GiftCard Partners Blog

As the recession eases, and companies begin hiring again, there is optimism amongst organizations bringing in fresh faces and growing again. However, as we see employment numbers improve we see employee engagement steadily decreasing.

As gamification grows in the employee reward and incentive market, and across the marketing world in general it is important to look forward at where this growing trend is headed. There are all types of theories on where gamification is going, but either way one thing is for sure: gamification is here to stay.

Gamification is now being used across a wide range of organizations for a wide range of uses. Some organizations are using gamification like a loyalty program, the further employees progress in the game, the more bonus or reward points they earn, which they can then use for real workplace rewards, such as gift cards. Other organizations are using gamification to help employees manage health and wellness programs, placing employees on teams to create a healthy competitive atmosphere where employees can help push each other further down the path to a healthy lifestyle. Some employers are looking to make gamification fun, others are more focused on achieving the goals of the game. However you use gamification in your workplace it is important to offer real rewards to employees as a result of the game, so the motivator actually affects productivity, loyalty to the organization, and long-term retention rates. It is also important to use the metrics gamification systems offer to ensure the goals for your program are being met. There metrics prove the ROI for these employee incentive and rewards programs, and are what will make them sustainable into future years, and budgets.
For more information on maximizing gamification in a number of different ways, check out this article in Venture Beat.

Although the holidays are still 3 months away now is the time to begin planning your end of year employee rewards. For many companies money is still tight, and often end of year bonuses are still not in the budget. There are still many effective ways to reward your employees at the end of the year. These rewards are the most important rewards you give all year, as they are what will motivate your workforce into 2013. Many companies give out gift cards during the holiday season, often to restaurants like the
Cheesecake Factory. These cards allow employees to enjoy a meal out with their friends and/or family, helping to ease their seasonal financial constraints. Other organizations are giving out gift cards to promote healthy living such as the
CVS/pharmacy Select card, to help employees make good on their New Year’s Resolutions. Other organizations wait until the craziness of the holidays has subsided and throw a big party for employees in January, offering a chance for employees to decompress and enjoy spending time together, outside of the office. However you choose to reward your employees this holiday season, ensure that the rewards you choose are effective in motivating and rewarding your workplace demographic. Give the employees what they want, so they can continue to use their expendable energy on reaching company goals in 2013.
For more information on how best to reward your employees this holiday season check out this article in British Marketing Week.

In an innovative use of gift cards as incentives came not in the workplace but in a public health and wellness initiative. As part of the Affordable Care Act California received $10 million to incentivize citizens who receive government subsidized health care. This grant is meant to help steer this population toward healthy behavior, including quitting smoking. The State of California has used part of this grant to provide gift cards to select individuals who participate in a smoking cessation program over the next five years. The program isa cutting edge smoking cessation trial, in which individuals are given $20 gift cards good at major retailers as a carrot for enrolling and participating in the program, and a larger pool will receive $10 gift cards to help relapse prevention. A pilot of  the program executed in the Sacramento area has shown positive results. The gift cards are a small but sufficient motivator to get people to sign up, and it is having an overall impact on the health of the city and state, and helping to control costs of Medi-Cal, California's public health assistance entity. The gift cards the grant is providing are proving to be a successful motivator on a large scale. These types of small but sufficient rewards can also be applied to smaller health and wellness reward executions, such as in an individual office. These programs will help the company manage healthcare costs as well as make the whole employee population healthier. These small rewards have an obvious ROI for employees and employers alike.  
For more information on the smoking cessation case study in California check out this article in the Sacramento Bee.