New research from the Incentive Research Foundation reveals how to fix tired programs before your participants ghost you
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If your incentive program starts strong but fizzles halfway through the year, you’re not imagining it—your participants are simply bored. When every sales contest feels the same, motivation fades fast.
According to the Incentive Research Foundation’s (IRF) October 2025 “Academic Research in Action” report, the fade that follows even well-designed programs isn’t bad luck; it’s science. “Incentive fatigue” happens when rewards are too predictable, too frequent, or too confusing. The good news? There’s data-driven guidance on how to bring the spark back.
The Psychology of the Fade
Humans adapt quickly. Flashy gift cards or point bonuses that once thrilled employees lose their punch when they appear every quarter. The IRF calls this habituation—and the fix isn’t to add more prizes, it’s to make rewards rarer and smarter.
That means saving tangible perks for milestone wins, mixing in cash for smaller bursts, and keeping the rules simple enough to trust. As the study puts it: if people can’t see how to win—or don’t believe the system’s fair—they’ll stop playing altogether.
Turn Motivation Into Momentum
The IRF highlights one unexpected hack: streak rewards.
Borrowed from behavioral-economics research, streaks pay people for consecutive wins—three on-time reports in a row, five successful sales calls without a miss. Participants stay hooked because breaking the streak resets the payoff.
In field experiments, these escalating “streak incentives” outperformed larger, static bonuses—sometimes even when they paid less overall. The psychology is simple: people protect progress they’ve already made.
For planners, that translates to designing mini-series challenges that keep momentum alive long after the kickoff.
When Gamification Helps (and When It Doesn’t)
Badges and leaderboards can feel gimmicky—but used right, game mechanics can extend engagement, especially in low-stakes or repetitive work.
The trick, the IRF warns, is context. Gamification works best when financial incentives are modest or nonexistent. Layering storylines and competition on top of aggressive pay-for-performance models actually backfires, diluting motivation instead of amplifying it.
So if your program already pays big, skip the cartoon trophies. If it’s losing steam, add just enough gameplay to spark friendly rivalry or meaning.
Cash Is for Consistency, Gifts Are for Glory
Not all rewards age the same. A 2024 study cited by the IRF found that frequent cash payouts sustain performance, but frequent tangible gifts (merch, trips, swag) lose impact fast.
The fix: use money for regular reinforcement, and reserve physical or experiential rewards for those once-in-a-year, story-worthy wins. Rotate catalogs, refresh reward options, and pair each big moment with public recognition so it feels personal—not perfunctory.
Fair Play Keeps People In the Game
Another major takeaway: fairness matters more than flash.
A 25,000-employee study found that recognition and fairness were the strongest predictors of engagement—and the best guardrails against burnout. When rewards feel arbitrary, interest collapses.
Transparency and trust are non-negotiable. Publish clear rules. Show the leaderboard. Make sure recognition feels human, not algorithmic. The more authentic the praise, the longer people stay invested.
Pace Your Praise
Even communication can burn people out. The IRF points to research showing that too many updates can drain attention, just like too few can create confusion.
The sweet spot? Regular but restrained. For year-long programs, think one or two meaningful updates a month—concise, visual, and easy to digest. It’s the difference between “staying informed” and “please stop emailing me.”
Make the Motivation Last Longer Than the Luggage Tag
The IRF’s message is clear: more isn’t better—better is better.
If you want your next incentive program to last, cut the noise, spotlight fairness, and design for sustained momentum instead of one-time hype.
Because in the end, the real prize isn’t the trip, the bonus, or the swag bag.
It’s keeping your people motivated long enough to earn it.
Any thoughts, opinions, or news? Please share them with me at vince@meetingsevents.com.
Photo by Getty Images for Unsplash+
