Many organizations reward their employees, if they bring in a candidate, for a monetary reward. In other words, a referral bonus. On average this bonus is between €500 and €1000 gross. A nice win-win situation you will think. But is it really?
Because ask that colleague after 3 months what he or she has done with the amount of money, then hardly anyone knows how to answer. Because of the gross/net difference, the reward is often disappointing. The remaining amount goes into the checking account and is often spent on fixed expenses, groceries and maybe another nice dinner. But employees often can no longer name exactly what they did with this bonus. Too bad, because that memory fades like snow in the sun."
But how does it work?
Come up with something unique! Because the value in euros does not have to increase, but the perception of value, on the other hand, does.
A recent article described how employees were given the opportunity to suggest their own creative rewards when they suggested a new colleague. One employee wanted a wedding dress for her upcoming wedding. By responding to this, there was much more enthusiasm. The result? She recommended a new colleague and a few months later she got married in a beautiful dress her employer had paid for. A unique example!
This out-of-the-box reward approach provided tremendous motivation for the bride-to-be. And not only did she receive a special reward, but also a lasting positive memory of her employer.
Is your referral bonus aligned with your employees? Or is there room for improvement? Challenge your colleagues and experience the difference!
