An employee program is a structured program designed around employee recognition and rewards. It serves several purposes within an organization:
Employees are more likely to participate in company initiatives if they have a clear structure to follow and rewards to chase. It could be something as simple as an Employee of the Month program, or a reward system built around leads and sales.
Employees will do their job regardless, but a rewards program is the dangling carrot that pushes them further.
By offering branded apparel and merchandise as part of an employee program, you’ll foster a strong brand identity.
Employees will wear your brand inside and outside the workplace, promoting it every time they slip on a branded T-shirt or use branded drinkware.
Employee programs aren’t just for existing employees. You can use them to create onboarding kits for all new employees, bringing them into the organization by giving them the same branded attire worn by their colleagues, as well as workspace essentials and employee handbooks.
Employee programs might sound like a lot of effort, but they’re worth it, and at Foxtrot Marketing, we can get you set up quickly and without a fuss.
We’ll help you with everything from merchandise design to website creation. Once you have your storefront, we can manage your inventory and fulfill orders, with no storage or minimum order quantities needed on your part.
To get the most out of your employee program, keep these tips in mind:
With online store solutions from Foxtrot Marketing, employees can order directly through your customized storefront. They can choose from various products (refreshed regularly) and order single items, and with our Enterprise Online Store, they can even receive support from a chat assistant.
Employees can use purchase codes and subsidies when buying required items, such as workplace uniforms, and receive employee discounts on everything else.
Don’t let those milestone anniversaries pass without fanfare. Some employees spend a lifetime at a single company and don’t receive any recognition—break the mold and throw them a little party.
The bigger the milestone, the bigger the reward should be—give them a swag bag to show your appreciation. Not only will you retain their loyalty and respect, but you’ll also show other colleagues that commitment is rewarded.
Even hard-working employees can phone it in on occasion. But if there is an incentive waiting for them, they’re more likely to commit every working day.
Set targets for them to chase and reward them for going above and beyond:
Your remote employees also work hard, and while they might not expect a reward, if they keep missing out, they’ll soon get disheartened. So, include both remote and hybrid workers in your initiatives. Give them a swag bag when they join, add them to initiatives, and reward them with merchandise.
A branded product is more than a gift to show appreciation. It’s a potential marketing tool.
Every time they wear branded apparel outside the house, they’re advertising your brand; every time they use branded drinkware or stationery, they’re telling others where they work and showing their pride in that workplace.
So, in addition to workplace essentials, hand out merchandise they can use at home, and encourage them to use it.
Got a big event coming up? Booked your employees into a retreat? Now’s the perfect time to create some event-specific branded apparel.
Your employees will enter the event space as a team, and may feel more connected as a result. Those branded tees, hats, and hoodies will also serve as mementoes of the time they spent together, and could stay in their closets for years.
Use detailed analytics built into storefronts to track how many employees are ordering your merchandise, and encourage feedback to ensure they’re wearing and using them.
Keep the feedback anonymous and ask for complete honesty. You want your merchandise to be as comfortable and useful as possible, so if there’s an issue, you need to know about it.
You don’t need employee programs, but they help. Staff turnover is a major issue for many organizations, and when you consider the cost of recruiting and training new employees, it can add up to a significant sum. Employee programs increase loyalty by incentivizing employees and showing them that you care. Productivity may also increase.
Onboarding kits—swag bags given to new employees—and incentive schemes are some of the most common employee programs.
Yes. Humans have an innate need to reciprocate, and if they receive a swag bag upon joining the organization, they’re more likely to commit and engage. They want to show their gratitude, and by wearing branded apparel and using branded goods, they’re also surrounding themselves with your brand and creating strong connections.
Not necessarily, as they are scalable. You don’t need to invest big if you have a small team and low margins. What’s more, the increase in loyalty and productivity could generate a significant ROI.