As the global economic situation worsens and budgets get tighter, common thinking suggests that an incentive programme should be the first thing to be rationalised. 

But is this throwing the baby out with the bath water? 

I believe that it is in tough times like these that an incentive programme’s value is worth far more than the line item on the budget suggests. A well-designed and executed incentive programme can provide both the employee and the employer with measurable benefits. 

For the employee there is a greater sense of reward and recognition. It’s easy to be generous with recognition and remuneration when times are good, but how much more the significance when times are tough?

Employees are renewed with a sense of pride and hope in their jobs. Tough times also mean that it is even harder to get the results.

In fact, it is in times where the sales are harder to make that more rewards and recognition should be given.

Employers are not left out of the benefits either. The sense of goodwill and belief in their staff that incentive programmes can achieve has a value that far exceeds a number in a budget.

If you are there for your employees in tough times then how much more are they going to be there for you in the good?

The challenge I see in this situation is not for either employee or employer, it’s for us as an incentive industry to design and implement programmes that will achieve results for all stakeholders.

It is up to us to engage, inspire and achieve results. So that come budget time we are first thing that is added and not the first thing to be taken away. 

Nikki Cousins is vision weaver at 212˚F, www.2one2f.com