Incentive - January 2009 - (Page 25)

AFFAIR How do you give recognition to star employees? Try rewarding THEIR FAMILIES TOO BY CAROL PATTON Family J esse Jacobs, president of Samovar Tea Lounge, was trying to find a creative way to reward one of his employees who recently exceeded her sales goals. His tea company sells seasonal, organic and artesan teas from around the world and also operates two restaurants in San Francisco. “Diana treats the business as if it were her own—with a lot of integrity and care,” he says. “Her sales showed it. But the restaurant business has very tight margins. I don’t have a lot of money to throw out thousands of dollars in bonuses. I wanted a way to recognize her, show her that we appreciate her and do something special.” So Jacobs asked her to attend a tea trade show in Las Vegas, thinking she would appreciate a trip to the world’s playground. He planned on treating her to dinners at the upscale Bellagio and a show or two of her choice. But when the single mother of three refused—citing her role as caregiver for a 15-year-old son who still lived at home—he offered to treat her son, too. He says the whole trip will probably cost no more than $1,000. “My son is excited about the trip,” says Diana Solis, who has worked for the company for five years. “It’s a new experience for me and my child. [Jesse] is a wonderful boss for doing this.” Through this experience Jacobs learned something that many employers never do: that rewarding the families of high achievers goes a long way toward job satisfaction, motivation and loyalty. Whether the reward is small or large doesn’t matter. What does is making employees feel like a superstar in front of their families and outwardly recognizing their families’ sacrifices, with gifts or tokens of appreciation. If families better understand the value of employees, they will encourage them to excel in their career, rallying behind them and the company. Although this is the first time Jacobs has ever rewarded a family member, he now plans to incorporate more family rewards or recognitions into his business’ strategic plan. For example, last month he hosted a holiday dinner this year for his 40 employees and their families, so they could enjoy a special night out and meet the most important people in their coworkers’ lives. “Every single business is nothing except people—people who work for you, people you sell to and people you buy from,” he says. “If [employees] are feeling good about what they’re doing and where they are, everybody wins. They make more tips, incentivemag.com | January 2009 | Incentive | 25 http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - January 2009

Incentive - January 2009 Contents Editor's Note: Rewards Must Be Sustainable Headlines Cover Story: Responsibility's New Role Incentive Interview: Patrick Lencioni Family Rewards: Who They're Working For Primer: Working Design Leap of Faith: Religion in the Workplace Cook Up Engagement: Kitchen Teambuilding My Turn: Procurement Possibilities Motivation@Work: Hard Times Recognition Legal Ease: The Tax Facts on Corporate Gifts Travel News: Where to Go and What to Do The Bahamas: Islands in the Sun Field Reports: Four European Destinations Golf: Around the World in 18 Holes Potentials Here and Now Watches and Clocks: Strike the Pose Golf Merchandise: Awards with a Solid Swing Computers: Digital Delights Retailers Band Together for Gift Card Market Gift Cards: The Prepaid Reward Spectrum Advertiser Index On the Web www.Incentivemag.com

Incentive - January 2009

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