digital cards

Going Digital for Employee Rewards and Recognition

May 25, 2022

By Alex McKee
In this post Covid-19 “new normal”, companies are finding employee rewards and recognition programs a key strategy to motivate employees, restore pre-pandemic engagement levels and reduce turnover. Organizations looking for ways to reward employees and drive employee engagement are realizing the need to “go digital” in order to reach their entire workforce (including those working remotely), build community and fulfill modern workers’ needs.

In this post-COVID-19 “new normal”, companies are finding employee rewards and recognition programs a key strategy to motivate employees, restore pre-pandemic engagement levels and reduce turnover. Organizations looking for ways to reward employees and drive employee engagement are realizing the need to “go digital” to reach their entire workforce (including those working remotely), build community and fulfill modern workers’ needs. 

To ensure our employee rewards and recognition service offering stays fresh and relevant, we keep our finger on the pulse of our client’s expectations, monitor industry developments and drive innovation. We recently analyzed 2021 redemption data from our clients and found that 96% of employees who were rewarded for work anniversaries or other accomplishments chose gift cards, including digital gift cards. This is up from 95% the year before, demonstrating that gift cards remain the clear preference when it comes to rewarding and recognizing employees.

During that research, we also heard clients echoing consumer demand to “go digital.” You asked — we answered: Inspirus has now fully migrated to a digital gift card offering, offering the best of both worlds for both employers and employees. Issuing digital gift cards, instead of physical ones, is ideal for recognition in the work environment and for building company culture.

Great for the Employer

  • Simple process: Digital gift cards make employee rewards fulfillment simpler. Employees select the gift card of their choice, and they are sent an email with a redemption link — that’s it! No time delay, no fulfillment coordination, no postage, and no mailing fees. 
  • Customer support: Employers get peace of mind, not having to worry “Have they been delivered? Did everyone get them?” Inspirus’ customer service support provides delivery details, tracks digital delivery, resends digital gift cards to failed email addresses, and more.
  • Easy to trace and replace: Digital gift cards are easier to trace than physical gift cards. Inspirus’ Customer Service Team can see when and where they were sent, and if they have been redeemed, making replacement hassle-free. 
  • Broad reach: Digital gift cards have no boundaries: they can be digitally sent right around the corner, to all around the world, in over 80 countries. Think of the expense of mailing a physical card to your entire employee population! 
  • Corporate sustainability: Issuing digital gift cards, vs. physical gift cards help reduce plastic pollution in landfills and carbon emissions from production and delivery, demonstrating your organization's commitment to environmental issues. 

Loved by the Employee

  • Convenient redemption: Employees are sent an email with a URL link that allows them to redeem their award whenever and wherever they want.
  • Meaningful and relevant:   Gift cards can be used to purchase anything an employee personally wants, resulting in a more memorable experience and fewer returns.
  • Instant redemption: Digital gift cards can be redeemed instantly — no waiting for delivery and no having to choose another gift because of supply chain issues. 
  • Device agnostic: It doesn't matter what device your employees use — they can select and redeem their gift using any device and still get the same experience. 
  • Universal acceptance: Digital gift cards can be used for anything that the employee desires — they’re not constrained by availability or acceptance. They can be added to digital wallets, too.   

Modern employee engagement strategies call for modern solutions. Providing digital redemption for rewards and recognition gives employees what they want: freedom, choice and flexibility — and organizations what they need: a cost-effective, global rewards solution.