GiftCard Partners Blog

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.

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?