Landing on March 4th in 2022, Employee Appreciation Day is just around the corner. And while dedicating a day to your employees is a great idea, your company should be establishing a culture of appreciation all year, especially in a year dominated by employee exits and demand for better treatment.
Spot rewards provide an easy way to show appreciation for their hard work on a regular cadence. If you haven’t leaned on them before, now’s a great time to start.
What Are Spot Rewards?
Employee Appreciation Day is a holiday dedicated to showing your staff just how much they mean to you, your customers, and your company's success.
Before Employee Appreciation Day, career-centric celebrations were limited to administrative professionals. In 1995, Bob Nelson, a founding board member of Recognition Professionals International, conducted research that revealed the positive effects of employee recognition on company success. These findings inspired Nelson to create Employee Appreciation Day, which celebrates workers of all kinds.
Why Spot Rewards?
There are all kinds of ways to say thanks to your team, but here are just a few of many reasons to add spot rewards to your list.
The Great Resignation is far from over.
At a time when employees are quitting left and right, pursuing new and effective ways to make your team feel appreciated and personally connected to your company is more important than ever. Frequent and timely rewards can help you do just that.
Spot rewards typically don’t need approval.
While policy changes and promotions can be fraught with red tape and take time to implement, spot rewards are a quick and simple solution to showing how much you care while you’re building out bigger initiatives.
You can celebrate employees the moment it matters.
Spot rewards allow you to acknowledge your star employees on the same day they launch a project or cover for a coworker. The second you see them step up, you can dole out a gift that gives them the motivation to do it again and again.
5 Occasions That Call for Spot Rewards:
Chances are, your employees are going above and beyond all of the time. Want some examples of spot reward-worthy behavior? Check out these five occasions.
When They Step In to Fill the Shoes of a Former Employee
With sudden departures on the rise, teams within companies of all sizes are getting leaner. And just because the Great Resignation is sending employees out the door doesn’t mean their tasks leave with them. Somebody’s graciously picking up the slack. Rather than brushing over an employee’s willingness to pitch in as “teamwork,” acknowledge that their job responsibilities have significantly increased.
If you’re planning to fill the open role, getting approval can take time - even if you’d like to offer it to the generous employee who’s lending a hand. Instead of making them wait for a promotion or a break if they don’t plan to go out for the role, celebrate their efforts now with a spot reward that says “Thank You” in a meaningful way.
When They Cover for a Coworker Who’s Out Sick
Sudden callouts that span more than a day can significantly disrupt an employee’s schedule. And with quarantine guidelines around COVID keeping people off the job for lengthier stretches than the typical cold, “covering” became that much more involved.
When busy days turn into late nights, the folks who step up to ensure their colleague’s contributions continue in their absence deserve a special gift. By doing so, you can create a team culture that encourages employees to take care of their health because they’ll know that their coworkers are happy to help out while they’re getting much-needed rest.
When They Earn a Sparkling Review from a Satisfied Customer
Your customer-facing staff members are the VIPs of your organization. They create the brand experience customers value most by solving their problems, giving great recommendations, and providing tailored communications that make customers feel special.
In today's hyper-distracted world, most customers will engage with one of your employees then move on with their day. So when a customer reaches out and praises an employee, you should know that they were truly blown away by the efforts and enthusiasm of that superstar on your team.
Wouldn’t you want this type of interaction to happen more often? Make this star employee’s stellar service a regular occurrence by giving them a gift showing them how much you value them. Not only will you motivate them to keep it up, but you’ll also inspire their coworkers to reach for the same high bar.
When They Grab Pop-Up Projects and Last-Minute Requests
You know the type of to-do: the random idea from leadership that’s due right away, the sudden pivot to a new strategy, the out-of-nowhere conference collateral that needs to go to design within days. When these all-hands-on-deck initiatives strike, it’s important to recognize the team that makes them happen.
Spot rewards enable you to end a late night or hectic day with a tangible acknowledgement of all that your team did.
When They Raise the Bar with Record-Breaking Achievements
The most calls answered in a month, the highest-dollar sale, the biggest lead-generating content campaign. These incredible feats should be celebrated like the triumphs they are. When your employee achieves big goals, give them a personal gift that commemorates their career milestone with day-of spot rewards that let them know you see them, value them, and that their awesome work is worthy of celebration.
3 Reasons Why Giftogram Digital Gift Cards Are The Fastest, Most Convenient Way to Give Spot Rewards
Reason 1: Your employees will actually enjoy their rewards.
With Giftogram, you can choose a single gift card, and your recipients can pick their gift from over 200 of today’s most popular retailers.
Reason 2: Send Giftogram spot rewards gift cards in an instant.
Cute design, company logo, personal message, and digital delivery included - for free! Plus, digital delivery makes it easy to reward remote employees in a flash.
Reason 3: You can empower department managers to handle them.
Add managers as authorized users to your Giftogram account. They’re the ones closest to your employees’ work after all. Set spending and data visibility limits as you see fit, and they’re set to execute a solid rewards program, while you have peace of mind by effortlessly keeping them on budget.
Create Your Spot Rewards Gift Cards Today
Sign In or Create a Free Account to get started on a spot rewards program that everyone loves. Need a hand? Call the Giftogram Team at (973) 887-1600 and we’ll help you!