Sales & Marketing Management - January/Februry 2008 - (Page 36) TECHNOLOGY TRAINING INCENTIVES TRAVEL/MEETINGS Flexible work places can motivate, too New research has shown that telecommuting and job sharing encourage a work/life balance that improves worker satisfaction—and therefore retention. According to Joseph G. Grzywacz, Ph.D., of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., employees with flexible schedules are also more likely to practice healthier lifestyle habits. The research study, titled “The Effects of Workplace Flexibility on Health Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis,” was published in the December 11 issue of The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Drawing data from health risk appraisals completed by employees for a large pharmaceutical company, researchers analyzed the correlation between lifestyle behaviors and levels of job flexibility. Looking at employees from all levels of the company, the study found that those with flexible work weeks had higher frequencies of physical activity, engagement in stress management programs, healthy sleep habits and participation in health education activities. Grzywacz explains that this study helps illustrate what effect work place flexibility has as an element of effective worksite health promotion programs. Stuart Slutzky, chief marketing officer for Chicago-based Destiny Health, an insurance company that runs incentive-based health programs in offices throughout the U.S., has this to add: “In the end, if you’re paying employees to work 40 hours and they’re getting the job done, and at the same time they’re happier and healthier, [flexible scheduling] is a great incentive to promote wellness.” —Alex Palmer tage of upgrading living conditions today while adding future value to the property down the line. S&MM: Are there any disadvantages or situations in which gift cards might not be the best choice? MS: Sales managers should be careful about selecting gift cards if they can’t give their teams a few choices, especially in longer-term incentive programs. For example, Home Depot cards are effective because everyone needs to buy household cleaners, basic tools and a host of other products that we sell. But as a large, long-term incentive, a Home Depot card might not be as motivating to someone who’s renting as it would to a homeowner. The other area that calls for some caution is when a sales manager is changing a specific reward that has been in place for a long time. If your salesperson of the year always got a free trip to the Bahamas, replacing that exotic trip with a gift card— even if it is loaded with a high dollar amount—might be great for some people, but disappointing to others. That’s why choice is so important to an incentive plan. A poll of managers at incentive companies on the Sales & Marketing Management Web site (www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com) shows that the top three choices of reward are gift cards, luxury watches and luxury leather items. The goal is to pique the particular interest of as many individuals on your sales team as possible. S&MM: Any other tips for managers who are looking to [THE PULSE] THE PERCENTAGE OF SURVEYED COMPANIES THAT CURRENTLY REWARD EMPLOYEES WHO ADOPT HEALTHY LIFESTYLES WITH FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. SOURCE: WATSON WYATT/NATIONAL BUSINESS GROUP ON HEALTH SURVEY get the most from their sales teams? MS: We have our own incentive program at Home Depot, of course, and we’ve experienced a lot of success when we tie the individual’s reward to team goals. We want to keep everyone motivated throughout the year, so the grand prize winner only gets the reward if the overall team meets its objectives. That way, everyone has a piece of the action. In the short term, if the individual doesn’t get the reward because the team didn’t meet its goals, there can be some disappointment. That’s happened to us before. But in the long term, it offers a great learning experience. No one wants to be the reason someone didn’t get a reward, so people stay focused on doing their part, even if they aren’t in the running for the grand prize. At the end of the day, we don’t fail or succeed as individuals but as a team, so we’ve incorporated that philosophy into our sales culture. It’s paid tremendous dividends for us. www.salesandmarketing.com www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com 36 SALES &MARKETING MANAGEMENT 46 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com
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