Effective Suggestion Programs Focus on Personal Satisfaction (Not Money)
(Editor’s Note: Today’s post is sponsored by IdeaGlow, a cloud-based software for building employee suggestion programs. IdeaGlow was recently featured in a Miami Herald article on how digital suggestion programs are creating engagement and encouraging innovation. You can check it out here. Enjoy the post!)
A key component to employee engagement is involvement. I think we can all agree that employees need to feel involved in order to become satisfied with their work and eventually engaged with the organization. One way to help employees feel involved is by allowing them to have a voice in how things are done.
How many times have we heard:
“Our employees do the job every day.”
“Our employees are on the front-lines dealing with customers.”
Well, if that’s true then those employees probably have some valuable insight about the way to effectively get things done. The question then becomes how is that valuable information making its way into the organization so it can be evaluated, tested, budgeted, and implemented.
One way is via employee suggestion programs (ESPs). Suggestion programs give employees the ability to share ideas that will improve the business.
It’s important to note that suggestion programs are not anonymous complaint boxes. I believe companies can be hesitant to implement ESPs because of the perception they will turn into a demotivator. But honestly, when I think back on the times I’ve seen a suggestion program go rogue, it wasn’t because the program was poorly designed. It was because the program wasn’t being managed. Companies can’t simply hang a box on the wall or flip a switch and expect the program to manage itself.
That’s why I thought what IdeaGlow is doing is so exciting. Because their program is focused on building suggestion programs based upon intrinsic rewards. It literally changes the way the program is managed.
Just a little sidebar lesson here on Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory because I always have to think twice about the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards are those that are related to the job itself and provide personal satisfaction. They come from the individual. Versus extrinsic rewards, which come from the work environment. Common extrinsic rewards include salary, bonuses, perks, etc.
Now, back to intrinsic rewards. Companies can use the IdeaGlow solution to create ESPs that encourage ownership and engagement with their employees through the suggestion process. The primary motivation for employees is their desire for the company to be successful, not a bonus check.
The reason IdeaGlow focuses on intrinsic motivation is because contests and bonus checks don’t convince employees to stay with your company. Engagement does. So, the idea here is when employees are engaged, they will freely provide suggestions on how to improve the business. Makes complete sense, right?
During my test drive of the IdeaGlow solution, I learned a few things that would take a suggestion program to the next level.
Make everyone eligible. Yes, everyone. I’ve seen lots of suggestion programs where the higher up you were in the organization; the less you were eligible to participate. Managers are expected to make suggestions, so they weren’t included in the program. IdeaGlow recommends giving everyone equal access to the process. Since the program isn’t about money, there’s no reason not to let everyone participate.
Create idea campaigns. I’ve always been a fan of putting sunset clauses on suggestion programs because they can turn stale. I really like this recommendation to keep the program fresh. Design suggestion campaigns with start/end dates.
Need to improve Process ABC?
Looking for new ways to get customers to try a product?
Trying to reduce overhead costs?
Companies can have multiple campaigns happening at the same time. Or possibly, the company wants feedback about an issue that occurs every year. I’ve worked for several companies that always slowed down at very predictable times during the year. We were constantly trying to find new ways to deal with the slowdown without hurting service or laying off employees. Why not schedule a regular campaign every year to help generate new suggestions?
Measure effectiveness. Sure, companies can measure revenue and expenses directly related to the suggestions submitted. But there are also other metrics that can be shared.
Participation percentage
Number of ideas submitted per employee (per month or quarter)
Percentage of ideas implemented
Implementation turnaround time
These stats can speak to utilization of the program and possibly the effectiveness of idea campaigns.
If you want to learn more about how to create and maintain a digital employee suggestion program, be sure to check out the following resources:
IdeaGlow’s whitepaper on “How to Build an Employee Suggestion Program that Actually Works”
ESP Ninja blog for practical tips and resources on employee suggestion programs
IdeaGlow’s Practical Innovation Management blog
Oh, and one more thing. IdeaGlow does offer a 30-day FREE trial so you can see for yourself how the solution works. And if you sign up for the free trial, they’ll send you their one-sheet on the pros/cons of anonymous suggestions. A very interesting read!
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