Say you’re responsible for employees in 10 different countries around the world. How do you build a connection with such a diverse group? Does motivation really translate? Can you universally congratulate? You can. And you should.
You’re running incentives and programs to inspire and reward performance. That’s tough work. Nothing will stop those efforts in their tracks more than unnecessary language barriers, irrelevant awards, and clumsy award delivery.
Translation is worth it. Delivering your congrats and other valuable messaging in your participants’ preferred language matters.
You also have to know, respect and accommodate the cultures you motivate. What’s trending and meaningful in one corner of the world may be of no use in another. And how about brands? Sure, some have international equity, but others… not so much. Then there’s parity—making sure award value is even across various currencies. Every culture has a different “carrot.”
A global model based on centralized buying with local fulfillment is a smart move. Connecting with partners around the globe to source and deliver awards saves valuable time, stress and money regarding international shipping and customs.
The ability to deliver awards in-country benefits program participants too—in the form of reduced shipping and tax. My company currently puts 5,000 items per country in the hands of participants in 76 countries. Participants love choice when it comes to rewarding themselves (here are some examples of what participants redeem for in different countries). And that’s the case at every latitude. We support 9 languages, too. Including character-based languages like Chinese and Japanese.
All of this helps us make motivation a universal currency.