GiftCard Partners Blog

2012 is coming to a close and as you prepare for 2013, it’s important to ensure that your Employee Recognition Program is up for the challenge that the new year is sure to bring. Incentive Magazine’s, Roy Saunderson, explains, ‘Vendors and practitioners must now learn to reinvent themselves and the way recognition will look and is managed in order to lead out into the future.” It’s time to get excited about a brand new year and keep in mind some helpful insights that will start you out of the gate running:
Mobile devices take a more prominent role in recognition. The use of recognition apps on cell phones and tablets brings acknowledging greatness in the workplace to the tips of your fingers: can you say convenient?
Give the rewards they want.
Take an interest in the types of rewards that your employees will use and more importantly appreciate. Gift cards to
The Children’s Place for young mothers or cards to
AutoZone for the car fanatics in the office are the perfect way to show you are thinking about what an employee really wants.
Show them the results. Technology makes it easy to track your employees achievements and recognize both individuals and teams that have advanced towards their goals and the goals of the organization.
Check out more insightful trends from this article in Entrepreneur’s, “Top 10 Trends for Employee Recognition in 2013.”

It may sound like an obvious thing to say…”that management needs to be committed to their safety program for it to work”. But, all too often safety programs feel like a pretense to employees and this sets the stage for safety behavior. Real world experiences with safety programs and safety incentives tell us that this is happening all the time. The act of selecting which incentives and rewards will be offered sets the tone for your program. Will you expect employees to feel rewarded for fewer accident reports with a “super-star” coffee mug, or other trinkets? Cash is appreciated and remembered, but you won’t receive discount on cash rewards. Gift Cards are the perfect incentive for safety and corporate rewards and business incentive programs, as discounts are achieved for volume orders. Companies like
GiftCard Partners offer only volume orders and discounts on top gift card brands like
Speedway (Gasoline),
The Cheesecake Factory,
Boston Market,
AutoZone and
many more.  

Looking for the latest trends in employee motivation, engagement, incentives and rewards? In this month’s GCP eNews edition,
you’ll  find the
Tools to Boost Employee Motivation & Productivity, including: -          Wellness Programs in the Workplace: Technology that Inspires Healthy Living – for Mind and Body -          eNews Interactive: 4 Apps to Keep You On-Time and On-Task -          Wrapping up the Holiday: Improving Productivity during the Holiday Season -          The Safety Zone: The Key to a Successful Safety Program -         
AND MORE Don’t forget to subscribe to our eNews, a consolidation of “the best of” in customer loyalty, employee motivation, health and wellness incentives, engagement strategies, and rewards.[hs_action id="2809"]

Contrary to popular belief it’s not always about the amount you spend on your holiday workplace gifts that shows how much you appreciate your employees hard work throughout the year. Breaking the bank need not be a concern when choosing the best way to thank employees this holiday season. Entrepreneur’s Margie Zable Fisher highlights some creative, thoughtful, fun and cost efficient gift ideas in several categories:
Food-
Two words sum up this category:
Sweet Tooth. Holidays are the time of year to indulge in the sweeter things in life. Try giving a box of fine chocolates or a basket of cupcakes from a local bakery, they’re sure to please.
Stress relief- Everyone is a little stressed out this time of year. Give them something to soothe their nerves. Herbal teas or aromatherapy products make great gift baskets.
Technology- It’s impossible to go anywhere and not see someone with an iPhone or iPad. Help employees protect their gadgets with cool cases or accessories.
Gift Cards- Some people are just impossible to shop for and that’s the beauty of gift cards. Give the gift of a night out of the kitchen with gift cards to
The Cheesecake Factory or help out with everyday purchases with gift cards to
CVS/pharmacy.
Check out more great gift ideas from Entrepreneur’s ‘Holiday Gift Ideas Under $50: Thirty thoughtful employee gifts for small businesses on a budget.’

As the holiday season approaches it is important to show appreciation for your employees, and ensure that end of year gifts that go beyond the standard holiday bonuses provide meaning and extra gratitude for employees. Here are 3 quick quick tips to make sure your employee gifts prove meaningful this year and motivate your employees: