How do I create and manage a contest for my team? 🏆

Learn how to set a performance-based contest to drive production from your top performers. 🥇

Purpose:
Pay-for-performance is about achieving results, and contests are an excellent way to inspire your team to go the extra mile. A well-designed contest encourages top performers while motivating everyone to contribute toward shared goals.

Step One: Define Your Metric
Choose a clear and easily measurable metric for the contest. Even if your team isn’t familiar with it initially, you can focus on it in every meeting until it becomes second nature. You’ll create a sense of importance by emphasizing the metric. Consider using metrics such as:

• Saved Hours

• Net Saved Hours

• Revenue Produced

• Revenue per Hour

• Revenue per Day

• Produced Hours

• Produced Days

• Efficiency Rate

Step Two: Set the Contest Duration
Determine how long the contest will run. The timeframe should be straightforward to track and align with your business cycles. Protiv’s tools make it easy to monitor progress. You can set it for:

• Weekly

• Bi-Weekly

• Monthly

• Quarterly

• Yearly

Step Three: Individual or Team Competition
Decide if the contest will focus on individual performance or team results. Individual contests usually drive higher engagement, especially for your most competitive workers. However, team-based contests can help promote collaboration and collective success.

Step Four: Choose Prizes and Winners
Select the rewards and how many people can win. The idea is to engage everyone, not just the top performers. If only a few have a shot at winning, the rest of the team might lose interest. Offering multiple levels of prizes or setting benchmarks that anyone can hit encourages widespread participation. Always include a cash component, but adding fun, memorable prizes helps keep morale high.

Step Five: Set Rules and Payment Timing
Clearly outline the contest rules and when rewards will be paid out. It’s crucial to avoid making changes mid-contest, as this can harm trust and decrease morale. By setting firm guidelines and payout dates, you ensure transparency and reliability, which boosts confidence in the company’s ability to deliver on promises.

Sample Contest Example:

• Metric: Produced Hours

• Type: Individual

• Duration: Yearly

• Rewards:

  • $750 for achieving a 1,900-hour minimum

  • 5th - 10th place: $1,000

  • 4th place: $1,500

  • 3rd place: $1,500

  • 2nd place: $2,000

  • 1st place: $3,000

  • Fun Prizes: Trophy, WWE-style championship belt, humorous plaques, and a company-sponsored night out

1. Hold Regular Meetings: Schedule weekly or bi-weekly check-ins to share leaderboard updates, answer questions, and keep motivation high.

2. Track and Share Progress: Use Protiv’s leaderboard to provide real-time updates and display progress publicly to drive competition.

3. Provide Ongoing Feedback: Offer regular feedback and coaching to help participants stay on track or improve.

4. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize progress during the contest to maintain momentum and enthusiasm.

5. Be Transparent: Stick to the original rules and timeline to keep things fair and build trust.

6. Celebrate the Winners: Announce the results in a special meeting and reward the top performers to reinforce their hard work.

This streamlined approach ensures the contest stays organized and engaging.