Posted by Jason McCallum on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 01:56 PM
Can the element of surprise motivate individuals more than the size of the reward? We recently came across this article in Fortune Magazine that suggests that the surprise element can act as a type of dopamine that is activated by unexpected positive results.
For employee recognition programs even top performers who are used to high-end rewards can appreciate a small one if it is unexpected. The frequency with which you reward is also important to consistently reinforce behavior and increase employee engagement.
So for managers thinking of what is the best way to reward their employees it is not the size of the reward that matters it is the frequency and element of surprise that triggers those motivational juices.