GiftCard Partners Blog

The weather is getting warmer and employees minds are starting to wander to that summer vacation to the beach or the lake. Springtime is the perfect time to devise a way to keep employees focused and motivated from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Variety is the name of the game with employee motivation, the key to success is finding a reward that everyone likes. Here are a few ideas:

April is customer loyalty month, but we need to remember that the root of the customer loyalty lies not in the customer themselves but in their brand experience. Customers are loyal when they have positive brand experiences with happy employees who are knowledgable and motivated doing their jobs. Here are a few ways to keep your employees motivated and promoting a positive brand experience to keep customers loyal:

Poor employee health is never a good thing. However, did you know that if you don't maintain workplace wellness it can cost your company between $1900 and $2250 in lost revenue per employee per year. Maintaining workplace wellness not only keeps employees healthy and keeps productivity at its peak but it can also keep employee morale up. Happy, healthy employees are productive, loyal employees so workplace wellness can go farther than you think. Check out the infographic below for more information on the benefits of workplace wellness.

Rewarding employees is important because a happy employee is a more productive one. Thanking your employees for their hard work motivates them to work even harder. It's important to say thanks, but sometimes it's tough on a tight budget. Luckily, there are a few ways you can still offer rewards without breaking the bank.
Give them a day off. If you don't have cash to spare for a sizable bonus, you can always thank your employees by giving them an extra day off. If you'd rather not pay for a full day that he or she isn't working, you can always give the option of a late start or an early release instead. You can also think about expanding breaks or lengthening lunch hours. The point is that rewarding with time is both affordable on a small budget and still a great way to say thanks.
Hand out free food. Everyone loves a free meal or a tasty snack. Order lunch to say thanks for a successful advancement in the company. Bring in breakfast one day each month. Surprise your team with ice cream or candy one day. It doesn't always matter what you do -- it's more about making an effort to make sure your employees feel valued.
Learn the best way to motivate your employees. Everyone's different and has different preferences. What excites one employee, may not be the best way to reward another. Take polls and ask your company what they prefer. Not only will you chose rewards that better suit them, but they'll feel valued just for you asking.
Read the full article on LinkedIn.

On the surface hiring "selfish" employees doesn't seem like a great idea. They can lack a "team player" mentality, can be out only for themselves and can be totally unwilling to collaborate and listen to other people's ideas. The counterargument to that is that "selfish" employees are highly motivated and know what they want to succeed. Knowing that an employee is self motivated allows their employer to play to their personal goals and motivate them efficiently and effectively. Offering small denomination gift cards for reaching small goals at work, that will help them reach small milestones in their personal life are a great way to get a self-centered employee working hard and accomplishing your company goals. If you have a runner on staff training for a race a gift card to
GNC might be a great way to help them stay fit. If you have a car enthusiast an
AutoZone gift card may be a great way to keep them focused at work but excited to fix up the car in their garage. Find out what your employees do outside of work and help them create a work-life balance by motivating both parts of their like. Selfish may become self-motivated before you know it.
For more information on motivating self-driven employees check out Business Management Daily.