In today's economic climate, many team members may be feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living. As an employer, it's crucial to find ways to support your staff and ensure they feel valued and secure. Here are some effective strategies to help.

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1. Recognise and reward employees

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As the cost of living increases, many must restrict the amount of money spent on the things they enjoy the most. It’s for this reason that rewarding your employees with a versatile gift that’s catered specifically to their interests can be a meaningful way of showing them you care. With a Smart eGift Card like those offered at Prezzee, employees can choose from a wide range of food, retail and adventure experiences – all things they may have put on hold otherwise. By rewarding your team with a personalised gift, it will give your employees the well-needed boost in their week, and give them another reason to look forward to their weekend.

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2. Motivate employees with a meaningful bonus

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A bonus is always appreciated, but gifting a bonus that makes a meaningful dent in their rising costs of living is something that can make a lasting difference. A particularly thoughtful way to show your employees that you care during times of economic hardship is with a gift card to Bill Fairies. Employees can use a Bill Fairies eGift Card to pay off a variety of bills and expenses such as internet, gas, electricity, and even school fees. This gesture can help them manage their expenses and feel valued at the same time.

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3. Promote physical and mental wellbeing

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When your team is working on a big project or has a lot going on at home, it can be hard for them to find the time for their physical and mental health. Show your employees that their health comes first by surprising them with the gift of wellbeing. This might look like starting a regular lunchtime yoga class in the park, stocking regular healthy treats in the office kitchen, or gifting each employee with a wellness experience of their choice via a Health & Wellness eGift Card. Whether wellness means buying that new gym accessory they’re after or grabbing some new books for their well-needed reading break, a Health and Wellness eGift Card will help them find their zen.

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4. Remind your employees that they’re physical and financial wellbeing always comes first

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The rising cost of living has affected a lot of Aussies in significant ways, and has forced many to compromise on the things they might normally enjoy. It’s important to remind your employees of how much they are valued as part of your company. Whether it’s something as large-scale as a work policy change or something as small but meaningful as an employee gift, every act of appreciation will help in improving the wellbeing of your employees during difficult times.

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Corporate Christmas Gift Ideas for Employees

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Christmas is the perfect opportunity to show appreciation for your employees and strengthen team connections. This year, instead of getting your team, clients or customers another bottle of wine, dive into our curated list of corporate Christmas gift ideas to make this festive season an unforgettable one.

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The Kroger eGift Card opens up a world of choices, from groceries to housekeeping essentials, while the Target eGift Card is a ticket to the treasure trove of affordable trendy goods, home decor, and gadgets. The Sheetz eGift Card is all about convenience, designed for those who are always on the move, offering fuel, handy essentials or maybe a hot meal on the go. These gift cards add a personal touch to your corporate gifting, allowing recipients to choose exactly what suits their preference.

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Tech and entertainment corporate Christmas gifts

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Tech and entertainment gifts can bring a dose of fun and innovations to your employee's holidays.

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Gifting a Best Buy Gift Card offers a wide range of options, from gadgets to books. Or, a Hulu Gift Card can help your colleagues or clients binge-watch their favourite shows and movies during their well-deserved downtime. For the tech enthusiasts, a Crutchfield eGift Card is a gateway to the latest electronics and entertainment gadgets.

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The everyday treats

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A tasty corporate Christmas gift can also go a long way in making your team feel valued these holidays.

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A Prezzee On The Go Eats Smart eGift Card can provide a festive lunch at the office. A meal shared with coworkers can help celebrate the silly seasons and  make your employees feel valued and taken care of at work. Or, let them take the festivities to the next level with a fine dining experience. A Bloomin Brands eGift Card is one card that can be used at a number of America’s favorite eating destinations such as Bonefish Grill, Outback Steakhouse, and many more.

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Luxurious corporate Christmas Gifts

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Luxurious corporate Christmas gift cards add a touch of glamor to the holiday season.

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A Delta Air Lines Gift Card is certain to wow your employees, and is the perfect invitation to relax and enjoy a well-deserved holiday state-wide or overseas. Or, for those who would rather travel by sea, the Holland America Line Gift Card is a ticket to pure indulgence and adventure, allowing your recipients to unwind and recharge in elegance. And if there’s a desire to enjoy an unforgettable meal, a Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse Gift Card is certain to have your employees reminiscing once the holiday break is over.

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The company Christmas gift of choice

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The Prezzee Smart eGift Card is the ultimate employee Christmas gift of choice that enables your recipient to swap and shop for one or more eGift cards from hundreds of top brands instantly.

If you’re looking for unique corporate Christmas gift ideas, this is one card that can unlock all of them.
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What to consider when choosing corporate Christmas gifts for employees?

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When selecting company Christmas gifts for your employees, several crucial considerations come into play to ensure that your gesture is thoughtful and well-received.

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Diversity and inclusion

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First and foremost, it's essential to consider the diversity of your workforce. Consider cultural and religious backgrounds to ensure that your company Christmas gifts are inclusive and respectful of everyone's beliefs and traditions.

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Gift type

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Additionally, think about the practicality of the gift. A useful and functional item, such as a customizable calendar, premium coffee products, or gift cards, tend to be appreciated.

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Everyone likes to be recognized, and your employees are no different.

The good news is that you don’t need any fancy employee recognition software to make your team feel seen and heard. The more that you verbalize positive feedback, the more it shows you’re paying attention — which results in more trust earned from your team.

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According to Forbes, a study showed that nearly 90% of employees who were shown recognition from their boss felt higher levels of trust in that manager. However, only 48% showed signs of trusting the authoritative figures of those who did not receive recognition.

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Ready to be seen as a better people leader, increase business results, and make your team feel appreciated? Keep reading to find out how simple it is to accomplish all three with the right employee recognition ideas and strategy.

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What is employee recognition?

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Recognition is defined as “the acknowledgment of something's existence or validity.” This might sound like a simple and easy act — because it is! All you need is some organization (a simple calendar to start) and a little creativity.

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In terms of your business, showing your employees recognition can come in an array of forms, whether it’s a mentioning an outstanding employee in a speech given at a company-wide meeting, or, through an employee recognition gift sent to their email. Each form of employee recognition has its own unique advantages, and knowing what’s the best way to show recognition will be specific to the wants and needs of your business and the employee themselves.

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The benefits of employee recognition

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Among many more examples, the top reasons to make employee recognition a priority include:

• Positive business outcomes
• Employee retention (decreased employee turnover and creates a positive environment for top performers)
• The encouragement of core values

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Do employee recognition programs work?

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Let’s take employee retention as an example, as it can be one of the most cost-saving areas for your company. Glassdoor’s Employee Appreciation Survey showed that 53% of employees reported appreciation from their boss motivated them to stay longer at their company. What might surprise you is that from that same group, 68% of respondents said their manager was already actively displaying a sufficient amount of appreciation.

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This proves what we learned before: appreciation can’t be reserved for merely one holiday out of the year. Keep it continuous — in this case, more is more!

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What are some measurable criteria for employee recognition?

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Whist it’s important to regularly show your company’s teams and individuals recognition, having a measurable employee recognition criterion can make giving recognition easier and more valuable. This isn’t to say the act of giving recognition should be overly formalized, more that a criteria can help guide you and make noticing important employee moments easier to recognize.

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The top criteria for employee recognition include:

• Reward sales performance
  It’s an effective motivator when we remind our top performers that we notice and appreciate their hard work and ability to excel within the sales team. By celebrating and rewarding these employees, we can incentivize them to continue to push on and reach their sales goals.
• Recognize individual progress
  While leaderboards and Employee of the Month awards are fantastic, you want to bring a human element to this. It's important to recognize individual growth and progress to maintain employee retention. Personalized, face-to-face expressions of gratitude from leaders make a lasting impact. By appreciating our employees when they improve or show growth, we remind them that their hard work and progress are noticed.
• Celebrate exemplary attendance
  Recognizing punctual employees is important, as attendance directly impacts productivity and profitability. Absences and tardiness can lead to decreased profits and negatively affect team dynamics. The CDC said that absenteeism costs roughly $1,685 per employee every year, for a total of $225.8 billion in the United States alone.
• Acknowledge important milestones
  There are many corporate milestones that are worthy of recognition in an employee’s time at your company. These include passing probation, yearly work anniversaries, and birthdays. Although not directly tied to company efficiency (like sales performance), employee recognition gifted for milestones tells your employees that you value their overall contributions to the team.
• Appreciate effective team work
  Real, honest, compassionate teamwork is something that can transform workspaces. When employees feel they can rely on one another or lean on each other, you’ve created a positive network of support where a business can thrive. Those who contribute to this positive culture of teamwork deserve to be recognized.
• Reward a positive attitude
  Recognize employees who consistently maintain a positive attitude, lift spirits and contribute to a cheerful work environment. It is not easy to wear a happy face to work all year long, especially with the many difficulties and stressors that come with daily life.
• Recognize compassionate customer support
  Your customer support team takes on the responsibility of being the voice for your business. They face a variety of different clients, all with different moods, stress levels, agendas, and so on, being careful to represent the company with respect and patience. Those that go out of their way to help customers reflect positively on the entire company as a whole.

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How to create an employee recognition program

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Now that you have some criteria for what events warrant employee recognition, it’s important to strategically plan how you intend to execute your company’s recognition program. Below are some key steps that will help you in developing an effective, productivity-driving employee recognition program.

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Use a survey to guide the development of your recognition program

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Poll the experts — your employees. You won’t know what will motivate your team the most until you ask.

An easy way to do this is by sending a Slack message (or whatever messaging software you use) to team members with a link to an online survey. Remember to keep it anonymous so your employees won’t feel reluctant to submit ideas.

Ask specific questions to help guide responses, such as the following:

• What motivates you the most?
  • For example, fun events, monetary rewards, time off, or social recognition.
• How long should a rewards program last?
  • For example, a month, quarter, year, or ongoing.
• What do you need the most motivation for?
  • For example: hitting sales targets, obtaining new clients, or reaching a new career milestone.
• What type of rewards system do you prefer?
  • For example, company-wide contests, incentives, a personal structure to challenge themselves, or teams vs. teams.

You can use the examples we gave here in a multiple-choice format or leave it open-ended.

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Determine an employee recognition program budget

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Setting a budget is crucial to setting realistic expectations for you and your employees and will also help structure the employee recognition program.

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Once you have considered the employee-submitted ideas, start grouping common entry types into themes. Determine which themes will accommodate your budget.

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Identify meaningful employee recognition rewards

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Once you’ve established the rewards system, time frame, and budget, it’s time for the fun part — determining the reward. Make it easy on yourself and keep it simple — a meaningful reward can also be easy.

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Employee gifts don’t have to be complicated, expensive, or grandiose. A meaningful reward will make your employees' lives easier or be a perk they couldn’t obtain otherwise.

Examples of valuable employee recognition gift ideas can include:

• Gift cards: The functionality of gift cards is famously easy. Make it even easier with instant digital delivery with Prezzee eGift cards. With options like Target, Chevron, HelloFresh, Airbnb, and hundreds more in Prezzee’s catalog, you can send your employees rewards they’ll actually use.
• Performance swag: Whether we want to admit it or not, a new wireless keyboard can be exhilarating. A customized mousepad with an image of their pet? Even better. You’ll earn some brownie points by providing an option to make their workday a little easier.
• Extra PTO day: Some may say an extra day off might be more valuable than a monetary reward. (Check with your human resources contact first to ensure that granting additional PTO days is approved.)

Ask for employee feedback over the course of the program

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Asking for feedback is an essential step in ensuring the adoption of your employee recognition program. It’s always a good idea to keep your employees in the loop to keep them involved and further invested in the reward system. When a teammate feels like they are being heard, they are much more likely to stay engaged and participate.

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Try periodically emailing a survey link to your team’s distribution list to monitor the program’s effectiveness and perception. You can use a ranking system (1 through 5 is best), multiple choice of provided answers, or an open reply box for responses.

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Examples of questions you can use for the feedback survey include:

• What about this program is keeping you motivated?
• What would you like to see continued? Discontinued?
• What is a feature or roadblock of the program that is hindering your usage, if any?
• What’s one feature you wish could be added to the reward platform?
• Does the timeframe of when points must be earned to redeem prizes work for you? Why or why not?
• Do you enjoy working independently towards rewards, or would you rather join forces in groups? (or vice versa)
• What are more ways you’d like included as opportunities to earn points? Are there any service awards you’d like to incorporate?

Look at critical themes across the board — what do most responses have in common? Don’t throw away outlier answers: This is an opportunity to understand what certain employees may need differently to be set up for success.

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Prezzee is here to help with employee recognition ideas

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At the end of the day, don’t overthink it. If you put effort towards showing up and bringing purpose and encouragement through appreciation each day, your team will notice. Remember: if you stay continuous with your signals of appreciation and keep them genuine, timely, and specific, you can’t go wrong.

Sources:

‍Why Employees Need Both Recognition and Appreciation | HBR

‍‍Anniversary Gifts by Year: Our Traditional and Modern Guide

‍How Recognition Makes WorkHuman | SHRM‍

3 Reasons Why Employee Recognition Will Always Matter | Forbes‍

Employers To Retain Half Of Their Employees Longer If Bosses Showed More Appreciation | Glassdoor ‍

Formal and informal employee recognition – which works best? | HRZone‍

It’s about time: Immediate rewards boost motivation | Cornell Chronicle‍

What is Homeostasis? | Scientific American‍

Positive Reinforcement and Operant Conditioning: Examples | Verywell Mind

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Customers remember those businesses that not only provide a meaningful service to them but work hard to build trustworthy, meaningful relationships. No matter what service or product you might provide for a customer, memorable impressions are built on rewarding engagement.

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Most businesses already realize that it’s essential to thank their customers. That form of gratitude is an expectation that most customers already have, however, a simple “Thank you for your purchase” won’t leave a particularly memorable impression.

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Instead, stand out by giving your clients tangible rewards for their business. Foster a professional relationship with your client, giving them a real incentive to stay connected. At Prezzee, we’ll show you how: Below is our guide on drive sales with customer loyalty programs and rewards.

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Reward regulars with customer perks

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Clients feel privileged when they are rewarded for their regular business. When a company acknowledges a customer who's returning to do business again, it can create a mutually beneficial connection.

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Show your customers their business is valuable by repaying them with benefits, perks, discounts, and other privileges reserved just for regulars. In return, you’ll build brand loyalty because the customer knows they can come back to get even better rewards and perks.

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Studies have shown that people respond well to brands with loyalty programs, frequently becoming regulars. With the internet and online shopping creating so much competition, it helps to reach out to customers and show them that doing business with you can be a uniquely privileged exchange, offering some real return for their investment.

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Loyalty programs that incentivize customers to return

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There are plenty of loyalty programs out there that reward those customers who consistently return for business.

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Some of the most successful customer loyalty programs that businesses often employ include:

• Membership programs offer special discounts and coupons that are applied to purchases from members only. Members can also receive unique discounts or rewards during the holiday season or special occasions. Offering exclusive warranties, support, and other protection can create brand loyalty.
• Points program, where customer purchases earn them points or credit, which can then be exchanged for more products in the future or to get a discount on a certain item or service.
• Giveaway programs encourage returning customers. These programs offer giveaway tickets to customers for each purchase they make. Therefore, the more often they purchase, the higher their chances of winning the giveaway.
• Customer rewards programs encourage brand loyalty. Offer customers continuous rewards for returning to your services or spending over a certain amount. These rewards could be a free item, discounted service, or even a featured eGift card for a related service or product.

Customer referral programs can expand your customer base

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Customer referral programs are some of the best incentive strategies to bring in new customers. This type of incentive rewards existing customers for referring people to your business.

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The best way to use this type of incentive is to reward both the existing customer and the new customer they brought in. This way, the referred customer is also incentivized to go through and give your business a try.

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These programs can be quite lucrative, as statistics have shown that people are more likely to try a product directly recommended by a friend or family member. Also, those clients who get the referral are more likely to remain loyal, especially with a customer referral program.

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Rewards for a client referral may include exclusive discounts, free items, or complimentary services. However, for this program to work, the catch has to be that both the client and the person they referred to get to enjoy the benefits.

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If you’re debating on rolling out a customer referral program, it might be advantageous to check in with your base in the form of a survey (handing out eGift Cards as incentives to complete it, of course). Research shows that if over 90% of customer feedback rates the product as “very good,” they’re more likely to recommend the item to their circle. Free survey options can include Google Forms, Survey Monkey, and more.

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Once you’ve identified the target customer and perks for the referral program, it’s time to spread the word. Email campaigns, newsletters, and call-to-actions (CTAs) on blogs can help get the word out to your most loyal followers.

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Incentivize customers with seasonal and holiday gifts

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Nothing will keep your business fresh on someone’s mind like an unexpected gift. As the seasons turn, reminding your customer base that you appreciate their business is a great way to cultivate a sense of community.

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As the holidays kick off, people are bombarded with dozens upon dozens of advertisements. Make your ads stand out by moving beyond the “Buy this” or “Shop now” verbiage. Sending a free goodie to people in the top tier of your customer rewards program, for example, is a surefire way to get noticed. A thoughtful holiday gift is just the thing to let everyone know you’ve got their back.

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While a free gift is ideal — like a digital gift for essentials — you can also offer exclusive deals, discounts, or perhaps a free service. Depending on your business, you could get more creative with your gifts, especially for longtime customers.

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Check with your finance team to see what the annual budget allows for, but keep in mind that 90% of those who receive a free gift stated they would likely return, according to recent surveys.

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Use social media giveaways to incentivize customers to engage with your brand

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The premise is simple: on social media, you raffle off a particular product or service that you offer as a free prize. The only condition to enter the giveaway is that each person follows your account, likes the post, and shares it. (Generally, a more expensive product or exclusive service works best for building hype.)

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After that, your customers promote the giveaway for you, sharing it on their profiles. As the giveaway posts spread, it captures the attention of new customers. Just like that, you can gain troves of new followers. Even after the giveaway has ended, your online engagement will have seen a massive boost, with many people discovering your business and hopefully staying for the long run.

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Not loving the idea of a giveaway? Other ways to use social media for incentive marketing include:

• Tag-to-win (Tag two friends below, and you’ll all receive a prize)
• Caption contest (The prize goes to the most-liked comment or hashtag idea)
• Selfie contest (Competitors take and post a selfie, tagging the hosting account in the picture or caption)

Social media offers tons of creative possibilities, but there are hard and fast rules for contests depending on which platform you use. For example, on Instagram, you must state the terms and conditions, including who is eligible (based on country/age/etc.). You cannot prompt users to tag themselves in photos en masse, especially if they aren’t in that photo. More legalities include releasing Instagram from possible liabilities, including that Instagram is not affiliated with the giveaway in any way.

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Why are customer loyalty programs important for your business?

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As inflation increases and we recover from the pandemic, Forbes reported that customer acquisition and retention are determined by perceived value and savings. More people are looking to remain loyal to brands that use discounts, rewards systems, and other perks to repay them over time with a better value on products or services. This remains true even when the costs of those products rise.

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Savings matter more to today’s customers than before. A thoughtful brand loyalty incentive program is a convenient way for them to save on brands they already love. These make it easier and more affordable for customers to feel comfortable making purchases with your brand.

The best way to stand out as a business today is to offer unique customer rewards and loyalty programs that really show gratitude.

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If you’re looking for five-star prizes, rewards for a giveaway, or virtual gifts of gratitude for your regular customers, Prezzee can help. We have a huge selection of eGift cards that can be sent to customers, clients, and employees — really, anyone who deserves a smile and a shoutout. You can purchase digital gift cards for specific products, fun experiences, and services or simply give credit to the recipient to spend as they please with the Prezzee Smart eGift Card.

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With a unique, personalized gift, you can help create a more personal relationship with your clients, allowing them to feel closer to your company’s culture and community.

Sources:

The Perks of a Great Loyalty Program | Forbes

50 Significant Referral Marketing Statistics: 2023 Data Analysis & Market Share | Finances Online‍

Success Qualtrics | Qualtrics XM Institute‍

Increase Sales And Brand Loyalty By Running a ‘Gift with Purchase’ Campaign | Global Brands Magazine‍

How to Host an Instagram Giveaway or Contest | US Chamber of Commerce‍

Brand Loyalty Amid Inflation: How To Retain Your Customers | Forbes

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Client Gift Ideas: 10 Unique Client Gift Ideas They Won’t Forget

Your clients are the oil keeping your company steaming ahead at full speed, and it’s always important to let them know how much they mean to you. Giving your clients that recognition is a fantastic way to keep them with you for years down the line.

Still, it can be hard to know exactly what to get each individual client, especially when you’re not totally sure what they already own, want, or like. Let’s take a look at some unique client gift ideas that they are sure to cherish forever, no matter what their preferences might be.

1. Prezzee eGift Cards

When you get someone a gift, you want it to be something that they’ll actually use. With clients, it can be hard to develop a super close and personal relationship that lets you know what kind of gifts they’d enjoy the most. For that reason, you can never go wrong with an eGift card.

Digital gift cards let your clients choose exactly what they want their gift to be, giving them the opportunity to spend a little bit of dough on something that they might not have otherwise. But even then, it can be hard to narrow down your options to a retailer they’d like the most.

In those situations, you can use a Prezzee Smart eGift Card, which is the ultimate swap card that turns into hundreds of brands and retailers, giving your recipient a chance to choose what they want from the link of brands and retailers in our catalog.

We get it — sometimes, a gift card can feel a tad impersonal. However, Prezzee makes it fun by letting you personalize with a customized written message, photo, or even a video message. It makes this simple client appreciation gift something even more elite and memorable. You don’t even need a physical address to send your digital gift card: just an email or phone number is all you need.

2. Reusable Water Bottle

Some of the best gifts are also ones that are functional and can actually be used during your daily life. Reusable water bottles are an excellent client gift idea because they can be used throughout their daily lives, are environmentally friendly, and can also work as advertising for you.

It’s a practical gift that can let your recipient fill up their bottle with water, coffee, or other beverages throughout the day. Considering that reusable water bottles can cut back on single-use plastics to better the environment, this is a gift that your client can feel good about using.

But you can also put your company logo or insignia onto the side of this water bottle to benefit you indirectly. This piece of company swag is basically a walking advertisement for you, as people might ask your client about the logo on their water bottle, spurring a word-of-mouth conversation that leads a potential new client your way. Since 88% of consumers trust word-of-mouth advertising more than traditional marketing, this could be a nice boost.

You can even use these at events and meetups to give out gifts to new leads. Most reusable water bottles with customization options aren’t too expensive when you buy in bulk, either.

3. Bottle of Wine

Bottles of wine are quintessential client gifts — and for a good reason. Wine is elegant and often on the pricier side, making your client feel cherished and valued. Plus, there are other benefits to wine outside of just its flavor.

For one, wine can be used socially. Your client might choose to share their bottle with you and a partner, giving you the ability to network and get to know your client even better during off hours. Similarly, wine can be used to commemorate occasions like client milestones and more.

You can enhance this client appreciation gift even more by pairing it with a wine glass personalized with your company logo or a stainless steel tumbler that can keep their wine at the perfect temperature, even during beach days or outdoor adventures. Or learn about which types of wine they prefer before you buy. If you don’t know which bottle they want or you simply want to give them the final choice, send them a wine gift card.

Just be cautious and make sure that your client enjoys wine in the first place, as this may be an awkward gift to give if alcohol is against their values.

4. Wireless Phone Charger

If you need a client gift idea that is universally liked and accepted, then you can’t go wrong with a gadget for someone’s phone. Everyone uses a smartphone, and a wireless phone charger is a sleek, thoughtful gift that they’ll actually be able to put to use.

These charge your phone without even needing to be plugged in, making them a perfect bedside or desk-side companion.

5. Heated Coffee Mug

If there’s one thing that every working professional seems to run on, it’s coffee and tea. Caffeine is the gas in our tanks, but it can be frustrating to run back and forth from the microwave every time it starts to get cold. A heated coffee mug is a highly thoughtful gift that can completely revolutionize the way they drink their joe.

A heated coffee mug can help to keep their favorite hot beverages at the perfect temperature throughout the day, ensuring that every sip feels warm and soothing. While these can sometimes be a tad more expensive, it’s a gift that is great for locking in a client sale and is practically fail-safe.

6. Desk-Side Succulent Plant

Plants have the power to benefit an indoor space, not just because of aesthetics, but for actual health reasons too. In fact, houseplants have been found to improve air quality, reduce stress, improve environmental wellness, support cognitive health, and even improve a sense of well-being.

This is one gift that clients can place on their office desks or their bedroom, allowing them to add functional decor to their space. The only downside is that plants are an added responsibility; no one likes looking at an orchid slowly dying on their kitchen counter.

This makes a succulent one of the best options for indoor plants because they are essentially self-caring. You don’t need to do anything to a succulent besides put it in a pleasant location with a suitable amount of sun. This makes it so that you’re not adding onto any stress that your client might already be feeling, but you’re helping them achieve some wellness in their day-to-day life.

7. Fruit Basket

Thoughtful gifts can last forever, but they don’t always have to. Some of the best gifts can disappear in just a few minutes, like an edible fruit basket. These are gorgeous arrangements that are perfect for a quick photo before diving in.

A fruit basket with some chocolate-covered strawberries are fabulous for celebrating milestones, anniversaries, or birthdays in lieu of the usual cake or cupcakes. Fruit is a much healthier option that is also more accessible for most people in terms of diet restrictions, making this gift an easy one to share (or keep entirely to yourself — we won’t judge).

8. Self-Care Gift Basket

Sending a client just one gift is often enough, but it’s also nice to send them multiple things to keep the good vibes going. And a self-care gift basket (or a gift basket of any kind) can let your clients have multiple options to choose from in one fell swoop.

A self-care gift basket can remind your client to take a step back and care for themselves. Fill a basket with soaps, a spa eGift card, lotions, incense, essential oils, and other products to show them that you care about their well-being.

Client gift baskets filled with self-care products are a great choice when you don’t know your client well because there’s bound to be something in there that they enjoy.

9. Memorable Experience

Client Gifts don’t always need to be a tangible object. In fact, some of the best gifts are experiences. You can give your client the gift of an activity or an adventure that they are sure to remember for years to come. Perhaps you can get them a voucher for a high-end dinner that they wouldn’t have otherwise attended.

Other ideas include concert tickets, movie tickets, or zoo and aquarium vouchers. Put some thought in and think about what your client enjoys, then decide from there. As long as you put in some effort, it is hard to go wrong.

10. Portable Projector

Looking for a unique client gift idea that’s definitely off the beaten path? A portable projector lets your client watch movies, TV shows, and other forms of media without needing to carry around a laptop or a screen. Plus, these can be used to really enhance a cinematic experience at a backyard movie-watching party.

Putting thought into your client gifts is always worthwhile

Giving gifts to your clients shows them how much they mean to you. It’s also a simple way to make new clients feel more loved and welcome, giving them even more of a reason to stay with your company for a longer period of time.

The main factor to consider when giving a client gift is the personal touch and sentimental value. Custom client gifts tend to mean more than those that are expensive, but there’s a good way to strike a balance. Consider things like company-branded swag, wine bottles, or the gift of experiences to make an impression.

Or, give them the gift of choice with a Prezzee eGift card (including international options) that allows them to get whatever gift they want. Sign up for Prezzee Business and send your first client  gift card today that they won’t soon forget.

Sources:

​​What Makes a Great Gift? | The New York Times

How reusable bottles and containers can help save the ocean | Oceana

Health benefits of indoor plants | Piedmont

Fruits | MyPlate

Why Word of Mouth Beats Advertising | Business News Daily

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It’s time to energize your workplace!

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Whether your team is having a sluggish Friday or a sluggish quarter, as their leader, it’s within your power to get them excited about coming to work and turning in their best.

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By incorporating a sales incentive program, you can turn the weekday grind into a fierce (and fun) hustle. Motivate your employees with meaningful gifts and rewards when they go above and beyond.

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What is an incentive program and how do they work?

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An incentive program is any organized system that rewards staff for their productivity or personal development efforts.

Incentive programs can be excellent for motivating your employees and boosting productivity at work. The right incentives can help your employees remain engaged, productive, and happy with their work. Some reports show that incentive programs can help increase employee retention and improve performance and employee morale.

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Incentive programs vs reward programs: What’s the difference?

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First, it’s essential to understand what differentiates an employee incentive program from a reward program. Although the two words are often used interchangeably, they represent different uses and meanings.

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While different, sales incentives and sales rewards can’t exist without each other. An incentive is used for motivation to do something before the action is taken, while a reward is something given after an action or goal is executed.

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Motivation is one of the most powerful tools in our society, but it can’t exist without the possibility of a desired output. Likewise, promising rewards without attaching them to results can be a net negative.

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It’s for this reason that you plan the implementation of your staff incentive programs mindfully, ensuring the goals of both the employee and business are aligned.

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What are the different types of sales incentives and programs?

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There are several types of employee incentives that you can introduce to your company. We’ve listed the most popular forms of employee and sales incentives below.

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Financial employee incentives

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Financial incentives are exclusively monetary-based rewards. This can include incentives such as:

• bonuses
• profit sharing - where a portion of the company’s profits is distributed to employees
• stock options or;
• pay raises.

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Non-monetary employee incentives

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On the other side are non-monetary incentives. These might include the following:

• recognition programs
• professional development
• paid time off or;
• wellness or reimbursement programs.

You can implement incentive programs in-house or form partnerships with third-party services. A popular example of a third-party employee incentive is offering employees a Prezzee eGift Card catering to their interests.

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With over 370 brands to choose from, Prezzee offers an extensive catalogue which is sure to please all of your employees, regardless of their interests and passions.

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Additionally, if you want to offer your employees more variety and choice, consider the Prezzee Smart eGift Card. This ultimate swap card provides recipients access to hundreds of top brands, from Uber Eats to Sephora to famous cruise lines, and more.

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Do incentive programs work?

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According to the Incentive Research Foundation, 80% of successful companies use incentive programs to positively motivate their employees. But just because it’s the industry standard, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a foolproof way to improve efficiency.

For sales incentive programs to work, collaboration needs to be taken in the design stage of a program at every level, to ensure everyone’s goals are aligned. Goals need to be realistic and attainable for an employee, but they also need to align to the greater goals of a company. It’s important to be intentional with your incentive program – take time in planning your program and consulting all parties before announcing what sales incentives will be on offer.

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Build efficiency and team morale with meaningful employee incentive programs

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When designed collaboratively, and using the incentive format that makes the most sense for both employees and employers, incentive programs can be a mutually beneficial addition to your company’s policy. Whether you choose to add more professional development courses to your company calendar, or hand out regular Prezzee eGift Cards to those recognized as going above and beyond in the week, incentivizing your employees will always be a win.

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Sources:
What benefits can employers offer to improve employee retention? | SHRM

Ten Things Top Performing Companies Do Differently

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Thinking of getting the entire office a gift to celebrate their hard work or a successful quarter? Keep things manageable and avoid having to purchase dozens of distinct gifts from big retailers, opt to buy gift cards in bulk.

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Let us break down how to buy bulk gift cards without breaking the bank or running into a few possible hiccups.

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Why Buy Gift Cards in Bulk?

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Simply put, digital cards make perfect gifts and incentives for your team members.

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Corporate gift cards for brands like Target, and more are ideal employee rewards. A solid incentive program almost always includes a gift card or two for holiday gifts or special bonuses for jobs well done.

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However, these employee incentives have to be purchased and picked carefully.

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How To Buy Bulk Gift Cards

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The first thing to consider when buying gift cards in bulk is that there are two types of gift cards: physical and digital or “eGift” cards. They both have some pluses and minuses, though eGift cards are usually better choices for purchasing in bulk for a variety of reasons.

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Physical Cards

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Physical gift cards are the kind you can pick up in person at any store these days. They’re small rectangles of plastic and make the perfect accompaniments to written cards.

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However, there are a few problems with buying a bunch of physical gift cards in bulk. For example, if you want to purchase 100 or more gift cards for everyone in your company, keep in mind that you’ll have to keep all of those cards:

• Organized
• Safe
• Labeled (unless they’re all identical)

Physical gift cards present a security risk:

1. Package Theft. Mail theft is at an all-time high. Three in four Americans lost mail to porch pirates, amounting to over 260 million parcels. A gift that goes un-received is akin to a gift that was never sent in the first place.
2. Barcode Theft. Thieves are getting smarter when stealing physical gift cards. Instead of running off with a gift card that hasn’t been activated, they head to a local supermarket, pull out some gift cards, and take a picture of the card number and PIN. Then, when the rightful owner redeems the information later, the thief swoops in and makes a purchase first. Grocery stores are not liable for this, leaving many without the gift cards they paid for.

Put simply, bulk physical gift card purchases place a lot of extra logistical work on your shoulders. That may or may not be a dealbreaker for you, but you should remember that you don’t have to deal with that if you purchase eGift cards instead.

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Why eGift Cards Are the Better Option

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eGift cards are digital equivalents of physical gift cards. Rather than being physical cards, they are digital gifts delivered to recipients' inboxes at a predetermined date and time. The buyer can specify when the cards arrive (such as immediately or on a recipient's birthday).

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Note that there's no difference in how these types of cards can be used. Practically every retailer that offers gift cards these days allows both digital cards and physical cards to be redeemed online or in person.

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There’s no denying that eGift cards are a little easier to handle when buying in bulk! You won’t have to store them physically, for example, nor do you have to worry about them not being delivered on time — or worse — stolen.

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The Details That Make a Big Impact

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These four factors can make a maximum impact on your employees, VIP clients, and sales prospects:

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Retail Brand

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Naturally, you’ll want to consider which retail brands you purchase gift cards for. Some of your team members may prefer one brand over another. When you buy gift cards in bulk from Prezzee, you can choose gift cards labeled for over 370 different brands, ensuring that there’s something for everyone.

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These brands include retailers for a whole range of necessities on shopping lists and wish lists. For a late-night snack, recipients will be grateful to pull out their Panera Bread®, or other food and drink eGift cards. Target, and similar home goods eGift cards will add that extra comfort their space has been missing.

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But what if you guess wrong? In that case, if you choose Smart eGift Cards, recipients can simply swap the brands that the cards apply to for a store of their choice. This way, everyone wins, and no one gets a gift card they don’t think they’ll spend in the near future.

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Corporate Imagery

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Say that you are buying bulk gift cards in order to reward your team for a particularly profitable quarter. This can show employee appreciation and help motivate your team to do even better in the next quarter!

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To make sure the team knows where the gift cards come from, incorporate your branded or corporate imagery, like a brand logo, on the card designs. That’s not possible with physical gift cards unless you custom order them, but it’s easier than ever to do with digital gift cards from Prezzee.

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Consider adding corporate imagery to the gift cards so that your employees know exactly where they came from as soon as they open them in their inboxes or incoming text message.

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Personalization Elements

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Don’t forget to add some personalization elements to your gift card program whenever possible. When you order digital gift cards from Prezzee, you can include personalized video messages to each recipient.

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Recording one video to send company-wide is an easy way to make mass gifting seem more personal. Then, when sending out individual gifts, like for onboardings, work anniversaries, or birthdays, you can then record a specific message for the recipient if you choose to do so.

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Environmental Impact

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Physical gift cards are linked to environmental concerns. As these cards are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and threaten the Earth and the people living there. The main ingredient of plastic gift cards is a carcinogen called vinyl chloride.

It’s harmless to touch, but the production process and breakdown of the plastics after use are where it gets dicey. While it’s possible to dispose of these single-use plastic cards safely, they still often end up dumped illegally in countries like Malaysia, India, Mexico, and Turkey.

Digital gift cards mean that PVC isn’t part of the equation. Sending digital gift cards (like those from Prezzee) is a more environmentally-friendly option that the recipient is sure to appreciate! They can shop guilt-free, knowing unnecessary plastic waste isn’t part of their purchase.

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Pricing and Card Value: What To Know

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Speaking of splurging, think about how much money you want to include on each card.

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If you have a reward budget, you already have your limit or cap for how much money you can spend. If not, check in with HR and your finance team to figure out what money can go where. That limit will affect how many gift cards you can dole out.

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Here’s how Prezzee helps businesses make big-impact, budget-friendly purchases:

• It’s free to sign up
• You can protect eGift cards in a digital wallet
• We have multiple payment options, including bank transfer, credit card, and pre-paid float

Specify the Dollar Amount Per Card

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Whatever you do, don’t skip this step in the checkout process: Always specify the dollar amount you want to purchase per card.

Alternatively, depending on the checkout page, the gift card shipper might first ask you how much money you want to spend in total. Be sure not to put that amount for each card. The last thing you want to do is order 100 gift cards only to discover that each card has $1,000 on it.

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Bulk Buy Gift Cards Ahead of Time (Unless They’re Digital)

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There’s one last thing to remember when buying bulk gift card orders: delivery and timing.

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If you purchase physical gift cards, you’ll want to buy them well ahead of time, especially if you are looking to buy gift cards for a specific retail brand (like a local store in your business’s community).

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That’s doubly true during the holidays, especially considering how slowly offices can run when large parts of the workforce take time off. And then, don’t forget the time it will take to mail or ship them all out afterward.

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None of this advice applies if you purchase eGift cards, of course. eGift cards don’t really run out, and they can be delivered at a time and email inbox of your choice, ensuring that there will be no such thing as late delivery or accidental misdelivery. That’s just another reason why eGift cards are typically considered to be superior to their plastic counterparts.

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Reward Programs Made Simple

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In the end, buying bulk gift cards for your team members could be a great way to reinvigorate them and reward them for all their hard work. Each of your staff members will surely be thrilled when they get a gift card to their favorite retailer, especially if you get a digital eGift card that’s delivered straight to their email inbox.

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Prezzee makes it easier than ever to treat your staff and make sure you never forget to get a gift for an anniversary, an employee of the month, or successful project completion. Check out our eGift card catalog today.

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Sources:

260 million packages disappeared in 2022; how to keep your deliveries safe | KRCR

How to avoid a gift card scam that could ruin the holidays | WCPO ABC 9

Climate minute: Single-use plastics like gift cards could be harmful to the environment | WHAS11 ABC

Plastic gift cards on environmental advocates' 'naughty list' this Christmas | ABC7 Los Angeles

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A majority of business leaders believe that promoting wellness can affect employee and productive performance, according to Forbes.

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It’s unsurprising that of the same leaders, who represented more than 500 U.S. companies of varying size, CNBC reported that 87% of businesses consider health a business investment or an essential part of their organization’s business strategies.

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These findings prove that the value placed on employee wellness should be considered an effective business strategy. While already a popular belief held by most business owners, this number is only expected to grow, according to CNBC.

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Let’s dig into the positive effects on business that are causing such a trend to develop in promoting health and wellness in the workplace.

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Mental Health in the Workplace

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First, how exactly could you define mental health?

Mental health encompasses anything that falls into our emotional, psychological, and social well-being buckets. If you aren’t experiencing physical pain, chances are it’s the state of your mind making you feel off.

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Our mental health directly dictates how we deal with stress, interact with others, maintain energy levels, and make decisions. It’s no wonder companies have started to take this area of health just as seriously as the physical!

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Leaders should never blame poor employee work performance with the accusation of laziness or disengagement because they could lose the trust of a productive worker. Instead, ask yourself if this could indicate mental burnout or distress.

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Watch for early warning signs, including low energy, irritability, unusual forgetfulness, and anxiety. If you feel there could be an issue, contact your human resources department for guidance on how to aid the situation.  

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Why is Health and Wellness Trending?

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The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts found that 62% of missed workdays can be attributed to mental health conditions.

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In addition, 50% of full-time employees reported leaving a job for mental health reasons, while mentally distressed workers are 3.5 times more likely to have substance use disorders.

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Ways To Maintain Positive Mental Health

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Those with positive mental health are more likely to realize their full potential — in and out of the office. The positive contributions that a happy, mentally healthy person contributes to your company will far outweigh the costs of maintaining this headspace. The cost of unhappy employees is high: The CDC estimates that missed work days due to depression costs employers $17 to $44 billion a year.

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With support, employees can more easily handle stress, cope with setbacks, connect with teammates, and stay positive. Mental wellness doesn’t have to only be improved by regular physical exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. Don’t limit the options that could benefit your employees in case the one area you decide to focus on doesn’t click for them.

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Experts agree that meditation, social interaction, volunteering, and even learning to improve one’s financial health can help alleviate mental distress and promote mood.

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3 Ideas for Wellness Gifts for Employees

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So, how can you use this growing trend to improve the health of your employees and your business?

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Supercharge the employee rate of adopting mental health habits by implementing a gift card incentive program. One way is to view mental health practices as a fun micro-vacation at the office.

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Hold mini-events throughout the week and award those participating with a raffle ticket. Pull a winning ticket for a gift card at the end of whatever period you decide. Appropriately, ensure the gift card focus falls within the health and wellness genre.

Keep reading for sessions and events you can host for your team.

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Run or Walk Club

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Establish a weekly run or walk club. This can be held during lunch or after work (you can even coax folks out starting at 4:30 pm to get an early end to the day). Don’t go crazy with the distance or pace — start slow and steady and gradually build up if the group likes.

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Distribute tickets to each attendee per session, then hold a raffle to win a gift card at the end of the week (or month, depending on your budget.)

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A very motivating eGift card idea is a spa day to help ease sore muscles from the progress of their new hobby.

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Meditation Session

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Grounding exercises such as yoga, mindfulness practice, meditation, and deep breathing are great options to combat stress.

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Establish a meditation session during lunch hours — the easy element of this is that it should only take 15 minutes max, and no one gets sweaty (great counter option if run club participation is hindered by the excuse of “I forgot my change of clothes.”)

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Give participants a raffle ticket for a drawing frequency of their choosing. Consider a food and drink eGift card to encourage healthy habits by learning how to cook new fresh favorite meals.

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Volunteer Day

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Experts believe finding purpose at work and helping others is a significant mental health booster. Choose a few Fridays out of the year to volunteer at local charities. If you decide to go more frequently, say once a month, ask employees to nominate organizations with a special meaning or tie to their lives.  

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Because this is a rare occurrence that requires more effort by the employee, hold a raffle after each volunteer session, and don’t be afraid to go a bit bigger with the digital gift card value.

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Give the Gift of Choice

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To support your employees' mental health and wellness, it’s often best to let them choose their reward. While this can be difficult to implement, Prezzee’s eGift card options are here to help.

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Additionally, you could consider Prezzee’s Smart eGift Card — essentially the ultimate swap card. With the Smart eGift Card, recipients can choose from the over 360 brands and retailers in Prezzee’s catalog. They decide where they want to utilize their reward, meaning this eGift Card offers a tangible gift and the gift of choice.

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Count on Prezzee

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No matter what practices you decide to adopt for your team, Prezzee is here to support your future healthy habits.

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With Prezzee, you can pleasantly surprise employees by customizing their newly earned eGift cards with an inspirational message or words of encouragement. We’re always here to help you keep going, so you can lead a happy, healthy team.

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Sources:‍

• ‍What Is Mental Health? | MentalHealth.gov‍
• 10 Tips to Boost Your Mental Health | BC Mental Health‍
• Wellbeing Positively Impacts Firm Performance | Forbes

Mental health stigma at work - why it's a problem | Kaiser Permanente

How to Improve Mental Health | MedlinePlus

Depression Evaluation Measures | Workplace Health Strategies by Condition | CDC

Employers boost mental wellness benefits amid the Great Resignation | CNBC

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Your remote workforce is just as important as your in-office employees. In some cases, they may be even more critical to your business operations, especially if you have an online enterprise or your business has many retail storefronts around the globe. In the wake of COVID-19, many businesses have hired clusters of remote workers or changed their schedules to enable part or full-time remote work for existing employees.

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Like traditional employees, remote employees need to know that you appreciate them from time to time. Days like National Work from Home Day on the last Thursday of June (June 29, 2023) shouldn’t go by without some celebration! If you’re not sure how to accomplish that, read on. We’ll take a look at 18 ideas for rewarding remote employees in detail.

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1. Double Down on Flexibility

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If you want to reward your remote employees, why not double down on one of the perks of their unique positions: schedule flexibility?

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In short, you can offer remote employees working hour flexibility and reward them for their time and attention. Many remote employees opt into these positions specifically so they can parent their kids, work a second job, or work for their favorite company despite being in a different time zone.

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Schedule flexibility is certainly something you can provide as a business owner or scheduling manager. For example, limit the restrictions on how many hours a worker has to be "in-office" each week or allow remote employees the option to hop on when it works for their time zone (that can be especially helpful if the time zone differences are significant).

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You can also implement a “work from anywhere” policy (like we have at Prezzee). For example, if an employee wants to travel to another country, encourage them to do so! Team members can work for a certain amount of time from different time zones and really enjoy the possibilities of remote work.

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By doubling down on flexibility, you may reward remote employees by giving them what they truly crave: scheduling freedom. Lots of employees got used to this during COVID-19, and they might be loath to give it up now.

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2. Hold Virtual or In-Person Team-Building Activities

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But you can also reward remote employees by holding team-building games and events. Here are just a few ideas:

• Hold a weekly game night over Zoom. That’ll bring everyone together and could help your remote employees feel more connected to the other office workers, especially if they don’t see them all that often. Games like Pictionary or a Trivia Night work remotely, but you can also send out a gaming-focused digital gift card and meet up with your virtual team and conquer your favorite games together.
• Schedule a monthly get-together. This idea only works if your remote employees are still relatively close to your other employees, but it still brings the office together. For remote teams, send out a food delivery eGift card and then dine together over a video call. This gives your coworkers a chance to connect and socialize.

These activities and gifting opportunities combine rewards and team bonding in a way that strengthens a work environment’s company culture. A focus on employee morale lets everyone know the leadership team cares about their well-being as individuals, not employees.

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3. Send eGift Cards to Remote Workers

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Gift cards are popular corporate goodies for several reasons. They’re easy to buy, easy to send, and fairly surefire gifts that won’t be rejected. After all, who can say no to a gift card for one of their favorite brands?

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But plastic gift cards have a few problems, too. For one, they contribute to environmental pollution. Even 50 gift cards can make a major impact in terms of whether your business is really eco-friendly (a key concern if your enterprise wants to minimize its carbon footprint). For another, physical gift cards need to be carefully sent to each recipient, which can be tricky if you have remote workers scattered around the country or the globe.

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eGift cards are much easier and more convenient, and they don’t come with the same environmental impact downside. With eGift cards from Prezzee, you can:

• Send a digital gift card to anyone, anytime, and any place in a matter of minutes.
• Send gifts to your remote employees without contributing to environmental pollution.
• Customize the gift cards with branded imagery, like your logo, to help complete the corporate gift.
• Personalize each gift card with a prerecorded video or text message. That way, each employee feels like you sent them a specific, personalized gift, not just the same gift everyone else received.

Even better, Prezzee’s eGift cards can easily be swapped out or changed from one retailer to another. So if you get one remote worker’s favorite brand wrong, it’s no trouble for them to swap the gift card and its value to another brand or brands, so they can go shopping to their heart’s content.

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eGift cards are a phenomenal way to show your workers that you care no matter where they happen to get the job done.

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4. Send Remote Workers Company Swag as an Initiation Gift

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Remote workers should feel excited to join your company when they're first starting out. Unfortunately, much of the first-day energy can be lost in translation if they clock in from a remote desk and don't get to meet everyone in the office or take an official tour of the corporate building.

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But you can reward those remote employees directly by sending them some company swag as an onboarding gift. Truly, they already deserve a reward for making it through the interview and hiring process! Successful onboardings result in successful employees; a solid onboarding program leads to 50% increased employee retention.

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Company swag works as an initiation gift because it brings your remote workers into the fold and may help make them feel like they're part of the team "for real." Company t-shirts will make them feel like part of the team, especially if everyone on group calls is matching! Other much-loved items that are evergreen trendy include branded dad hats, sweatshirts, sweatpants, or the classic insulated drink tumbler.

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5. Shout Out Remote Employees on Social Media and Video Conferences

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Productive remote employees deserve to be rewarded for their extra efforts. That’s why you should shout out those employees on social media and any collaborative videoconferences.

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In-office employees get tons of attention and recognition every day. Your remote employees can fly under the radar. Make sure this doesn’t happen by specifically shouting them out on your Facebook business page or LinkedIn. Ask before doing this — some employees adore public recognition, while others might shy away from it, preferring to fly under the radar.

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6. Acknowledge Remote Workers’ Birthdays and Anniversaries

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Reward your remote employees by acknowledging their important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries. Something as simple as a personal email written from you to them may brighten up their day and make them feel special.

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Alternatively, you can announce each employee’s birthday or milestone work anniversary as it comes up on a company message board or website. Again, this could be an excellent way to shout out remote workers and ensure they feel connected.

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7. Let Remote Workers Take a Half Day (When Appropriate)

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Remote workers are already not beholden to some of the same limitations as in-person employees. So don’t hesitate to reward high-performing employees by letting them take a half-day here and there or when it’s appropriate.

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Say that one of your remote workers did a stellar job wrapping up a project ahead of schedule, and they don't have anything else on the docket. Reward them by letting them log off early or take a half-day (provided they don't have anything else that demands their attention).

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8. Give Out Some Extra Vacation Days

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Dole out some extra vacation days. Many employees love extra time off, as it enables them to pursue their hobbies or spend more time with friends and family members outside of work. A healthy work-life balance is vital for us all.

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Suppose you want to inspire some healthy competition in the workplace. In that case, you might consider giving out extra vacation days as a reward to high-performing employees, like whoever wins a given month’s “employee of the month” competition or a team remote Kahoot quiz. An extra vacation day as a bonus prize could get all workers to participate.

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9. Invest in Professional Development

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Don't forget to invest in remote worker development regularly. Consider meeting up with rockstar employees who are looking for promotions. Or provide time and resources for remote workers to attend development seminars and conferences, even if they have to travel to do so.

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10. Prioritize Peer-to-Peer Recognition

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Peer-to-peer recognition essentially involves giving your workers a chance to recognize and congratulate each other while building each other up for long-term collaboration and team spirit. That's pretty easy to facilitate as a business owner or manager if you use peer-to-peer recognition software or platforms.

Such software solutions let your employees:

• Send kudos or congratulations to each other when they do good work.
• Send each other special digital gifts.
• Recommend each other for projects, which is an especially helpful feature if you have a large organization with many different departments in many different areas.

Peer-to-peer recognition is a reward for your remote employees, make no mistake. It can make them feel like they are a part of the office like never before, plus it may help to ensure that your entire global team members feel like part of a unified team.

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11. Gift Gym Membership Subscriptions

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Gym subscriptions can be handy rewards for remote and in-office employees alike. When you gift gym subscriptions to remote workers, double-check that they have a gym for that brand in their local area.

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A gym subscription could be the perfect jumpstart to an office-wide wellness program or initiative. Consider pairing this with company swag like labeled towels or water bottles.

Or, simply cross off that research from your to-do list and send an eGift card to top fitness retailers so everyone can boost their home gym or buy high-quality workout apparel.  

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12. Send Thank-You Notes

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Nothing says personal attention and appreciation like receiving a note from your boss. You can show appreciation by sending out a personal Slack message (or making a post in a company-wide Slack channel).

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Such a gesture could be especially impactful and important if you manage or oversee hundreds of employees. The remote worker who receives a thank you note might be seriously touched by the extra time you took to reward them for their effort. If you’re sending a digital gift card with your praise, you can even use Prezzee to include a custom note or video.

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13. Gift Work from Home Equipment

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Remote workers can only do the great jobs they manage every day with the right equipment, ranging from webcams to keyboards to office chairs. Therefore, bosses and managers can reward employees with work-from-home equipment to upgrade their home offices.

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Pay attention to whether your remote workers complain about webcam quality or office chair comfort the next time you all communicate over a video conferencing call. Consider rewarding those remote workers with upgrades or funds to spend at the nearest Office Depot (or sending a digital gift card to top home goods suppliers.

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14. Pay for Software Subscriptions

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Similarly, remote workers often need to subscribe to software programs to get the job done, like Microsoft Office or video conferencing software. Foot the bill for these to reward your remote employees and prevent them from having to pay extra costs that your in-house employees get to avoid by default. Video conferencing helps serve all work types — remote, hybrid, and in-person.

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15. Send Balloons or Surprise Presents

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There’s nothing wrong with the old-fashioned staple of surprise balloons or presents delivered straight to each remote worker’s door. Just be sure to send these out en masse or as a group instead of singling out any individual, lest the gift gives the wrong impression.

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16. Forward Customer Praise for Their Work

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From time to time, customers might send you direct praise for a single remote worker. This could be anyone from a customer service agent who helped them with a big problem or a remote salesperson who connected them to the ideal product for their needs.

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In these cases, why not let those remote employees know about the positive impact they had on that customer interaction? Not only may this boost their morale, but it will also be a lovely way to remind them that you see them as individuals, not moneymakers.

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17. Share the Company Profits

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Has your company done phenomenally well over the last business quarter or year? Then it’s only fair you share that prosperity with the people who made it happen: your workers.

Remote employees should also be included in any extra company profits you divvy out, such as stock options, holiday rewards/bonuses, and so on.

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Sharing company profits serves the dual purpose of rewarding your remote employees and motivating them to do an even better job next year. After all, if they know that ensuring the company performs well leads to a better bottom line for their wallets, they’ll be highly motivated to make more sales or drive better customer interactions in the next business cycle and beyond.

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18. Write Endorsements or Recommendations

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Lastly, you can and should reward remote employees who are planning to leave your company for one reason or another. If they’ve done a fantastic job at your brand for months or years, there’s no reason not to help them get their foot in the door at the next job.

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To that end, consider rewarding those employees with endorsements or recommendations. Write a recommendation letter for young remote employees who are looking to get into graduate school. Or write a job recommendation letter or LinkedIn recommendation for any other remote employee looking to break into a competitive industry or work for a company known to have a very competitive hiring process.

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Rely on Prezzee for Employee Recognition Programs

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In the end, any and all of these ideas could be excellent ways to show your remote employees that you care about their hard work and daily devotion. With the right rewards and incentives, your remote workers will be as effective and productive as your in-office employees, if not more so.

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That’s one more reason why you should think about sending eGift cards for birthdays, anniversaries, or just for doing a great job. Prezzee’s eGift cards are available for over 360 popular retailers and can be sent anytime, anywhere.

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Sign up for free and send some today!

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Sources:

• ‍COVID-19 Pandemic Continues To Reshape Work in America | Pew Research Center‍
• Employee Motivation | Inc.com‍
• Why Are Reference Letters Important for Getting a Job? | Entrepreneur‍
• How to Boost Company Morale | Business News Daily‍
• Onboarding Can Make or Break a New Hire’s Experience | Harvard Business Review

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The well-being of our team members should always be our bottom line. Unfortunately, too many good employees quit due to job satisfaction issues that could easily be resolved through simple adjustments.

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It’s time to elevate the mood of your work environment, provide meaningful incentives to drive employee engagement, and see your company’s culture thrive with happy, driven employees.

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At the same time, you can foster meaningful business relationships, letting productivity rise with consistent teamwork and encouraging employee recognition.

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By implementing some of these employee retention strategies, you empower your top talent, inspire your new hires, and prevent employee turnover. Luckily, Prezzee’s got you covered. This is our guide on seven ideas to boost employee retention.

1. Support the Mental Wellness of Employees

Many companies have seen departing employees over the past few years, citing mental health issues that healthcare initiatives could have helped mitigate. Some businesses have lost top performers from burnout, who could have prospered if leaders actively prevented burnout.

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This is why it’s essential to prioritize your team members' wellness, especially for mental health. Mental health is one of the top contributors to high turnover, and it’s only gotten worse in recent years. Part of supporting the mental wellness of your employees involves minimizing the potential for your workplace to cause burnout or emotional exhaustion. For instance, simple improvements can go a long way, like more sunlight, introducing more plant life into the office, or creating a comfortable common space for employees to take breaks.

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Here are some healthcare initiatives you can take within your workspace to improve support for employees:

Allow for Flexible Schedules

Implement more flexible schedules, especially for remote employees who have to juggle home life with work. People are productive at all different points of the day. With a less strict routine at work, building healthier habits at home is easier.

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When your team members can start a tad later or take a longer lunch break to go for a walk or accomplish a few chores, they can enjoy their off-time more. This works easier for remote teams, but in-person or hybrid offices can also follow suit when appropriate.

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In terms of flexibility, consider allowing employees to choose when they want their camera on during calls. Maybe they could take calls while on a walk if the computer isn’t needed.

Utilize Human Resources

Encourage and provide in-person counseling with your human resources department. Help employees by giving them a space to ask questions, voice concerns, and receive guidance. Together with human resources, they can find new solutions to reduce stress in the workspace, boost productivity, and find healthcare support outside of work.

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Engagement surveys help leaders gauge when and how employees are the most productive. Beyond that, these surveys reveal ways to improve your work environment to reduce stress and boost mood and concentration.

Burnout During the Pandemic

With the isolation, increased anxiety, and disorganized workspaces resulting from the pandemic, mental wellness has been a new and persistent battle for many employees. The combined stresses of adjusting to lockdown and remote work created a wave that eroded mental health.

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Burnout, fatigue, and emotional exhaustion were all seen to take a huge uptick during the past two years, according to studies that analyzed the stress levels of American workers over the pandemic. Employee turnover rates rose alongside this increase in fatigue.

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Interestingly, a lot of this burnout and fatigue resulted from an imbalanced work-life, with work and home starting to blend uncomfortably under the new requirements of remote work.

The pandemic has taught us that we need clear separation and a steady balance between our home lives and careers.

2. Promote a Healthy Work-Life Balance

A healthy work-life balance is an essential factor in employee retention. Employees should feel that the stability of their home lives is supported — and encouraged — by their coworkers.

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Without a healthy work-life balance, employees will feel like they don’t have a mutually beneficial relationship with your team, and as a result, employee retention could suffer. Our employees work hard to boost our bottom line. In return, we also have to work hard to create a strong network of support that reaches beyond the workday.

Cultivate Achievement With Careful Support

Many employees have the potential to become top performers if they’re just given the right support to get there. That support is built on a healthy work-life balance.

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Employees shouldn’t feel they need to sacrifice more energy than they have to progress upward. Instead, support employees in having healthy, fulfilling home lives and, in that precise way, motivate them to bring their best selves to work. Encourage them to take time off for important events like weddings, funerals, and birthdays. Along that note, providing unlimited PTO can really help with this.

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The fact is that people will want to be top performers for a company that demonstrates compassionate support for their real lives outside of work. Employees gain job satisfaction by knowing that they are supported and needed.

Calling Your Employees In

If someone falls behind on work, invite them into a conversation, offering them the support they need to get back on their feet. When we call our employees in and work hard to understand what they’re going through, we demonstrate our support for their life outside of work.

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By giving time off to employees dealing with fatigue or burnout, you encourage a healthy work-life balance and boost your team's productivity. Employees do not overwork themselves or worry about seeming like a burden to their team when mental health breaks are encouraged with compassion. We feel energized and interested when our mood is in check.

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Emphasize to team members that their wellness at home is essential to the soundness of the workplace and team. Talk with them about ways you can help make that happen.

3. Express Employee Appreciation

This is such a simple point, but it often gets overlooked in the hustle of the work week. Employees feel more fulfilled working for a company where they are explicitly appreciated.

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Employee retention often sinks in businesses where hard work is expected rather than rewarded. There is no satisfaction in completing a task when employees feel invisible, despite the time and energy they sacrifice.

Ways To Show Employee Appreciation

When an employee performs well and does hard work, taking on more than usual, it’s important to recognize that.

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Here are some ways we can show employee appreciation:

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• Try rewarding employees for their hard work with a thoughtful digital gift card for a brand they love. By expressing your gratitude and acknowledging their hard work, you show appreciation and recognize the extra effort they put forth. At the same time, encourage them to enjoy themselves outside of work.

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• Try to thank your employees personally and on behalf of the whole workplace. Emphasize that the work they do also helps to support their team members. Start recognition programs where employees can be celebrated and rewarded for outstanding performance by the whole team.

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• Celebrating birthdays is a fun way to show appreciation. Remind your employees that they are valuable when they are making great strides and when they are just doing their normal roles.

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• Monthly acknowledgments are a fun way to express employee appreciation. But rather than doing an employee-of-the-month contest, find a less competitive, more inclusive way to say thank you. Try having fun with superlatives, emphasizing each team member for the particular strengths they contribute to the team.

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Employees stay in jobs where they have stability and support. By encouraging team members to work communally rather than competitively, you create a workplace culture that emphasizes and rewards strong team-building.

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Employees feel appreciated in jobs where they can find a tangible support network not just through human resources but with their fellow team members as well.

4. Provide Paths for Career Advancement

While employees certainly appreciate stable, reliable jobs, stagnancy can lead many people to look for better opportunities elsewhere.

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Offer your employees a position plus a career path that can help them grow. There are several engaging ways to promote career development.

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Employees feel loyal to those companies that cultivate their career growth. At the end of the day, you boost productivity, and your employee retention rate soars because your team is motivated by tangible ways to cultivate professional development.

Development Opportunities That Motivate Employees

You can offer your employees many development opportunities to motivate them to progress down their career paths and take on more responsibilities in the workplace.

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Here are a few suggestions we’ve come up with:

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• Offer seminars and Q&As from long-standing professionals in your chosen field. These group activities encourage creative thinking and new workplace friendships, all while providing employees with the information they need to plan their professional development.

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• Incentivize team members to take on new responsibilities and learn new skills by rewarding them with incentive gifts that show your appreciation for their professional development. Instead of treating their career development as its own reward, you can thank your employees for learning more useful skills to contribute to the team.

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• A mentorship program gradually guides employees down their desired career path. It can also make for a much smoother onboarding process. Employees can shadow a more experienced team member or take on a kind of apprenticeship role under them, learning little by little how to take on larger responsibilities and more active roles within the company.

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• Introduce your team members to online courses and other classes they can take in person to learn new skills or perform a new job within your team. In some cases, you can even offer team members compensation (like a luxury eGift card) for these classes, emphasizing the importance of these skills to your company.

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No matter how you structure the company's career development, providing them with a way to progress serves to boost motivation and sharpen interest. Final takeaway: Effective employee retention strategies must always include opportunities for upward mobility, not merely something shiny to add to their LinkedIn.

5. Foster a Community Around Your Workplace

Most employee retention strategies focus on the professional lives of team members, but they miss out on the human aspect of the workplace.

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Categories like professional development and support can boost employee satisfaction, making it more lucrative to stay with a particular company. But sometimes, people get burned out or emotionally exhausted from jobs simply because they haven’t made many personal connections or friendships with their team members.

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This can make a workspace seem cold or uninviting. It’s hard to continue working and contributing to a team you haven’t personally connected with. Without a sense of community, teamwork can feel obligatory and unfulfilling.

Humanizing Employee Experience with Community

Sometimes, it’s not the job we’re doing that fulfills us but the people that we’re working with. Through our team members, we see our real impact on others by working with them and supporting them.

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In many ways, our neighbors at work are our first network of support, but team-building is impossible when that feeling of support is not there. Bring real soul into your workplace by encouraging your employees to get to know each other. Come up with fun activities to celebrate achievements or milestones. These milestones can be as little as finishing the week.

Activities that Foster Community

Encouraging community is easier when we create a social atmosphere where employees feel comfortable breaking the ice. Here are some top-notch community activities to incorporate into the workplace:

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• Offer employees a free breakfast or lunch in your breakroom or common space. This event can come at the end of the work week, giving employees something to look forward to and a way to mark another week accomplished. Let this free food come with a longer break where employees can mingle as they chow down. For remote teams, a digital gift card to top dining locales can make an equally fantastic impact.

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• Turn a monthly earnings report or performance report into a more engaging, collaborative event. Encourage employees to speak up, ask questions, and discuss possibilities with the rest of the team. After the report, celebrate with a group activity like a friendly game or a snack pot-luck, where every employee contributes desserts or cravings. This is also a great way to emphasize team building.

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• Holiday parties are a fun way to let loose and show the team your wild side. Sometimes, goofing off with our coworkers and taking ourselves a little less seriously can really reduce the pressure of the career grind. At the same time, we let our team members in, breaking the ice and helping them feel more comfortable being themselves.

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• Create an awards ceremony where employees vote for certain superlatives. After the voting, you can all have a laugh as a community when the winners are revealed. You can even go the extra mile by taking pictures or creating a parody yearbook to commemorate the year. Keep it HR-approved and workplace appropriate.

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Any of these activities and more can break up the tedium of the workweek, allowing us to be a little more informal or a tad less strictly professional. While some ideas may seem corny at first, they help us take ourselves a little less seriously, ultimately making it easier and less awkward to make real connections.

6. Use Perks To Incentivize Retention

Many of us are already familiar with annual raises as a means to incentivize employee retention. This practice is fairly customary. However, there are plenty of other perks you can introduce for those who’ve been on your team for a long time.

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People feel that they are making an investment in their career path when they can earn tangible benefits for staying with a particular company. These benefits may just boil down to simple ways of making home-life or work-life more enjoyable.

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Some companies offer extra days off, increased flexibility, or work-from-home benefits (including eGift cards to furnish that home office). Either way, these perks can motivate employees to build a career within your company.

Perks That Build Loyalty

Looking for perks to say thank you to your coworkers? Consider these:

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• Extra vacation time during the year to repay employees for the time and energy they’ve given to the company.

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• An online course voucher, or similar type of educational scholarship, can support the professional development of your celebrated team members while motivating them to learn new skills.

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• A virtual gift card for a fun vacation, experience, or other activity that lets your employees know that they deserve some rest and recreation after the work they’ve put in.

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• Granting employees work-from-home privileges means allowing them to skip the office on certain days, completing their work from home. While remote work may seem less desirable nowadays than it used to, many people still prefer it. Plus, being given a choice to come into the office or not can be quite the privilege, showing that the company trusts you to work without management.

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With perks like these, employees feel inspired to continue their progress within the company.  

Celebrate Work Anniversaries

It can be a rewarding experience for the entire company to celebrate a team member on the anniversary of their employment. Together, mark the progress and growth the person of honor has made within the company.

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Make a special occasion out of a long-term work anniversary. For those employees who have been with your company for a particularly long time, perhaps plan a workplace party with food, cake, and other fan-favorite goodies.

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At the same time, you get to promote the perks of long-term company engagement. Your employees get a taste of the benefits that lay ahead. Plus, they’re motivated by the appreciation they see expressed to a long-standing member of the corporate community.

7. Communicate Expectations Clearly

Plenty of employees leave jobs simply because they were given a different impression of the company while interviewing compared to what they discovered once they were hired.

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It’s essential to clearly communicate the expectations during the recruitment process. Many people looking for work are filling out tons of applications every day, so realistically, they might not be reading every detail of your job posting.

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After you’ve found a potential new hire, review the responsibilities and qualifications with them during the interview process. If you can, introduce them to your team, or give them a tour of your workplace, to help them get a sense of what to expect.

Mentorships Help Ease Employees In

Mentorships can make training more productive and personally rewarding. New hires get to introduce themselves to others while getting a taste of what working with your team might feel like.

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At the same time, they take on responsibilities as they go, shadowing their mentor at a healthy pace, not prohibited by strict training regimes. The mentor can explain things in real-time, answering questions and providing useful tips to deal with specific problems.

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Mentorships create a sense of community and work as proficient team-building exercises. Now, your new hire has someone familiar they can trust within your community to introduce them to the rest of the team and show them the social ropes.

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Mentoring doesn’t need to be exclusively IRL. Remote companies can use Slack messages, regularly scheduled Zoom calls, or work collaboratively over a shared Google doc.  

Build Work-Load Gradually

While you may have high expectations for your employees, it never bodes well to dump them down all at once. While some companies may have a hit-the-ground-running philosophy, these techniques rarely benefit employee health or workplace productivity.

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Adapting quickly might be a useful skill, but ask yourself if it’s as useful now to your new hires as the skills they’re supposed to be learning on the job. Avoidable mistakes caused by overworked new hires can put a wrench in workplace productivity and create unnecessary tension, resentment, and other negative feelings. So please, introduce your new employee to their responsibilities gradually, letting them master each at a healthy pace without hurting the workflow of others.

Use Exit Interviews to Survey Employee Satisfaction

Finally, you can learn a lot from an exit interview conducted with an employee moving on from the company. This is a unique opportunity to find out what a particular employee expected from their career versus what they feel like they actually got.

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These are sometimes rare insights to gain. Exit interviews can provide valuable, candid impressions of your business from an outside perspective or a disinterested party.

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Prepare yourself to face criticism with an eye for innovation. Even if you encounter some bitter complaints, they will only give you a richer sense of the professional, social, and emotional impact your workplace culture has made and can make.

Be an Open-Book. Appreciate Your Staff.

It’s become quite hard in today’s world to be a closed-book as a company.

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The internet has created many forums, like Glassdoor, where employees and ex-employees can review their workplaces, rate the management, and discuss the pros and cons. The people of today are much more informed about what other companies are offering and what other people are saying about your company.

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So do your best to be an open book. Talk candidly with your new hires about things that you’re working on improving within the company.

Show Appreciation for Your Team With Prezzee

We hope you’ve enjoyed our ultimate guide to employee retention! At Prezzee, we’re passionate about helping you foster a community with your team to build a thriving, vibrant work culture.

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Whether you're looking for incentives to boost workplace performance, rewards to strengthen loyalty, or gifts to show employee appreciation on holidays, Prezzee has you covered with a huge catalog of digital gift cards. Our eGift cards make great corporate gifts for any occasion, with hundreds of activities, stores, brands, or interests to filter your search.

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Treat your valued employees with gift cards for food and wine, health and beauty products, vacations, and other engaging activities. Customize your gift with a unique message (text or a video) and your company logo.

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If you found our information useful, you can find more articles on our resources page. It’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of keeping your employees happy and your workplace thriving.

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Thanks for stopping by!

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Sources:

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Burnout And Stress Are Everywhere | American Psychological Association

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The Scientific Link That Drives Employee Engagement and Productivity | Joe Robinson

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The Company Christmas Party And Employee Happiness | Scientific Reports

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Addressing Burnout in the Behavioral Health Workforce Through Organizational Strategies | SAMHSA Publications

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The Five Secrets Of The Best Mentoring Programs | Forbes

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Five Strategies For Improving Work-Life Balance | Forbes

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As the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. While verbal praise is always appreciated, it should be the minimum baseline for showing employee appreciation.

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There’s nothing else like the adrenaline of receiving a reward that makes the positive return of praise, reaching goals, or doing the right thing more memorable.

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Since our appetite for rewards changes as we get older and more mature, gold star stickers and candy should stay in the classroom. It’s crucial to stay evolving with your team to increase employee engagement.

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Along with modern rewards, you also need modern methods. But does a recognition solution like this even exist?

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If you answered with an employee rewards program, you are correct (here’s a gold star — just kidding.)

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Employee rewards programs positively impact employee retention and make performance management fun for leadership. Think of it as a game for the employee and employer with different objectives but the same satisfying feeling of accomplishment.

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You, as the leader, enjoy the increase in employee growth and actions aligned with company values. In contrast, your team enjoys accomplishing personal and performance growth disguised as rewards.

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Let’s Get Started: Setting Up Your Rewards Program

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Let’s check out the general steps you should take when creating and maintaining an employee reward program.

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Use a Survey

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Poll the experts — your employees. You won’t know what will motivate your team the most until you ask.

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An easy way to do this is by sending a Slack message (or whatever messaging software you use) to team members with a link to an online survey. Remember to keep it anonymous so your employees won’t feel reluctant to submit ideas.

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Ask specific questions to help guide responses, such as the following:

• What motivates you the most?some text
  • For example, fun events, monetary rewards, time off, or social recognition.

• How long should a rewards program last?some text
  • For example, a month, quarter, year, or ongoing.
• What do you need the most motivation for?some text
  • For example: hitting sales targets, obtaining new clients, or reaching a new career milestone.
• What type of rewards system do you prefer?some text
  • For example, company-wide contests, incentives, a personal structure to challenge themselves, or teams vs. teams.

You can use the examples we gave here in a multiple-choice format or leave it open-ended.

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Determine a Budget

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Setting a budget is crucial to setting realistic expectations for you and your employees and will also help structure the program.

Once you have considered the employee-submitted ideas, start grouping common entry types into themes. Determine which themes will accommodate your budget.

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Identify Meaningful Rewards

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Once you’ve established the rewards system, time frame, and budget, it’s time for the fun part — determining the reward. Make it easy on yourself and keep it simple — a meaningful reward can also be easy.

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Prizes don’t have to be complicated, expensive, or grandiose. A meaningful reward will make your employees' lives easier or be a perk they couldn’t obtain otherwise.

Examples of valuable rewards can include:

• Gift cards: The functionality of gift cards is famously easy. Make it even easier with instant digital delivery with Prezzee eGift cards. With options like Target, Chevron, HelloFresh, Airbnb, and hundreds more in Prezzee’s catalog, you can send your employees rewards they’ll actually use.
• Performance swag: Whether we want to admit it or not, a new wireless keyboard can be exhilarating. A customized mousepad with an image of their pet? Even better. You’ll earn some brownie points by providing an option to make their workday a little easier.
• Extra PTO day: Some may say an extra day off might be more valuable than a monetary reward. (Check with your human resources contact first to ensure that granting additional PTO days is approved.)

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Make Program Onboarding Fun

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The onboarding process is the preview of the program and the first opportunity to draw your employees in, so don’t present it with the same energy as any regular meeting.

You can even reward those paying extra attention to amp up the anticipation.

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Fun program onboarding ideas include:

• Hosting an in-office team breakfast to kick off the event.
• Send digital “You’re invited” invitations with instructions on how to get started.
• Hold a “surprise party” disguised as a meeting (bonus for masking it with a notoriously boring meeting name). Instead, introduce the program and bring the hype with what rewards and gifts they can start working towards.

Tip: Begin the program on the same day it’s announced. You will want to capitalize on the momentum of the excitement to get your team signed up and ready to participate as soon as possible.

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Ask for Employee Feedback

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Asking for feedback is an essential step in ensuring the adoption of your program. It’s always a good idea to keep your employees in the loop to keep them involved and further invested in the reward system. When a teammate feels like they are being heard, they are much more likely to stay engaged and participate.

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Try periodically emailing a survey link to your team’s distro list to monitor the program’s effectiveness and perception. You can use a ranking system (1 through 5 is best), multiple choice of provided answers, or an open reply box for responses.

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Examples of questions you can use for the survey include:

• What about this program is keeping you motivated?
• What would you like to see continued? Discontinued?
• What is a feature or roadblock of the program that is hindering your usage, if any?
• What’s one feature you wish could be added to the reward platform?
• Does the timeframe of when points must be earned to redeem prizes work for you? Why or why not?
• Do you enjoy working independently towards rewards, or would you rather join forces in groups? (or vice versa)
• What are more ways you’d like included as opportunities to earn points? Are there any service awards you’d like to incorporate?

Look at critical themes across the board — what do most responses have in common? Don’t throw away outlier answers: This is an opportunity to understand what certain employees may need differently to be set up for success.

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Rewarding With a Points System

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Once you’ve decided what metrics you will be giving points for (for instance, meeting a monthly sales goal or obtaining a client), consider using a points-based system to cash in for rewards.

Keep a rewards catalog handy — both digitally and physically — to allow employees to identify what they want to work towards and reference to stay motivated.

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Once ready to trade points for what they’ve had their eye on, use Prezzee eGift Cards as an instant reward delivery tool (with no delivery fees) — the game aims to keep the cause-effect immediate.

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Additionally, if you go with Prezzee’s Smart eGift Card, you give your employees the ultimate swap card. The Smart eGift Card allows recipients to choose where to spend their eGift Card from the over 370 brands and retailers in the Prezzee catalog — the perfect choice for any employee.

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Immediate Rewards Boost Rewards

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When you award an employee immediately, it signals their hard work is associated with something good. Positive reinforcement works best when given immediately — with people and pets! The shorter the time between meeting the goal and the praise, the bigger the impact.

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Combat Short-Lived Excitement

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It’s the human body’s job to maintain a state of homeostasis to keep us stable.

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After the adrenaline of vigorous exercise, feeling the stress from driving in traffic, or even the happy excitement of walking into our surprise birthday party, your mind and body are constantly trying to maintain a level of balance. With how our body works, excitement can be a fleeting emotion.

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Therefore, it’s imperative to keep the excitement flowing with frequent opportunities to keep earning, such as bonus points occasions.

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The Power of Bonus Points

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It’s a great idea to give bonus points that don’t tie to work performance to fight homeostasis and show employees that they are valued for who they are — not just what they do.

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We all have days when we’re off our game, but a good manager ensures their team is human; performance results will naturally ebb and flow. Highlight the power that each personality brings to the table by utilizing bonus points to celebrate your team.

Bonus point ideas include:

• Employee birthdays: Give them a birthday gift they’ll actually use — reward points. Plus, the fact that their employer not only remembered their birthday but took action towards it will have a memorable impact on their employee experience. Prezzee offers customizable eGift Cards to personalize your rewards to any occasion with a video, image, or note of appreciation, celebration, and encouragement.
• Work anniversaries: Feeling valued is a huge personal motivator. Sometimes, showing someone they are an appreciated part of the team can be just as effective as a reward. Do both by granting bonus points to celebrate work anniversaries.

• Exemplifying company core values: Reward in real-time with kudos points when you see an employee promoting a positive company culture.

You might want to limit these to one-on-one interactions to avoid unnecessary fairness debates. After all, this should be an award based on the character behind closed doors, not for public optics.

• Peer-to-peer recognition: Colleagues don’t often have the chance to formally showcase their appreciation for each other. Recognize a teammate of the week (or month) chosen for the employees by the employees.

Ask for peer-only nominations based on camaraderie, teamwork, or character, and then hold a vote. Award the winner with bonus points to show love.

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Employee Rewards Platforms

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It’s important to consolidate your team’s progress in one place for easy access and organization. An excellent recognition tool to consider is the use of employee recognition software.

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These systems help automate rewarding your employees to prevent great work from slipping through the cracks.

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How Do Employee Recognition Platforms Work?

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Software for employee recognition programs are tools that help management understand and monitor metrics that are not quantitative, like numbers.

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A strong leader strives to understand his team’s qualitative stats — employee satisfaction, motivation levels, and feelings of being valued — just as much as their business numbers.

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Employee recognition software options help monitor, analyze, and report back on the ever-evolving state of your team. They also host reward programs to keep your team’s happiness levels running smoothly.

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Aspects of reward software to consider:

• Does it integrate with communication platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Asana, or similar?
• Who can shout out who? Can only managers shout out direct reports? Or can praise be lateral through the ranks? Both have their merits, but one might work better for your specific company.
• What’s your budget? Pricing may vary based on your needs and the size of your company.

Tip: If you can’t decide between platforms, ask if you can sign up for a free demo or trial version to better understand what will work best for you.

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Rewarding With the Ease of Prezzee

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No matter what direction you want to take your employee rewards program, Prezzee is a partner you can depend on to deliver not only eGift cards but employee satisfaction.

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With hundreds of popular retailers, Prezzee Business also gives your conscious an eco-friendly high five by avoiding the plastic waste of a traditional gift card.

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Shop by and browse our ever-growing collection of eGift cards today to get a flash of inspiration imagining what your employee’s future points exchange will feel like. Sign up today and see the rewards tomorrow!

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Sources:

• ‍It’s about time: Immediate rewards boost motivation | Cornell Chronicle‍
• What is Homeostasis? | Scientific American‍
• Positive Reinforcement and Operant Conditioning: Examples | Verywell Mind

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