GiftCard Partners Blog

We are entering an age of great workplaces. A job is no longer just a job, but a good fit in environment and skills between employer and employee. Due to more transparency given by employers and more trust in the employee/employer relationships employees are happier in their workplace. What does this mean? Generally, it means better business results. Awesome, right?

LoyaltyOne recently took a deep dive into incentive programs and what exactly attracted millennials to them. There study found that the majority, falling into a range of 18-29 years old, identified in-store experience as a top factor when it came to joining grocery-store reward programs. These in-store experiences also seem to go hand-in-hand with health and nutrition.

Employee engagement can be complicated, or it can be simple. A lot of organizations get caught up in metrics and ROI figures when ensuring their employees are engaged at work. However, it can be as simple as staying human. Employees tend to disengage most when their companies get too corporate and lose their human side. Employees, above all else want to be treated like individuals, with respect and dignity, no matter what. Keeping companies human ensures that processes in place will deliver those basic principles to employees. Engagement and specifically employee engagement is about not only being human but bringing humans together. Recognizing groups that work well as a team and recognizing individual strengths and weaknesses grow teams and bring people together, causing higher engagement levels. Bringing people together is not only and engagement skill but a leadership skill. If you can bring your workforce together, you have the attention and respect of your staff and should reflect that back on them. Giving out
spot rewards for exhibiting desired behavior or even exemplifying the team dynamic can be a great way to reinforce employee engagement and bringing a workforce together.
For more information on bringing teams together and employee engagement check out this article from Forbes.

An employee wellness program is a great way to boost employee health and increase the organization's bottom line. Here are five key steps to make sure your employee wellness program is as successful as it can be through the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015.

Millenials have been a point of contention amongst themselves and among hiring managers. They have higher than average unemployment rates and can frankly be a pain in the organization (I'm a millenial so I can say it). However, millenials do have unique traits that can set them apart during the recruitment and hiring process. Here are three reasons why millenials can become a great asset to your workforce.
Tech skills- Millenials want to learn and tend to adapt faster to new and changing technology. Think about it, this is the first generation who has truly lived their whole lives in the internet age. They get it, and the faster they learn the more they can do for you.
Ambition- This can be an achilles heel, but it can also be a driver of productivity and hunger to do their best for their organization and themselves. Ambition doesn't make everyone a climber. Sometimes it can work in an organization's favor.
Quick Study- 60% of hiring managers indicate that millenials learn new skills required of them faster than older colleagues. A quick learner is not only productive but can help provide training to an entire workforce. Quick learning and institutional training can be a great combination.