GiftCard Partners Blog

Mobile recognition, Social, Interactive, Green…there are many key initiatives rolled up in Roy Saunderson’s Top 10 Trends for Employee Recognition in 2013, but he shows us that it’s not just important to identify the trends, but to also put them in context. It’s not surprising to see gift cards rank in top recognition trends for the new year, but Roy shares his insights around making recognition and incentives meaningful for the employee.
“6. Give me the cards I want." Employees will no longer be satisfied with mainstay gift cards from big box stores and established suppliers. Employees will demand to receive customized cards from meaningful places they prefer and not just what the employer deems everyone should get.” This bodes well for GCP’s strategy of bringing the most wanted gift card brands to employers for recognition rewards and incentives. It forces employers to not just toss a cash equivalent gift card at an employee, but to be thoughtful about the gift. Give gift cards to great restaurants so your employees take their families to dinner, pharmacy gift cards so families can be proactive with healthful and personal care purchases, retail apparel gift cards…often a real treat.
Check out the rest of Incentive’s Top 10 Trends for Employee Recognition in 2013

We’re finding that people are still questioning why companies across the U.S. are spending $22.7 BILLION
¹ on gift cards and what this segment of the B2B gift card market is all about. AND we’re also finding that corporations and companies of all sizes are STILL surprised to learn that there are savings to be had on gift card incentive BULK purchases for motivation, incentives, and rewards.  Why are 52% of U.S. businesses using gift cards to recognize and reward employees, sales folk, partners and customers.
² Check out GCP’s new Customers and their Programs page on our website for
B2B Gift Card Incentives Defined. Want to dig deeper into how gift cards are utilized in the workplace to motivate, incent, and reward? Download our
Incentives in the Workplace eBook. 1 & 2 Source: IRF Market Study: B2B Gift Cards

Social media has made a big BOOM in the workforce. If you don’t believe it just ask any one of your employees using Facebook and LinkedIn, or, check their Tweets. As employees dive headfirst into the social media pool, it’s time for their employers to take the leap too. You can join the 40% of U.S. employers that have a social media at work policy, or you or you can join the
workplace socialization movement. This has led to the  development of a “Facebook for work” type of forum, where projects and goals can be shared and discussed publicly and workers are able to participate in the conversation by “liking” or “commenting”. Incentive Magazine’s, Jennifer Lumba, discusses some helpful tips on how to best use these popular social networks to leverage the most out of social recognition in the workplace:
Name names, and name them often- Leveraging social networks is a great way to praise and acknowledge those that go above and beyond on a company-wide scale.
Allow recognition to go beyond just employer to employee- By adding voting or ‘liking’ to status updates you can give the opportunity for peers and managers alike to acknowledge a job well done.
Make the goal clear- Defining and publishing goals that team members can then sign up for creates a public forum for praise and recognition when workers succeed in making progress towards those goal.
Check out more tips on how to take your recognition program social.

As we navigate through 2024, it's essential to reflect not only on meeting business goals but also on promoting employee well-being. The correlation between employee wellness and company performance has never been clearer. Encouraging regular breaks can significantly enhance employee satisfaction, efficiency, and overall productivity, ultimately boosting profits.

2012 is coming to a close and as you prepare for 2013, it’s important to ensure that your Employee Recognition Program is up for the challenge that the new year is sure to bring. Incentive Magazine’s, Roy Saunderson, explains, ‘Vendors and practitioners must now learn to reinvent themselves and the way recognition will look and is managed in order to lead out into the future.” It’s time to get excited about a brand new year and keep in mind some helpful insights that will start you out of the gate running:
Mobile devices take a more prominent role in recognition. The use of recognition apps on cell phones and tablets brings acknowledging greatness in the workplace to the tips of your fingers: can you say convenient?
Give the rewards they want.
Take an interest in the types of rewards that your employees will use and more importantly appreciate. Gift cards to
The Children’s Place for young mothers or cards to
AutoZone for the car fanatics in the office are the perfect way to show you are thinking about what an employee really wants.
Show them the results. Technology makes it easy to track your employees achievements and recognize both individuals and teams that have advanced towards their goals and the goals of the organization.
Check out more insightful trends from this article in Entrepreneur’s, “Top 10 Trends for Employee Recognition in 2013.”