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1. The power of positive praise
With most of its staff on minimum wage, KFC candidly admits that coming down hard when an individual’s performance dips isn’t likely to get the best out of them.2. Managers muck-in
The flat management structure may work in certain organisations, but at KFC it’s refreshing to see managers getting stuck in on the shop floor when duty calls. An ethos personified by the relentlessly positive quality excellence assessor Brian, who frequently calls on his years of experience behind the KFC stove to help out when service is struggling in a branch he’s assessing. Brian’s pragmatic view: “Everyone has a bad day”.3. Gamification in action
Money may be the great motivator, but when pay rises and bonuses just aren’t available providing employees with structured personal development is essential for keeping them engaged and happy. With growth at the heart of everything KFC does, the fast-food retailer makes sure that its top performers get the praise they deserve in the form of winner’s medals. This may be a bit of fun, but the medals provide staff with a tangible proof of achievement which lifts morale and gives others something to aim at.4. Healthy competition gets results
The managers of each KFC outlet, like managers in every business, have targets to hit and performance standards to maintain.- Is the Jerry Maguire “show me the money” incentive really a workplace motivator?
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5. KFC – one big family
Despite working in small teams, KFC has successfully created a company culture within which its employees feel part of a big family. The management have created tight-knit teams where work is fun and rewarding, while individual achievement is given the platform to be recognised all the way up to national level.Summary
The work might not be rocket-science and the pay far from great, but what KFC demonstrates so perfectly is that money isn’t the only thing that can motivate employees. Praise, acknowledgement and a clear personal development process combined with a positive company culture can make any business a place where people want to work and really buy-in to your company mission. Rachel King is customer success director at breatheHR. Image sourceShare this story