7 Modern Employee Rewards That Work in 2026
Employee rewards have evolved far beyond the old “Employee of the Month” plaque. Today’s workforce expects recognition that feels personal, flexible, and connected to their goals. According to a Gallup study, employees who receive frequent, meaningful recognition are 4x more likely to be engaged and 5x more likely to feel connected to company culture.
GiftCard Partners Named One of the "Best and Brightest Companies to Work For"
Companies work harder than ever to retain employees and it can be difficult for employers to gain a pulse on how their workforce perceives their jobs. Work-life balance and flexibility for family and personal needs is one of the most important factors in keeping employees happy and performing well. The company I work for, GiftCard Partners (GCP) has found a secret to keeping employees happy and fulfilled via the company make-up - an entirely
remote workplace, which fosters work-life balance and family-time. This month, GCP was named One of the "Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" by the National Association for Business Resources. This national competition identifies and honors organizations who display a commitment to excellence in human resource practices and employee enrichment. Click here to learn more about the competition and the criteria. Looking for insight about how employees perceive their workplace flexibility? Check out an article I wrote, which was published in Working Mother Magazine. It discusses my personal vision of how a working mom can succeed, how GCP’s vision aligns with the needs of our staff and how it works for our company,. What will your company do in 2014 to foster work-life balance for your workforce?
Employees Make The Best Brand Advocates
When employees are motivated, happy at work and supportive of a company's mission they can make the best brand advocates. In the age of social media, 24/7 news cycles and constant media messages
, it is important to have brand advocates that will evangelize your brand and its mission. Since brands don't have social capital, you need people working for you, willing to put their social capital behind your brand. Employee brand advocacy can provide a variety of social benefits including:
Feedback Motivates Employees
3 Signs of a Truly Loyal Employee
- They dissent and disagree: This seems counter-intuitive to employee loyalty, but an employee who can give honest opinions for the sake of building the team and making it better is more valuable than an employee that keeps quiet. Reward employees for making bold statements if it helps the company. Spot rewards for taking the risk, like a small denomination gift card to Speedway, 1-800-Flowers or
The Limited is a great way to reinforce important, but perceived high risk behavior. - They support the company in public: Everyone wants their fights and disagreements to stay behind closed doors. No matter what an employee thinks and says internally, to the outside world they show their appreciation with praise for the work environment and share knowledgeable facts about the company and products.
- They praise their peers: Peer-to-peer recognition programs are important and empowering. Peer recognition helps employees get to know each other and bond, while helping each other be and do the best they can. Encourage it by letting employees allot points to each other for later rewards.
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