Incentive - August 2008 - (Page 16)

COVER STORY 16 | Incentive | August 2008 | incentivemag.com Photo: Shaun Fenn n the past few years, employee engagement has become one of the biggest and fastest-growing management trends, and with good reason: There is ample evidence it works. While part of this is common sense—an engaged employee is almost by definition a happier, more productive employee—hard numbers back it up as well. As part of its 2007-2008 Global Workforce Study, consulting firm Towers Perrin surveyed 90,000 employees in 18 countries about a number of topics, including what drives engagement—the desire and willingness of employees to go the extra mile in their jobs, to put in discretionary effort. While the firm came up with a number of answers about how companies drive engagement, the most eye-catching part of the survey was why. Towers Perrin compared the financial results of 50 multinational companies. In the course of one year, the companies with high employee engagement posted a 19 percent increase in operating income and a 28 percent increase in earnings per share; conversely, Getting an in Engagement I BY LEO JAKOB SON “A” those with poor employee engagement scores saw operating income decline by nearly one third, and earnings per share drop 11 percent. More broadly, the firm has concluded that a 15 percent improvement in engagement will cause a 2 percent improvement in a firm’s operating margin. “For a Fortune 500 company, two percent equals billions of dollars in shareholder value,” says Eric Mosley, CEO of Southborough, Mass. and Dublin, Ireland–based Globoforce, which specializes in global recognition programs designed to drive engagement. “What was a small topic of interest to a few progressive companies a few years ago now is across the board. When people believe something will provide business benefits, they will get involved.” While the incentive industry has traditionally focused on sales programs that recognize the best employees, generally the top 10 to 20 percent, this new focus on employee engagement is clearly driving a change. For one thing, it focuses on every employee, sales and non-sales alike. For another, it frequently What do Amgen, a biotech-driven pharmaceutical company, and Avnet, a distributor of high-tech parts, have in common? Worldclass global recognition programs http://incentivemag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incentive - August 2008

Incentive - August 2008
Contents
Editor's Note
In the News
Cover Story: Amgen and Avnet, a Pair of Fortune 200 companies, are taking two very Different Approaches to Rolling out a Global Recognition Program
Incentive Interview: Author, Speaker, Professor, Refugee; Steve L. Robbins’ many hats have led him to ask, “What if ... The World isn’t as We Think It Is?”
Case Study: Rudi’s Organic Bakery Found that an incentive trip with a Strong Social Responsibility Component Works Wonders
Gift Card IQ
Banking on Relationships
Corporate Comics Make Serious Points
Incentive Primer: Tom Miller
Gas Incentives Rev Up
Legal Ease: Pitfalls Beyond Taxes
My Turn: Airline Frequent Flier Programs
Travel News: Where To Go and What To Do
Amalfi Coast: A Classic Italian Destination
Hong Kong: The Original Chinese Incentive
Ireland: South, East, West, and Now North
potentials Here and Now
Electronics: Top Tech Trends
Luxury Goods: Exceptional Awards
Corporate Gifting: Rules and Ideas
Excite and Incent: Spot Rewards
Advertiser Index
Off the Cuff: Hollis H. Malone

Incentive - August 2008