Blackhawk Engagement Solutions Study: Employee Incentives Not One-Size-Fits-All
Research examines employees’ satisfaction with incentives, preference for rewards, demographic disparities
 
Lewisville, TX – March 19, 2015 – Building an employee incentive program can be daunting, and new research from Blackhawk Engagement Solutions shows that effective programs happen when organizations truly knows their employees. The study, "Zen and the Art of Employee Incentives," aims to help HR professionals understand employees’ attitudes about corporate incentive programs.
 
"Our findings validate that there really is no one-size-fits-all approach in the world of incentives," said Sheree Thornsberry, GVP of Global Channel and Employee Solutions with Blackhawk Engagement Solutions. "It's about paying attention to who your employees are, and what makes them tick. With that knowledge, it is much easier to figure out what motivates them to succeed."
 
The study shows that offering the correct incentives — a yin-yang balance of what is most valued to employees and what’s affordable for the organization — is one key to success. The survey, executed in January of 2015, questioned 1,000 participants from more than 12 industries with annual household incomes of $50,000 or more. Key findings include:
 
§  No “I” in Team: 42 percent of respondents would like more of a balance between personal and team incentives, and 57 percent actually want more team recognition.
§  Good Versus Bad Recognition: When asked their top reasons for being satisfied and dissatisfied with their rewards, two topics appeared as top responses for both questions: the reward value and the reward choices. This duality reveals that it is important to align the perceived value of the reward to the work it recognizes and offer a wide array of rewards that appeal to different types of employees.
§  Millennials are All About the Incentives: Seven out of 10 jobseekers between the ages of 21-34 consider incentives when searching for a new position. The study also found that in general, millennials value incentives most, and boomers value them least.
§  All Ages Plugged Into Digital Rewards: Virtual gift cards — also called gift codes or eGift cards — are now understood and valued across all age groups. More than 80% of respondents found virtual gift cards appealing and more than 85% of respondents are likely to use virtual gift cards.
§  Tech-Savvy Industries: Newer technology like apps and employee websites should only be used in incentive programs if organizations know their employees will use them. Not all will. Industries most likely to have employees who would embrace these types of technology include IT (73 percent would use an app or website); Finance & Accounting (70 percent); Construction/Engineering (63 percent) and Sales/Marketing (61 percent).
 
The "Zen and the Art of Employee Incentives," study can be downloaded in its entirety here.
 
Blackhawk Engagement Solutions’ scalable global solutions for corporate employee engagement include rewards and recognition, incentives, training and education and more.
 
About Blackhawk Engagement Solutions
Blackhawk Engagement Solutions is a leading global provider of customized incentive and engagement solutions for employee rewards, consumer promotions and recognition, and indirect sales channel management programs. Blackhawk Engagement Solutions is a strategic partner with many of the world's leading brands and a thought leader that provides game-changing engagement solutions. Through innovative products, services and technology, Blackhawk Engagement Solutions inspires actions that impact results. For more information, please visit: www.bhengagement.com.
 
Blackhawk Engagement Solutions is a division of Blackhawk Network, headquartered in Lewisville, Texas
 
About Blackhawk Network
Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAWK and HAWKB) is a leading prepaid and payments global company, which supports the program management and distribution of gift cards, prepaid telecom products and financial service products in a number of different retail, digital and incentive channels. Blackhawk’s digital platform supports prepaid across a network of digital distribution partners including retailers, financial service providers, and mobile wallets. For more information, please visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com.