EXCLUSIVE: Debra Corey (pictured), author, speaker and adviser to Reward Gateway, will discuss why employees crave recognition, and how to give them what they want, at Employee Benefits Connect 2019.
The session, titled 'How to give employees what they really crave to be engaged', will take place as part of the engagement stream during the one-day event on Wednesday 27 February 2019.
Corey will be providing eight tips to help employers give staff what they need when it comes to recognition and motivation, and eight real-life stories of different types of organisations that have implemented effective strategies.
"The problem with recognition is that people think it's a bit ominous, that you have to spend all this time and money and it's hard to do, so I'm trying to make it a bit more approachable and give people lots of different ideas," Corey explained. "What I find is you can do the theory, but you need to show how to put it into practice.
"What I want to do is make a balance between practical tips and tools that people can go back and use, and then bringing it to life via storytelling."
Corey states that her goal is to help organisations take a more strategic approach to recognition in general, while making it clear that the initiatives themselves can be simple and immediately implemented, such as postcards and notice-board displays.
"People crave [recognition], it's a human need to want to be appreciated," she said. "Recognition also turns [employees] into superheroes, so it's good for the employees and it's good for the business. It's a win-win. You can get so creative, have fun and bring immediate smiles."
When it comes to her thoughts on the future of reward, Corey explained that due to the wide range of generations and demographics in the workplace, flexibility and autonomy will be increasingly important.
"It's getting more and more difficult for us to make the decisions for our employees, we need to be able to put decision-making in their hands," she said. "That's what we do for consumers, and we need to start adapting to that approach."
Employee Benefits Connect 2019 welcomes all senior in-house HR professionals and will take place on Wednesday 27 February 2019 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge.
