Thanks for Getting the Project Complete in a Jiffy!

My friend received a pair of Prada Sunglasses as a company reward for completing a project. She loves Prada, so you’d think she’d appreciate the gift. The only problem is that every other woman on the team received the same pair of specs. As if. Employee rewards done right can boost morale and create a positive buzz at the water cooler. Employee rewards done wrong is more like letting the air out of a balloon, complete with the raspberry fluttering sound as it deflates.

Better Than a Mug

At a recent barbecue, my friends and I talked about gift cards we’d received at work. After swapping stories, we all agreed that gift cards are far better rewards than the tie tacks, plaques, and pen sets we used to get. Like the risks of picking out the wrong gift for a relative, picking out the wrong incentive for an employee can be just as bad, if not worse.

One woman told the story of ordering a camera from the employee rewards catalog thinking the quality would be high. But when the camera didn’t work very well, she was disappointed in the camera and in her employer. (“So much for the thank you!”) Had she received a gift card to the electronics store instead, she could have picked out a camera that worked and had a better overall experience.

Maybe it’s the economy we live in now that has changed things. But since our paychecks don’t stretch as far as they used to, a crystal vase or trophy that says “well done” isn’t nearly as meaningful as a gift card that says, “You earned this. Now treat yourself.”

What I’ve Seen:

Here are some of the ways I’ve seen gift cards used effectively in the work place:

• Impromptu “Attaboy!” A manager at my husband’s company keeps a stack of gift cards in her office so she can offer impromptu rewards for a job well done, a kind deed, extra hours put into a project, and so forth. Giving cash might appear tacky and it’s easier for her to expense gift cards than cut checks.
• Customer Thank You. The lobster that landed on our doorstep and had to be cooked right away was a nice gesture. The gift card to our favorite restaurant that came a few days later was far more convenient.
• Holiday Bonus. My girlfriend received a $2000 bonus to spend in an employee rewards catalog. Rather than order merchandise, she ordered gift cards to her favorite department store to buy clothes for herself and bought a few gift cards to restaurants that she gave to friends and family for Christmas. 
• Employee Rewards. My brother received $800 to spend in a rewards catalog as well. He exchanged his credits for gift cards to a large discount department store. Then he and his wife went Christmas shopping, effectively eliminating their holiday expenses for the year.
• Participation Points. When a friend of mine asked several families to bring their kids in soccer uniforms out to a field to help shoot a commercial, she arrived with a $50 gift card for every person who participated. We had so much fun, the kids would have done it for free. But the gift card goodwill lasted for weeks and my kids still talk about the things they bought with their earnings.

Suggestions:

Here are a few other ways I could see gift cards being presented in the workplace.

• Family Time. We work hard for the money–sometimes at the expense of seeing our families. A gift card that promotes family togetherness can make up for extra time spent at the office. Treat employees to a gift card to an amusement park, the ball game, or even just the ice cream shop with a note of appreciation for all their hard work.
• Dressed for Success. I remember when my former company implemented, “Casual Friday.” Along with permission to dress more comfortably came a list of things we could and couldn’t wear. What a great time that would have been to give everyone in the office a gift card to a work-appropriate clothing store.
• Numerology. With performance goals and metrics all around us, reward employees by hitting their numbers. $100 gift cards for 100% of quota or 100% attendance. Or be less literal, “We can always count on you.”
• You Name It. The simple play on words works every time:
  • “You rock!” with a music gift card
  • “We appreciate your sweet way with customers” with a candy gift card
  • “You raise us up!” with a gift card to the bakery
  • “Working with You is Easy as Pie or a Piece of Cake” goes well with a gift card to a dessert shop.

If you’ve been told your gift card “isn’t gift-able,” send me a note and let me help. I truly believe any gift card can be turned into a thoughtful gift and I’d love to show you how.