GiftCard Partners Blog

In a world now dominated by technology and nationwide services, companies have a tendency to lose touch with their social roots. As 1-800-FLOWERS.COM's CEO Jim McCann discusses, gone are the days of word-of-mouth advertising and, with it, a sense of community for many companies on the rise. McCann makes an effort to avoid this through what he describes as social consciousness. McCann works to keep the community conversation open in his own company, even as he sees an increase in success and his business gets bigger and busier. 
"We face a host of enormous challenges in the world today--everything from climate change to hunger to economic turmoil. It’s not possible for any one entity to solve problems when they reach this scale, but it is still our responsibility to participate in the solutions--particularly in the discussions around new and better solutions that might be developed," said McCann. For 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, it's not enough to simply contribute money to good causes. They strive to participate in the conversation. They not only hunt for opportunities to connect with customers, but also for opportunities to connect their customers to one another and with their own community. Other growing companies can follow suit by ingraining a similar mentality of social consciousness into their own business practices.
Read the full article here.

Every company looks to attract the best people to their organization. Some offer signing bonuses, some offer an enhanced benefits package, but the key to attracting top young talent is flexibility. A flexible workplace is a perk that some employees are hesitant to offer for fear employees will take advantage. However, if you are truly attracting top talent they will likely adopt the motto "with great power comes great responsibility" and won't actually abuse the privilege. 39% of employees surveyed by Mom Corps indicated they have considered leaving or have actually left a job because the workplace wasn't flexible enough. This is an issue that hits close to home at GiftCard Partners, since we all work remotely, it is a uniquely flexible environment that allows some of our team to work full time when they would not otherwise be able to in a traditional office environment. Further more, employees are willing to give up a lot for a flexible environment. About half of U.S. adults surveyed would take a salary cut for increased workplace flexibility. Since most people work at least partially out of financially necessity, that is a staggering number. Workplace incentives are effective, but giving employees what they are looking for before they start sends a clear message that employees' time and talent is appreciated by the organization. Is your workplace flexible? Would you consider making your office more flexible? Let us know in the comments section.
For more information on flexible workplaces and how to attract top talent check out this article from Mashable.

Employee praise can actually raise your organization's revenue, so make sure your managers are like good coaches, cheering on players at all times. When managers support their teams and recognize a job well done with public praise, productivity increases and employees get more motivated to contribute to organizational success. There is nothing better for company morale, and peer education, than managers teaching teams and providing positive reinforcement. So start at the top and empower your managers, the effect will trickle down to the rest of your organization. Check out this infographic below to see how much potential there is for improvement with managing employees, and to see how to educate your managers to cheer on their team.

Sending employees out for business lunches or dinners is a great way to offer some flexibility and change of atmosphere to employees. Help them get out of the office, put them in a neutral and more personal setting, and new ideas will flow. However, the moment the check comes so does that awkward question of who picks up the tab?

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