Spirits are up at Wesley. Employees and residents are trying something new, and it’s going very well. A few weeks ago, Wesley introduced the Inspire program.
Through Inspire, Wesley recognizes the great work of employees. Any Wesley employee can be recognized at any time in every community and care center. Wesley Health & Home Care professionals are part of Inspire, too.
“Inspire allows good work performed anywhere to be known everywhere,” said Wesley Vice President of Human Resources Neal Martino.
With Inspire, employees and residents can recognize and reward staff in six categories:
- Thank you
- Resident focus
- Stewardship
- Faith and servant leadership
- Diversity, inclusion and respect
- Milestones
Inspire offers access to all employees through an online platform, and paper submissions are available to residents at the front desk in each community.
How the Program Works
The Inspire program is designed to engage, invigorate and motivate employees. It is a best-in-class program available to every employee, in any position, across the organization.
Wesley employees access the Inspire platform through their digital devices. The platform is similar to social media. No training required. Just hop on the app and tag colleagues to recognize their great work.
Wesley residents who wish to show appreciation can fill out a paper form that is then submitted to an employee’s manager.
“Our team reviewed and carefully considered a number of options in the recognition and reward space,” said Neal. “We chose the Achievers platform because it incorporates all the traditional recognition and appreciation moments. Plus it has a stellar reputation.”
Similar to an airline mileage program, Inspire allows employees to accumulate rewards points. Employees can choose from a selection of gifts to purchase using their points. Some of the Inspire program rewards include:
- Gift cards
- Merchandise
- Experiences and event tickets
- Charitable giving
Recognitions are published on Inspire’s digital platform 24/7. Additionally, employee milestones such as work anniversaries are recognized and celebrated with points.
Why Wesley Started an Employee Recognition and Rewards Program
In early 2022, Wesley employees completed the Wesley Engagement Survey (WES). More than half of Wesley employees communicated a desire to be recognized more often for great work.
“Wesley is a faith-based organization where servant-leadership is something we encourage,” said Neal. “It makes sense for us to continually develop an organizational culture where great work is appreciated. It’s what we’re all about.”
After reviewing the survey data and discussing the opportunity with colleagues, Neal got to work. He and the human resources team reviewed potential employee appreciation programs and created a short list. He then gathered input from Wesley leadership. After careful review, Neal and his team chose to partner with Achievers for Inspire.
Achievers is a Canadian company with an excellent reputation for supporting workplace positivity. Its platform helps Inspire be a multifaceted, customizable recognition and reward program. And Achievers works with Wesley’s human resources team to develop fresh ideas and keep the engagement level high.
How the Wesley Inspire Program Got Its Name
“Employee appreciation is about recognizing, celebrating and achieving together,” said Neal. “When the time came to name the appreciation program, we asked our employees.”
Wesley put out a short, follow-up survey. In it was a simple question: What should we name the employee appreciation program? True to form, employee-driven ideas abounded. Then employees voted on the top 15 submitted names. Lisa Ivie from Wesley Lea Hill in Auburn came up with the winning name “Inspire”.
Wesley is Poised for Growth
As a company, Wesley is expanding. The organization is in an exciting window of time with plans to provide more senior housing and care. Through Inspire, Wesley leadership is setting a new standard for a positive culture of recognition and reward for employees today and in the future.