You could argue that the PR industry is a competitive enough arena without pitting employee against employee, but a little healthy competition (and an appropriate incentive) can work wonders for productivity.
Here at Approach our rewards and motivation traditionally come from increased social engagement, a kind word from clients and, of course, coverage (for which we have a dedicated ‘celebration’ bell). But, recently we’ve introduced additional incentives to further fuel our desire for results.
It’s widely accepted that financial rewards are no longer enough to boost employee satisfaction, particularly in millennials. Bosses are turning to less material rewards such as ‘duvet days’ and allowing staff to bring their pets to work. But is it fair (or necessary) to encourage rivalry between team members?
We say ‘hell, yeah’!
The Approach team has been plunged into a flurry of excitement and renewed vigour with the introduction of the APR ‘Round of Applause’. Every time one of us goes above and beyond the call of duty one of our team mates can nominate us for a virtual ‘cheer’. When we receive ten cheers they’re converted to a treat of our choice – bubbly, chocs, you get the idea!
Add the offer of a quarterly prize based on the number of blogs published and competitive edges we never knew we had have been ignited in all of us.
In truth it’s not the value of the end prize that has fuelled a surge in energy levels, and manic blog-writing. The novelty of competing against each other has caused a frisson of exhilaration and a new dialogue of competitive banter.
But should incentives be necessary in the workplace or should a monthly wage be enough to demand maximum output? Incentives have been part of working life for decades – from bonuses to share options. But in the right team something as small as a bottle of fizz can produce the same results.
At Approach Towers the exuberance of competition has led to a surge in friendly and productive rivalry, where continued team spirit and an appreciation of the little treats in life continue to make us a very happy bunch.
Image sourced from Pixabay.
