GiftCard Partners Blog

We’re finding that people are still questioning why companies across the U.S. are spending $22.7 BILLION
¹ on gift cards as incentives in corporate employee programs 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 bulk gift cards purchased for employee motivation, employee engagement, and employee rewards.  Why are 52% of U.S. businesses using gift cards to recognize and reward employees, sales folk, partners and customers.
² Dig deep into how gift cards are utilized in the workplace to motivate, incent, and reward in employee programs.[hs_action id="2877"] 1 & 2 Source: IRF Market Study: B2B Gift Cards

Stress in the American workplace is front and center for organizational leaders at companies of all sizes across the country. Management is constantly balancing the general stress that comes with work, and the negative effects that stress has on company culture and employee health. As corporate wellness initiatives gain prevalence as a solution to the cost of stress here are some staggering statistics that illustrate the importance of corporate wellness and stress management in the workplace.

Innovation is key to business success. Your organization is constantly striving to stay ahead of the innovation curve, and innovate faster than competitors. The best way to promote innovation in your organization is workforce investment. Investing in your employees is a great way to show support and build a rapport with employees that will increase job satisfaction and retention rates across your organization, leading to a more productive and innovative workforce. Here are 3 easy employee investment strategies that will promote innovation in your organization.

Build Trust: Building trust with and for your employees is crucial to fostering an innovative environment. You have to trust your employees to innovate along with your organization's vision and direction, while employees need to trust their employer and trust their job security to go out of their comfort zone at work and find innovative ways to get things done.

Cultivate Passion: Set an example with your enthusiasm. No one is motivated by someone who is just getting their job done. Employees look up to other employees who are invested in their work. Employee investment starts at the top, when management is enthused with their positions, so will lower level employees. If you are passionate, the people you lead will also be passionate, and passion often leads to innovation.

Inspire Loyalty: When management is loyal to an organization, employee loyalty will follow. Investing in your employees by providing small rewards for milestones reached with a company, such as an annual anniversary, or even a semi-annual anniversary is a great way to show employees their organization cares.

Small denomination gift cards to retailers such as Albertsons to help curb employee grocery costs are a great way to show employees that you both notice and appreciate their hard work and dedication, while controlling organizational costs simultaneously.

An increasingly diverse and remote workforce brings many challenges to management teams when strategizing and coordinating employee programs such as employee recognition programs. Layer on that the need for employers to show their recognition of workplace diversity and appreciation for individualism, and the challenges multiply. This is why employers increasingly offer gift cards as incentives and rewards within employee recognition programs, as the recipients can redeem with their own choices.
The IGCC rounds it up well: “gift cards empower the recipient with the right to choose the item that most motivates himself or herself”.  Ceridian states that 8 out of 10 employees prefer gift cards over other incentives. This preference rewards for hard work they’ve done and motivates them to keep it up. The simplicity of gift cards has also helps management deliver programs quicker and with relevance and care to the participants. There is a significant time savings in the decision making process…..another important cost savings benefit of gift cards. Also important; purchasing gift cards in bulk offers employers volume discounts. Learn more about how gift cards are used as corporate wellness incentives, healthcare program incentives, and loyalty rewards.[hs_action id="2863"]

Employee incentives have become a common way for employers to invest in their employees and raise job satisfaction and retention rates within their organization. In a world where job security is scarce, and employees are always looking to climb to the next opportunity, employee incentives have become a great way for employers to give back to their workforce. The key to success for incentive programs is to ensure that the employee rewards are effective in raising employee loyalty and job satisfaction. Below are 3 employee rewards that are common in employee incentive programs, but not always the most successful, and some ways to improve these particular incentives to drive desired outcomes.