Bruce recognize and reward employees for their business improvement ideas
- By: Razor Suleman, CEO and Founder, I Love Rewards -
Bruce Power is the only private nuclear generation company in Canada and the source of nearly 25 per cent of Ontario’s electricity. Ranked 156th on the Financial Post’s list of Canada’s 500 largest companies, Bruce Power employs more than 3,800 people in a variety of technical disciplines, including the Nuclear Operators, Engineers, Control Technicians and Mechanics who run and service the company’s six reactor units.
After an employee survey was conducted in May 2007, Bruce Power decided to implement a program that would improve employee engagement as well as recognize and reward those who strived for performance excellence while living the company values.
Improve the Business through Innovation
Bruce Power embraces innovation because it provides a competitive advantage, which is crucial in an already challenging electricity market. As a result, Bruce Power requires a high level of commitment from employees in developing and implementing innovative practices and processes.
Business Improvement Group (BIG)
Bruce Power established the Business Improvement Group (BIG) – a dedicated team of individuals who implement programs that improve the way Bruce Power operates, and give employees a greater voice.
BIG set forth to implement a program designed to motivate employees to submit ideas on how to improve and innovate how Bruce Power operates. Much more than an employee suggestion box, BIG wanted to develop an online program that would engage employees in the process; thus, building a culture of innovation to achieve performance excellence.
“Passion for Excellence” is an important value at Bruce Power. Achieving excellence requires continuous improvement in the way we do our work and that means we need the support of all of the people in our company. Recognizing and rewarding employees for their ideas and innovations is an effective way of reinforcing that passion for excellence.”
Jack Bingham, Bruce Power, BIG leader
Finding partners to implement BIG ideas
Bruce Power had previously put in place a BIG Ideas system to collect and track employee ideas. To motivate employees to participate, Bruce Power partnered with I Love Rewards, an online rewards and recognition program provider. In February 2009, Bruce Power launched BIG Ideas – an online points-driven program that rewards and recognizes Bruce Power employees for submitting their BIG Ideas. Within 24 hours of the launch, over 40 submissions were entered into the online system.
“Bruce Power is truly innovative and has taken rewards and recognitions to a completely new level,” says Paula Kwan, Client Success Manager, I Love Rewards. “We are happy to be on the journey with them and anxiously anticipate seeing what their next BIG idea will be.”
Program Highlights:
- By April 2009, the program had already generated 900 submissions.
- Within an hour of the program being launched in February of 2009, more than 40 Big Ideas had been submitted. In fact, Bruce Power CEO Duncan Hawthorne had not even finished his initial address to staff outlining the program, when the ideas began pouring in.
- BIG Ideas has become part of the fabric of Bruce Power. Employees can register their ideas at one of 10 kiosks strategically placed throughout the site’s many buildings. At the time of its launch, more than 5,000 How-To guides were distributed to full time and contract staff.
What’s their next challenge? Reviewing the large volume of idea submissions coming in at a rate far higher than they could have ever expected. It’s the kind of challenge that Bruce Power is proud of and happy to take on.