GiftCard Partners Blog

According to the new Ixaris Study of Reward & Incentive Preferences, which gathered responses from over 4800 employees form 4 countries (including the U.S. and Canada) employee incentives work in keeping employees satisfied and motivated. According to the survey 28.6% of U.S. employees indicated they had been rewarded or recognized. The more staggering numbers are that 70% of respondents indicated they put in extra effort when they know they are going to be rewarded. 80% of respondents indicated that incentives make them feel valued. Rewarding employees by treating them to something special. 70% of respondents indicated that when given cash rewards they used the reward just like regular pay, but over 75% of respondents indicated that gift card incentives were used to treat themselves to something special. Allowing employees to treat themselves to something special like a meal out with their families at
The Cheesecake Factory, or a shopping spree at
The Limited, or even a bouquet of flowers for a loved one from
1-800-Flowers is a great way to show employees you care, and that their efforts are valued above and beyond their standard compensation.
For more information on the Ixaris study or the positive impact of employee incentives check out this article from Incentive Magazine.

Keeping employees motivated isn’t just about big bonuses or formal recognition programs. While structured incentives have their place, informal employee rewards can be just as powerful—if not more—at maintaining morale, fostering camaraderie, and driving performance. Plus, they can be implemented with minimal cost while delivering meaningful impact.

Employee motivation can get repetitive and less effective when trying to find unique motivation for a large number of employees. Here are 3 easy ways to motivate a team of any size.

National Work & Family Month (NWFM) isn’t just a conceptual idea to prompt employers to take work life balance seriously. The U.S. Senate has declared this an annual event, stating that “reducing the conflict between work and family life should be a national priority."1 Utilize the month of October to celebrate your workers’ families, personal interests, and personal goals. You could hold month-long inter-office contests with prizes that reward for their enthusiasm and participation, offer spot-rewards for employee recognition, encourage folks to share their work-life and work-family balance ideas, and hold prize drawings. What are America’s most prized rewards? Gift cards. They make the perfect reward for workplace events and celebrations. Albertsons gift cards for high quality foods and treats for loved ones, Speedway gas and Autozone gift cards to show appreciation for the long commutes that take away from family time, The Children’s Place for outfitting young families…you get the picture.