I really can’t believe that Thanksgiving is already next week, which means Christmas is literally just around the corner. I hate how holidays just sneak up on you all of a sudden.

The holidays are the busiest time of year for a lot of organizations. One thing that managers must consider is year-end rewards for employee performance or other recognition/incentive programs. Therefore, I thought this blog post should address what to look for when choosing a reward.

There are roughly four goals that organizations should look for in choosing an employee reward:

• Behavior
• Engagement
• Emotion
• Message

Behavior
First and foremost, the reward should change the behavior and feelings of the employee. The reward should be a motivator – whether it’s to build loyalty or increase safe work practices. Employees are more likely to be motivated by rewards that they normally would not buy themselves and that have a high perceived value.

Engagement
The reward should engage employees in their work. According to studies on employee attitudes and financial performance by the Forum for People Performance Management, when employees are engaged they will continue to behave positively, even after the program is complete. A branded item or other non-cash reward is considered an addition to compensation. Employees consider these items as noticeable rewards for performance, which enhances employee engagement.

Emotion
One critical factor to remember is that the award should create an emotion. If the recipient does not have an interest or feeling for what they receive, they will not remember it.

You can create an emotional experience for the recipient by choosing a personally symbolic reward. Find out what the recipient likes and dislikes, using an employee recognition profile, and remember to consult the profile when choosing a reward.

Message
The reward you choose should convey a message that coincides with the organization’s values and goals and the accomplishment. This is usually a branded message and should hold some trophy value - an employee can show off the item to coworkers and friends as a "trophy” or symbol, given in appreciation of good work.

Remember these four steps to choosing an employee reward, and the behavior you desire should continue. This will engage your employees and increase satisfaction and loyalty.