''Employee benefit programmes encourage workers to innovate''

The president of a small business advice firm has told firms that employee benefits scheme that offer reward and recognition can encourage workers to innovate.

Ray Silverstein, president of President''s Resource Organisation wrote an article on entrepreneur.com that said firms should try and listen to their employees'' views so that they avoid simply making a company in the image of its managers.

He argued that this kind of behaviour can be promoted by rewarding workers when they come up with ideas that could improve business.

Mr Silverstein wrote: "It doesn''t have to be a huge reward to be powerful. Whether it''s a premium parking space for your Great Thinker of the Month, or a paid day off, recognition works."

His comments come soon after Carphone Warehouse revealed that it had removed sales-based commission and now rewards staff for giving good customer service instead.

This move has apparently resulted in 88 per cent employee engagement scores and considerable average increase in managers'' and customers consultants'' salaries. Back