GiftCard Partners Blog

Employers and employees alike are hit hard by their company’s limited funds. Keeping a motivated workforce doesn't have to drain your budget. And it doesn’t have to drain your time and energy either. If raises and bonuses are out of the question, employers are forced to get creative in order to keep motivation high, and to reward and recognize their employees. Forbes recent article titled, “5 Ways to Keep Your Employees Motivated Without Breaking the Bank,” outlines several ways for employers to implement creative ideas, that are also unique, and most importantly budget-friendly. One such idea is, have a ‘Boss Does Your Work’ promotion. This fun incentive works great in an office with a break room and bathrooms that employees are in charge of keeping clean. Consider offering employees the chance to have their managers take over these chores for the month, in turn for meeting specific goals. If you know your employees are looking for a little extra, gift cards to SUBWAY for a healthy lunch can work perfectly. Or, say ‘Thank You’ to them and their family with a night out to dinner with Boston Market or The Cheesecake Factory gift cards.
Discover more creative ideas for motivating employees without ‘Breaking the Bank’ by reading the full article here. Can you think of anymore?

Here are 5 great ways to motivate your employees. Using a mix of reward techniques will help meet different kinds of employee needs. Do you use any of these techniques? If so, leave us a comment and let us know how effective you find them, and if not let us know what other techniques you find effective.

In order to effectively use an employee rewards program you have to know what will drive your employees. Knowing what is most important to your workforce is critical in motivating them to reach their maximum potential. Here are a few key factors that could drive your employees. Find out what matters most to them, and plan your employee engagement and recognition accordingly.

Gallup’s research highlights a notable gap in how company culture is experienced by leadership compared to managers and individual contributors. On average, there’s a 19-point disparity, with leadership often reporting stronger connections to organizational culture than those on the ground level. This divide can create misalignment, reduced engagement, and lower productivity among teams. To close this gap, companies must intentionally foster cultural alignment across all levels, using strategies that not only engage but resonate. One effective way to do this is through the strategic use of gift card incentives, which can reinforce engagement and cultural values from the top down.

Creating a culture of professional development is key to an organization. This is a great way to show employees that you invest in their best interests, the way they invest themselves in their work and the goals of the company. Here are some tips for how to maintain a culture of development in your organization. • 
Identify your stars: Focus on rewarding and recognizing top performers. Providing spot rewards for desired behavior, such as a gift card or an extra day off is a low-cost way to show employees you care. These rewards and recognition can lead to higher retention rates and workplace satisfaction. • 
Get upper management involved: Visibility of senior management during professional development, to provide guidance and mentoring is another sign of organizational support to employees. • 
Invest in development: Providing training sessions, professional development opportunities, and even tuition reimbursement helps employees grow, which will make it more likely that employees will stay and grow with your organization. • 
Broaden their skills: Make sure skill sets are round, and that employees understand organizational functions outside of their day to day responsibilities, this will help them think strategically about their current role, and ways to advance themselves in the organization.
For more information on creating a culture of development in your organization check out this article in Ragan's HR Communication.