Why a gift card isn’t a reward.

I’m looking at a gift card I received over the holidays to redeem.

I was excited about using the card and had a couple of items in mind. The items cost a bit more than the value of the card, so I’ll have to pull a few bucks out of my own pocket when I redeem.

Employers often give gift cards to employees with the intent of them being a reward, and in some ways they are. But if you’re like me and you end up spending some of your own money along with the gift card to get what you want the gift card then ends up being a discount, not a reward.

There may be value in providing a gift card as a way of saying thank you to an employee, but my experience is similar to others such that the gift card rarely, if ever, fully pays for something we want.

If the card doesn’t pay for the item, shipping and applicable taxes, don’t call it a reward.

It’s a discount.

Why do I call this out? If you’re an employer, you want to invest your resources in a way that provides the greatest return for your investment. A reward that isn’t a reward won’t likely inspire as much as a reward that is paid for in full by the employer.

Want to inspire employees? Know the difference between a discount and a reward.

#recognition  #appreciation #gratitude #grateful #inspiration