GiftCard Partners Blog

At the halfway mark of 2025, Gallup’s latest report on employee engagement reveals a sobering truth: only 32% of U.S. employees are engaged in their work. That stagnation is costing businesses a staggering $2 trillion in lost productivity. And while the stats are eye-opening, the real question is: What can leaders do about it?

What do cities like Huntsville, AL, Nashville, TN and Orlando, FL have in common? They made the top 10 in Quantum Workplace's list for
Best Cities for Employee Recognition. Quantum's survey polled nearly 5,000 organizations and 400,000 employees to identify the top cities for employee recognition based on which contained those employees most satisfied with their employee recognition programs. The report evaluated employees' perceptions of 11 types of recognition, frequency of recognition and satisfaction levels. In order to be considered for this data set, each city was required to have held a Best Places to Work contest with the participation of more than 70 organizations.

If you're looking for a way to inspire your workers, motivate them, and get more out of your team, we have one big tip for you: stop thinking of them as 'employees.' Instead, start thinking of them as people. They're not interchangeable parts that you can tweak and change to get more work out of—they're living, breathing, working people with personalities, priorities, and passions.

As summer rolls around, many employees start thinking about vacations, beach days, and time with family. While this season brings energy and joy, it can also test focus and productivity at work. For employers and HR leaders, this is a perfect time to rethink how to keep employees motivated, engaged, and feeling valued—without draining budgets or morale.

A new type of employee is gaining ground: the self-driven high performer. Often mislabeled as “selfish” or “independent to a fault,” these individuals are motivated by internal benchmarks, personal ambition, and a desire for autonomy. They thrive on setting and reaching their own goals, not just company targets.