The healthcare landscape is experiencing revolutionary change with the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In Forbes, Robert Lezner says, “The hospital of tomorrow needs to be a large, integrated system providing extensive outpatient care beyond its primary facility, dedicated to keeping community members healthy.”
This impact on hospitals’ goals and success measures makes it more important than ever to recognize and reward their employees. Happier employees = better service = smoother compliance with ACA.
A great employee reward and recognition program can have a huge impact on healthcare worker’s performance and service. Here are a few ways to make your program as effective as possible:
Build a Program that is Flexible
With an incentive or recognition program that is flexible and allows you to make changes or offer different levels of rewards, you will find it easier to reach your employees. If your program doesn’t allow for change or customization, you will be locked into the same rewards for the same reasons, over and over again. Today’s employees look for personalization and meaning behind recognition and if they sense that is missing, the impact won’t be the same.
Reward Beyond the Norm
Finding ways to reward beyond the standard years of service, or ‘job well done’ will help show true appreciation that employees are looking for. If they feel a reward is unexpected or out of the norm, the impact of their recognition will be far greater. For example, if an employee is awarded for a way they handled a tough task, they can be further motivated to take on more difficult situations with a sense of confidence and drive.
Understand Your Employees
Getting back to the customization of your recognition program, it is important to understand and know all your employees, because what one may find interesting is likely different than the next. For this reason, offering different incentives and rewards is needed to reach employees on a personal level. If you know that Jack Miller loves to travel, but Jill Smith prefers gift cards, having the option to reward each differently will allow you to make service awards meaningful for both.
To learn more about employee service awards and how to start a program of your own, contact a Marketing Innovators specialist today.
