GiftCard Partners Blog

After several turbulent years, many organizations are asking the same question: are my employees disengaged or just discouraged? The distinction matters because morale and engagement are related but distinct drivers of performance. New global data show that engagement has slipped, while morale remains fragile in the face of burnout, turnover and rapid change. Understanding the difference — and how recognition tools like the Engage2Reward™ Gift Card Ordering Platform can support both — is critical for leaders who want to build resilient teams.

Organizations invest heavily in Total Rewards programs designed to attract, support, motivate, and retain employees. Compensation, benefits, wellbeing, professional development, recognition, financial wellness, flexibility, and other workforce programs can collectively represent one of an organization's most significant investments in its people.

A recent research study conducted by TNS Employee Insights shows that engaging employees at work through programs like incentive rewards and loyalty programs, can improve the overall functionality and performance of a company by 20% points. MolsonCoors found that engaged employees were five times less likely than non-engaged employees to have a safety incident and seven times less likely to have a lost-time safety incident. Using these types of programs by giving small incentives such as a small denomination gift card, or larger gifts for bigger workplace milestones makes employees feel noticed. Employees who are engaged at work feel as though they have a meaningful voice within the organization, and recognize effective leadership more readily. They feel as though they are being noticed, invested in, and guided professionally. Employees who feel engaged are also more productive, which leads to greater company revenues and 87% reduction in likelihood of employee departure. Here are four ways to invest in employee engagement and increase performance. 1.    Link employee engagement to business objectives and measures of effectiveness. The more substantial the direct connection the more clearly employees can view their role. 2.    Invest in employee programs specifically designed to increase engagement by supporting business objectives. 3.    Establish a system of measuring engagement and the effectiveness of these programs. Getting employee feedback about the programs is the best way to gauge their success. 4.    Make adjustments based on the discernible results. Maintaining flexibility in employee engagement programming is key to a positive outcome for both employees and the employer.  
For more information on engaging your employees to improve your company's performance check out this PR Web Article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

A decade ago, having a “good boss” often meant someone who kept the team on schedule and paid you on time. Today the bar is much higher. Remote and hybrid work have become the norm, managers face unprecedented stress, and employees have more options than ever.

The Incentive Research Foundation released an executive briefing entitled 
2012 Trends in Rewards and Recognition, which shows emerging trends for 2012. Some of the top trends include: