GiftCard Partners Blog

Even when budgets are tight, appreciation doesn’t have to be. In fact, during periods of change or economic pressure, thoughtful recognition becomes even more essential to maintaining morale, trust, and team cohesion.

In this slow recovering economy, trends in the incentive industry are leaning towards caution and scaled back rewards programs. Safety rewards, which used to garner large incentive travel programs, or other large rewards, are now are being scaled back to much smaller incentive rewards programs. According to the latest Incentive Research Foundation survey, incentive rewards program administrators' confidence levels are down to lows not seen since 2008. The survey indicated the following specifically about travel rewards programs:

It is widely known and accepted that employee engagement is critical to productivity and improving your company's bottom line.  As 2011 draws to a close and we look to 2012, and a (hopefully) improving job market, employment agency Randstad released some concerning numbers this week. In their annual "Employee Attachment Index" survey, which measures employee-employer attachment, it appears that employee engagement is decreasing and that many employees are looking to move on, as soon as the market is more stable.

For many businesses, staying open during the holidays is essential. Whether you’re a retail store, restaurant, healthcare provider, or service organization, holiday operations can make or break your end-of-year success. But for employees, working through the holidays can also bring stress, fatigue, and a sense of missing out.

Employee engagement in the U.S. has stalled at 31%, down from its pandemic-era peak and representing millions fewer engaged workers across the workforce. New findings from Gallup reveal a deeper issue behind the headline numbers: engagement isn’t eroding because employees don’t care; it’s declining because basic workplace needs are going unmet, especially for younger workers.