GiftCard Partners Blog

An employee wellness program is a great way to boost employee health and increase the organization's bottom line. Here are five key steps to make sure your employee wellness program is as successful as it can be through the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015.

Millenials have been a point of contention amongst themselves and among hiring managers. They have higher than average unemployment rates and can frankly be a pain in the organization (I'm a millenial so I can say it). However, millenials do have unique traits that can set them apart during the recruitment and hiring process. Here are three reasons why millenials can become a great asset to your workforce.
Tech skills- Millenials want to learn and tend to adapt faster to new and changing technology. Think about it, this is the first generation who has truly lived their whole lives in the internet age. They get it, and the faster they learn the more they can do for you.
Ambition- This can be an achilles heel, but it can also be a driver of productivity and hunger to do their best for their organization and themselves. Ambition doesn't make everyone a climber. Sometimes it can work in an organization's favor.
Quick Study- 60% of hiring managers indicate that millenials learn new skills required of them faster than older colleagues. A quick learner is not only productive but can help provide training to an entire workforce. Quick learning and institutional training can be a great combination.

Sometimes in the enormity of running a retail operation it's easy forget about the front line employees. These are usually the hourly wage earners who may not be the most senior employees but are the employees who have the most impact on consumer experience and can dictate how loyal your customers are. Here are 3 key components to arm your front line associates with to ensure your consumers expectations are fully met. 1.
Tools. Give store associates the tools they need to be successful. This may mean arming them with a tablet with inventory software or ensuring there is an extra manager on duty during your busiest days to keep things running smoothly. 2.
Technology. In today's ever evolving retail landscape this could mean a number of different things. It could mean having mobile devices on the floor in places where beacons are pushing messages to consumers, or having associates armed with tablets to execute mobile checkouts in areas other than the traditional cash registers. But remember it's not all about having the latest and greatest technologies. Find out what spots are weak or need improving on and the right kinds of gadgets that can help improve these areas to see success. 3.
Training. The most important thing to arm store associates with is knowledge. Equip them with the know-how to handle any situation. This builds confidence and autonomy that is usually more valuable in situational problem solving than any piece of technology or tool.
For more information on how to arm your front line store associates with the three T's and beyond head over to Loyalty360.

Since it's halloween let's talk about motivating employees with a chainsaw. Sounds terrifying and unprofessional. Sounds like it might be the plot of a horror movie, or that we are playing tricks on our readers. It's actually neither. At digital marketing agency Sq1 the Red Chainsaw Award is given to the employee who not only goes "above and beyond" but who does it by cutting through the BS to do it. So there you have it: employee motivation with a chainsaw. Blood and guts free. So here's why you should think about coming up with your own version of a chainsaw award.
Recognition Is Important: Everyone wants it, and employees do weird things to get attention when they don't get it. Actively giving recognition drives everyone to strive for it and motivates the people who get it to keep working harder to be recognized further.
Recognizing the Individual Members of the Team: Everyone at any company is working toward organization goals. However, it's important to recognize the individuals who make the team whole. Sometimes teams achieve things, but don't be afraid to recognize individual rock stars who deserve it.
Rewards are important too: Recognition is great. Whether public or private being told you're doing a good job is great. But don't forget to provide some kind of material reward, which gives a tangible component to positive reinforcement. Whether is a gift card to a popular retailer like
Boston Market,
The Limited or
Crutchfield, or an afternoon off to start a weekend early, make sure you show your employees tangible appreciation.
For more information about employee motivation, with or without a chainsaw check out this article from The Next Web.  

Beacon technology has the potential to change the way we all shop. However, there is a "creepy" factor to knowing that stores are tracking your movements around their retail locations. So, some retailers are mixing a human element into beacon technology, and the results are surprisingly pleasant. Some retailers testing out beacons with messaging in either a native app or push messaging are using their employees as part of the beacon experience. Training employees on the beacon messaging and positioning employees in critical areas of the store allows employees to gain extra responsibility while improving the customer experience and removing the intrusive factor that beacons can present. Employee training on cutting edge technology provides professional development opportunities for your workforce and a unique chance for growth in the critical customer service area of your business. Offering small incentives like gift cards to employees who volunteer to step up and receive the training and take on extra responsibility is a great way to reinforce innovation at your organization. Think of beaconing as an opportunity to advance your workforce as well as advancing the technology in your stores. Head over to
MediaPost for more information.