Employee gift card incentive and reward programs are designed as a simple way for managers across the organization to show appreciation and drive engagement. Using pre-designed templates with a personalized message,
Academic studies show that non-tangible rewards (such as employee gift cards) are as effective, if not more, as cash-based incentives. According to the Incentive Research Foundation, 44% of employees agree that gift cards are the “best rewards to receive,” while 27% agree that they are “good rewards to receive.
Typical programs include holidays, birthdays, work anniversaries, and ad-hoc expressions of gratitude or congratulations. The key to successful programs is to make them easy. Complex programs are often left for another day leaving employees disappointed they were not recognized for their achievements or commitment to the company.
Employees love recognition for the work that they do. It builds motivation, increases productivity, and also cultivates a sense of loyalty toward the organization.
Employee job satisfaction and engagement factors are key ingredients of employee loyalty programs.
The leading contributors to job satisfaction*:
The importance of proactively managing satisfaction is obvious, but actually doing so takes time and these tasks are often deferred for another day. However, the payoff for focusing on employee satisfaction—in terms of increased performance, productivity, employee morale, and quality of work, plus a reduction in both turnover and employee-related problems—is well worth the time and financial investment.
* SHRM’s Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement: The Doors of Opportunity are Open research report
Adding rewards and incentives in gift cards, payments, and physical merchandise has typically been challenging for organizations. Time and logistical management are the two biggest reasons managers put off recognizing employees for another day. Boosting employee loyalty with a quick thank you or congratulations has become easier than ever. The ability to deliver a reward or surprise bonus, and do it with style takes minutes with TruCentive, the All-in-One Incentives fulfillment and rewards delivery platform.
The merchants represented are not sponsors of the rewards or are otherwise affiliated with TruCentive. The logos and other identifying marks attached are trademarks of and owned by each represented company and/or its affiliates. Please visit each company’s website for additional terms and conditions. TruCentive© 2025
