Want To Reward Your Employees? This Is What They Value
Something has shifted in Australian workplaces. The Friday afternoon team lunch that used to feel like a genuine treat? For a lot of employees right now, it barely registers. The things that actually help have changed significantly as the cost of living has climbed.
Leaders who want to show genuine appreciation are navigating a harder question than they used to. Employee rewards that felt meaningful a few years ago can now fall flat, and what actually moves people has shifted. This article draws on real Australian workplace research to help leaders understand what their teams need from recognition right now.
What employees actually want from recognition right now
The research is pretty clear on this. According to Reward Gateway's 2025 Workplace Engagement Index, 43% of Australian employees say recognition is the number one driver of their productivity, up 10% from the year before. And yet the same research found that only 23% of Australian employees feel genuinely appreciated at work, down sharply from 38% in 2024.
Those numbers tell an uncomfortable story. Employees aren't hoping for a pat on the back; they want recognition that connects to what their lives actually look like. Employment Hero's research found that 72% of Australians report negative emotions linked to their financial situation: lack of motivation, disrupted sleep, stress. With nearly half struggling to cover regular expenses before payday, a reward that helps with the everyday carries real weight. The upshot is that the best employee recognition and rewards programs are built around choice rather than assumption. Mercer's 2025 Australian Benefits Review found that 58% of employers still rely on one-size-fits-all rewards, a significant miss across a workforce spanning multiple generations, life stages, and financial situations.
One team, very different needs
Think about the range of people on your team. A parent is navigating school fees and grocery bills. A younger employee in their first rental is watching every dollar. A senior staff member might want an experience or a treat. A remote worker values recognition differently from someone in the office every day. Research by Nectar found that 92% of employees in companies with recognition programs feel valued, compared to just 70% in companies without one. That gap is the difference meaningful employee benefit programs make.
Employee reward ideas that actually resonate
The best way to think about reward for employee motivation is to start with what the employee actually needs. Different needs call for different rewards.
Everyday relief: for the employee who needs to feel the difference now
For employees managing tight budgets, a reward that goes straight to where the pressure is has an outsized impact. This is the employee who lights up at something practical, something that genuinely helps this week, not eventually.
A Woolworths gift card puts money toward groceries, one of the biggest household expenses for most Australians. A Shell gift card covers fuel, which for commuters or regional employees is a real and recurring cost. A Jaycar Electronics gift card works well for the practically-minded team member who always has a project on the go. These aren't glamorous rewards. They're genuinely useful ones, which right now is the point.
Experience and downtime: for the employee who needs to switch off
Not every employee needs practical relief. Some are doing fine on the budget front but are running low on fun, rest, or something to look forward to. This is the employee who would genuinely love permission to enjoy themselves.
An Entertainment gift card through Prezzee covers a wide range of experiences: cinema tickets, activities, and days out. A Holey Moley gift card is a great call for someone who'd appreciate something social and a bit unexpected. The point with this category is freedom, a reward they can enjoy on their own terms, not something they feel obligated to spend in a particular way.
Personal treat: for the employee who deserves something just for them
Then there's the employee who is quietly excellent, consistently reliable, and rarely makes a fuss. The one who shows up, delivers, and probably hasn't bought themselves anything nice in a while. This reward category is for them.
A JB Hi-Fi gift card is a genuinely exciting reward for anyone tech-minded. Something they'd browse happily and come away with exactly what they wanted. This kind of employee recognition and reward feels personal precisely because it's not tied to a necessity. It's a treat, chosen for them, that sits outside the everyday.
Why gift cards are one of the smartest employee rewards going
Ask most employees what they actually want from a reward, and the answer tends to come back to one thing: choice. A hamper of things they might not use misses it. A team experience that suits only half the group misses it. A gift card from a brand the employee loves, with a message that tells them why they're being recognised, carries real weight. And when the card covers something they actually need? The impact goes further still.
Prezzee's multi-brand Smart eGift Card takes this further. Employees can split their balance across multiple retailers, so a $100 card might become $50 at Woolworths, $30 at JB Hi-Fi, and $20 wherever else they need it. Digital delivery means a reward can be chosen, personalised with a message, and sent in minutes, which means the employee reward reaches people when it actually matters.
Recognition doesn't have to be complicated
Recognition has never been about spending the most. It's about showing someone their work was seen, their effort noticed, and their situation considered. In a year when the cost of living is still very much part of most people's daily reality, getting that right matters more than it used to.
Start with the people. Ask what they actually need. Then find the reward that answers it. Prezzee can make that process quick, personal, and genuinely easy. Explore Prezzee for Business and put something meaningful in your team's hands.
Frequently asked questions
How can I start researching what employees want as employee rewards?
Ask them directly. A short, anonymous pulse survey will surface what your team actually values far more accurately than assumptions. Once you have a picture, you can build an employee benefit program around real preferences. This guide to making recognition happen responsibly is a useful next step.
What are the best employee rewards that are good for motivation?
Timing is everything. An employee reward that arrives weeks after the work it recognises loses most of its impact. Beyond timing, rewards that work tend to be personal and specific to the individual.
Are gift cards a good employee reward?
Yes, when chosen with thought. A gift card from a brand the employee loves, with a message explaining why they're being recognised, lands very differently from a generic one. Prezzee's Smart eGift Card lets recipients split their balance across multiple retailers. Browse the full Prezzee catalogue to see what's available.How often should I be recognising my employees?
More often than most leaders think. Recognition has the most impact when it's frequent and timely, built into regular rhythms rather than saved for a special occasion. For a practical framework, this guide to responsible recognition covers the key principles of employee recognition and rewards done well.