ITA Group
Optimizing Employee Performance through Motivation

When it comes to motivating employees, Jason Katcher, VP and CIO, ITA Group, states, “There is no scope for guesswork.” Every employee has their own unique motivations, which is why ITA Group—a global leader in events, incentives and recognition— believes it is critical to offer the variety of motivational techniques necessary to appeal to each individual—both for its client’s employees and its own.

ITA Group utilizes its own brand of motivation, Motivology, to identify and balance the internal and external motivators needed to align and motivate employees. Motivology is about more than just offering employee programs and using a “one-size-fits-all” approach; each solution the company offers is tailored to resonate with those intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.

As a practical example, ITA Group’s Strive5: The Whole- Employee SolutionSM offering is designed to support the five key areas critical to an employee’s overall well-being: performance, career, wellness, social and community.

“Strive5 is far more than an employee recognition program,” says Katcher. “It allows an employer to centralize a wide variety of initiatives so that you are transcending beyond simple traditional recognition. You can now include any form of behavior-based recognition or incentives, including business referrals, goal-based performance incentives, or a wellness program, resulting in constant visibility to their employees.”

From an employee perspective, Strive5 simplifies the recognition process, improves relevancy of—and performance in—customized earning opportunities, and reinforces successes through varied award options.

Organizational leaders benefit from the holistic engagement approach by gaining an understanding of overall ROI related to all engagement activities. This insight helps them realize how activities that boost motivation for a multi-generational, multi-skilled workforce impact their organization’s bottom line, including increased employee retention, productivity and satisfaction.

Katcher cited a recent success for an ITA Group client, The Home Depot, a leading retailer.

Strive5 simplifies employee recognition, improves relevancy of—and performance in— customized earning opportunities, and reinforces successes through varied award options

Through a significant consolidation effort, the organization has successfully integrated several initiatives for more than 400,000 associates globally, effectively creating a one-stop shop for associates.

Strive5’s robust, user-centric platform also allowed The Home Depot’s leaders to track program performance, including those which previously had little oversight. The Home Depot is not alone in benefitting from this solution, notes Katcher, citing an additional client who has been able to combine more than 12 IT tools and the work of six vendors under ITA Group’s leadership. More so, the flexible platform has enabled cross-country enterprise collaboration and the ability to adapt solution tactics based on cultural need to ensure maximum motivational appeal.

To ensure relevancy of its solutions, ITA Group uses its own version of the Strive5 platform and solution internally. Doing so allows the company to continually assess the viability of its solutions and identify potential improvements. “While on one side, our solution helps motivate our own employees and improve productivity, on the flip side, it helps us understand the requirements of the HR landscape more closely and anticipate the industry’s future needs,” adds Katcher.

In today’s disruptive business environment, organizations experience upheavals that significantly impact culture, employee morale, and workforce expectations. Katcher believes this is the new norm, and an organization’s ability to proactively create an aligned and motivated workforce is critical to its survival.

As a result, ITA Group is focusing on arming organizations with the strategy and tools to support, motivate and connect with their employees while simultaneously enabling leadership to have the insights needed to optimize performance at their fingertips.