Page 64 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

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Reward and Recognition Programs Don’t Work

late to meetings to not returning phone calls to pointing fingers
to cutting corners. Think back on the last time you took a new
job. One of the first things you did consciously or unconsciously
was to figure out “how things work.” You watched and paid
attention to the behavior of others. Do people tend to come in
early and work late? Do people eat lunch at their desks? How do
people act around the boss? Do people chat much about personal
issues during work? Do people check their Blackberrys during
meetings? Do people bring work home at night? Do people hang
out together outside of work? How do people keep their desks?
How do people dress? These and countless other questions go
through our minds as we figure out how to adjust our behaviors
to fit in.
Some organizations are famous for their culture, with Google’s
emphasis on having fun, being creative, constant innovation,
teamwork, and open communication being a prime example.
Strong cultures are built around an organization’s mission, vision,
and core values established by the founders. The stronger the cul-
ture, the more consistent it remains over time and the greater its
impact on each employee’s behavior. How do reward and recogni-
tion programs influence culture? They don’t. As soon as the pro-
gram is over, any changes in behavior will fail to be reinforced and
quite possibly will be punished by the social mores of the organi-
zation. If you want to achieve meaningful and long-term changes
in behavior, you have to impact the culture, and you simply can’t
do that with any kind of program.

Reason 20: Reward Programs Decrease
Overall Motivation
I have saved the strongest point for last. Most agree that the
purpose of reward and recognition programs is to increase the
overall level of employee motivation. With this in mind, consider
the following: