Compensation: Merit Pay

Merit pay has become one of the most commonly used motivators in Canada, a tool that is widely respected by personnel managers in a host of companies. But merit pay is also treated with considerable suspicion by many employees. [GAM]

Motivation: Employee Motivation

Instead of obsessing over ineffective employees who seem unmotivated, managers should focus on their best performers, who can become demotivated by obstacles to high performance, studies show. Thomas Britt, a psychology professor at Clemson University in South Carolina who studied an elite light-infantry unit that specializes in attack missions, found that the soldiers who cared the most about their work were the most demoralized when they were thwarted from doing their best. [more] [GAM]

Recognition: Employee Recognition

How to Reward, Recognize, Award, and Thank People Successfully

Employee recognition is not just a nice thing to do for people. Employee recognition is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes people create for your business. When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce, with your chosen means of recognition, the actions and behaviors you most want to see people repeat. An effective employee recognition system is simple, immediate, and powerfully reinforcing. [more]