizational performance, with travel incentives. These companies know the programs pay for themselves — and the proof is in the bottom line.
Two areas to think about when considering the potential impact an incentive travel program can have on non-sales roles: costs and profits. Benefits will vary from company to company, but key targeted objectives include a variety of specific performance categories including:
• Recognition of performance excellence
• Promoting teamwork
• Building morale
• Improving customer service, experience and loyalty
• Supporting the sales function’s success
• Meeting Safety Goals
All of which impact cost efficiency gains and productivity improvements throughout the organization.
Recognition matters
According to a recent Maritz Poll®, 55 percent of employees “agree” or “strongly agree” that the quality of their company’s recognition efforts impacts their job performance. That’s a large segment of employees who will work harder and better for the right kind of reward.
Pleasing more, and different kinds of employees
When it comes to travel incentives, one size definitely does not fit all. It’s important to know the different segments of employees within the organization. The travel experience that motivates a single, 25-year-old male may be quite different than what interests a 40-year-old mother of two. For instance, that 25-year-old might be drawn to trips involving eco and adventure travel or emerging destinations such as Bucharest, Romania’, Reykjavik, Iceland, or the Baltic region of Latvia, while the mother of two might prefer a family getaway to Orlando, Florida.
Knowing who prefers to swim with the dolphins as opposed to taking a sight-seeing trip to Rome, then directing the program accordingly, will spell the difference between a good program and a great one.
It’s a new day
Times have changed in the world of employee benefits. Once, you could satisfy your employees and prospective employees by offering a good package of health benefits. Today, the cost of health insurance coverage for employees has gotten to the point of being burdensome – and promises to only get worse. Taking benefits away without a suitable replacement is a morale killer. Companies can still attract and keep first-class employees with another kind of employee benefit: incentive travel. Not just for sales personnel anymore, incentive travel programs can reward everyone for loyalty, hard work and productivity. And, have a positive impact on the bottom line.
