If your incentive program is going off the rails, this story, developed with the help of insights from Lytx’s conversations with safety leaders, can help you diagnose issues and get your program back on track.

Problem: improvements are short-lived

TRY THIS: Mix it up! Change the incentives, goals and themes. Make safety part of the organization’s core values; if supported by a company culture, the commitment to safety is likely to be long lasting.

Problem: employees don’t care about the incentive

TRY THIS: Ask drivers what they would like. Only reward those who earn it; preserve the reward’s value by giving it to people who make an effort. Give with gratitude and respect.

Problem: no cash in the budget this year

TRY THIS: Rely on simple gestures of recognition, such as a letter signed by the CEO or department head. Build in self-funding mechanisms that put a small portion of any savings from the program, such as fuel costs or claims costs, back into the rewards program for next year.

Problem: reward programs have the opposite effect

TRY THIS: Tie the rewards program to your broader safety culture to ensure goals are aligned. Evaluate the program regularly to make sure things are on track, ask for feedback, and adjust accordingly. Design for cooperation and collaboration to avoid pitting employees against one another. Make sure rewards are culturally in tune with your company — some groups have aversions to calling out individuals for praise, while others thrive on it.

Problem: employees say they feel manipulated

TRY THIS: Focus on the reward’s meaning, rather than the reward itself. Emphasize the intrinsic value of safety. Instill rewards with recognition, respect, and gratitude. This is what really matters to workers.

Problem: employees game the system

TRY THIS: Leverage video telematics to gather objective, accurate measurements of safe behaviors you want to encourage. Make sure the metrics you select are aligned with broader safety goals. So, if drivers are “gaming” the system by putting away their handhelds and strapping on their seat belts, everyone wins.