Incentives, open-book policies build morale

by Jan K. Allen

SBJ Contributing Writer

Employee morale is a vital component in retention, and employers know it.

Many companies are offering incentives to improve morale, such as trips, extra vacation days and monetary incentives, according to Jacque Wills, general manager of Express Personnel Service.

"With the employment rate the way it is in Springfield, employers are going to have to offer more incentives to keep good people," Wills said.

Some companies have job-sharing plans where two people share one job to allow the extra time they need with their families, Wills said.

Several companies have child-care information available to help the working parent deal with problems and concerns. This allows the employee to feel secure and able to put aside family worries while on the job, Wills said.

In these enlightened times, companies have faced morale issues with positive programs to keep employees happy and working to their full potential. Many local companies have initiated creative methods to interest their workers in the business and work atmosphere.

At New Stream Packaging Company, one of the biggest programs in effect is flex-time, according to Production Manager Doug Mooneyham.

"The company lets employees pick their own hours," Mooneyham said.

This allows parents to be home to pick up their children from school or run errands.

Some working moms even take the whole summer off to be with their families, Mooneyham said.

Although the company has an attendance policy, it is usually not a problem to get time off, even when an employee is scheduled to work, if he or she can give advance notice.

Management and employees also work together to set weekly goals. If the goals are met, then money goes into a pot. Once the pot reaches $500 it is divided up among the employees, Mooneyham said.

New Stream also has individual bonus programs, which are based on production level and paid quarterly.

"We are big on keeping the shop neat and clean," Mooneyham said. If the employees meet cleanup expectation goals, money goes into a weekly pot. If they meet the goals every week the pot pays out quarterly.

Employees typically receive money from this fund about twice a year, Mooneyham said.

Employees are also made aware of their value to the company.

"They can affect the stock value and can share in what the company makes after a certain number of years of service," Mooneyham said.

Employees are kept informed about how much profit New Stream takes in, and with an open-book management policy, there are no secrets about what the company makes and how the money is spent.

The 401(k) program allows employees to build retirement funds, and the company matches 25 cents on the dollar up to 6 percent of total salary.

Another local business that maintains some of the same type of morale-building employee incentives is The Bank. Barby Pohl, vice president in charge of operations, said The Bank has borrowed some ideas from the book "The Great Game of Business," written by local businessman and bank director Jack Stack.

The Bank is run on an open-book policy and the institution puts into the hands of the employees a complete understanding of how their jobs relate to the total picture, Pohl said.

Once a year a retreat is scheduled for the entire staff, and everyone is involved in budgeting for the coming year. Goals are established bank-wide, and associates set and monitor their own individual goals.

Every associate is an owner in the business, they grade themselves on their own progress, Pohl said.

"It is very empowering and promotes understanding and appreciation," Pohl said. "We don't waste even a paper clip."

Performance is based on bank-wide progress and if goals are exceeded associates receive a quarterly bonus. Any excess money accumulated by the end of the year is also split among the employees.

Other smaller incentive programs are in place at The Bank, and employees take them seriously, Pohl said.

People can receive compensation for product promotion