GiftCard Partners Blog

Innovation is an intriguing idea for employees; it keeps them motivated to keep up with the organizational environment and innovation helps drive learning and professional development from within. Creating and maintaining a culture of innovation at your organization contributes to higher employee retention rates. Innovation tends to encourage employees to maintain their positions because they are constantly engaged in their organizations decision-making and direction, while also being given more autonomy to contribute to the future. Here are a few tips to ensure your organization and its employees remain innovative. 1. 
Create a structure for unstructured time: Ensure employees have the time they need to innovate individually, whether they are innovating internal processes or the product your company sells. Having a designated “innovation hour” gets employees creative juices flowing, allowing for more out-of-the-box thinking. “Innovation hours” also give employees a productive, company sponsored, outlet for self-motivation and pet projects. This type of free thinking often raises productivity within the workplace during structured work time, and will also prevent employees from looking outside of work for a distraction or another position. 2. 
Measure what is meaningful: Finding a way to quantify the products of employee driven innovation is key to finding ROI for organizational management. The measurement indicators could be an increased employee retention rate since employer structured innovation was implemented, or your organization is innovating to the point where you can match actual revenue dollars to employee innovation. However you measure the impact of innovation, collecting data and finding what is meaningful for your specific company’s circumstance is important in finding the organizational ROI. 3. 
Give "worthless" rewards: Find non-monetary rewards like poker chips or Monopoly pieces to give employees in any instance of innovation. These rewards can be used as a recognition tool from the boss for solving a problem- either internallyor externally. These rewards can also be used as a “random act of kindness” among peers for doing someone a favor or helping out on a particular project. However the rewards are used, they raise company morale by getting people around the organization talking to each other, interacting, and forming relationships. This type of morale-building will also lead to higher retention rates by making the workplace a fun, vibrant place to work together and collaborate to further common goals. Creating innovation creates a culture of connection and betterment of the organization and its individual employees. This culture often leads to higher employee retention with employees sticking around to continue to build that culture and reach those common goals. 
How do you create a culture of innovation within your organization? For more information check out this article from Fast Company.

Yo-Fi Wellness is churning some serious waves in the sea of corporate wellness incentives! As employer healthcare costs continue to rise; innovative wellness incentives continue to offer companies of all sizes the latest in corporate wellness incentives and wellness gifts for employees. This online platform brings healthy living initiatives to employees through inspiring and instructive video programs, on any device. Offering expert yoga, fitness, nutrition and meditation video content, Yo-Fi Wellness empowers employees to live a healthier lifestyle, reducing absenteeism in the workplace and improving employee productivity. The Yo-Fi Wellness digital platform is the perfect solution to providing corporate gifts, incentives and rewards via gift cards and e-Certs.

For many organizations employee recognition and financial rewards are tied at the hip. It makes sense- rewards promote the desired behavior and only incur a fixed predictable cost to the employer. Rewards are proven effective and continue to be so, but the lasting value of that reward goes a lot farther with an employee if it is paired with true recognition of the accomplishment that earned them the reward. The compliment from their manager means as much or more than the reward it is paired with, and the recognition can often get lost in the day-to-day craziness of the workplace. Here are 3 quick and easy ways to ensure that you pair the proper employee recognition with your rewards to make them happier and more satisfied with their position and their organization. 1) 
Be timely: If you notice an employee making an exceptional effort or going beyond their job responsibilities- act immediately. A simple compliment, or a quick email in the moment shows the employee that their organization is always taking notice of their efforts. This makes them feel good whole also promoting positive behavior for the future. 2) 
Be authentic: When recognizing an employee’s good work or extra effort, mean what you say and back up what you do. If you recognize them publicly in front of their peers make sure you recognize their individual accomplishment. Don't give a generic motivational speech, instead speak specifically to what 
they did. Giving formulaic recognition will have an adverse effect where employees race to certain benchmarks because they know a reward is waiting for them, which is much less effective long term. 3) 
Add employee based value: Recognize employees by adding value measured in their terms. When providing rewards, gift cards are a great way to add individual value by presenting employees with a choice of how they want to receive and use their reward, without adding organizational cost. Being able to help a working mom out with dinner by providing a 
Boston Market gift card, and helping that junior associate right out of college buy his first apartment enhancement with a 
Crutchfield gift card, or helping that employee who you know has a long commute every day with a 
Speedway gas gift certificate, adds a personal touch that will be memorable and more valuable to employees. Employee rewards work- but they must be paired with proper employee recognition, otherwise the meaning is lost. Adding value and meaning to employee recognition will have a long lasting effect on their loyalty, productivity, and happiness. 
For more information on how to recognize your employees check out this article from Forbes.

GiftCard Partners and CVS/pharmacy recently co-sponsored a webinar called Healthcare Reform’s Impact on Wellness - How to Incentivize Employees to Engage in Healthy Behavior. Speakers included Jonathan Edelheit, Editor in Chief of Benefits Live Magazine, Vanessa Cullerton, Senior Manager of Employee Wellness for the Hillshire Brands Company, Stacey Nelson, Manager of Health and Welfare for Sprint; and our own Edward Shulkin, President of GiftCard Partners.

Many nonprofits utilize gift cards as recognition and incentives for donors, staff, volunteers, and the strategic partners that keep them afloat. Some nonprofits are charities or service organizations; all with tight budgets. However, regardless of budget, incentives play an important role in motivating constituencies to maintain the critical behaviors that keep the nonprofit working and alive. Corporations regularly utilize incentives as good business practice and the nonprofits that follow suite find great rewards. They remain top of mind for the people they need most. One 501c3 organization that responded to GCP’s Gift Card Usage Survey, advocates for physically and mentally challenged adults, and they offer gift cards to employees as workplace incentives and as holiday gifts. They stated, “Our employees are very passionate about the work that they do providing support for individuals with
disabilities, so it is nice to be able to provide a little incentive for them.” The Points of Light Institute states that National Volunteer Week is about “inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities”. How will you continue to inspire and reward your volunteers, donors, and constituencies? Is your nonprofit looking to incent, engage, and reward with volunteer incentives? 
Download our Incentives in the Workplace eBook to learn strategies and real organizations’ stories of how they use gift cards to incent, motivate, recognize and reward volunteers and donors.