Finding an employee reward that checks all the boxes for being desirable, budget friendly, and effective in driving engagement isn’t always straightforward. Details like lead times, shipping costs, and added fees can have an impact on your overall timeline and budget. To narrow down the right employee reward, you have to ask the right questions. Here are eight questions to ask when choosing an employee reward at your company:

1. Can the reward reach all employees?
2. How much lead time is needed to order the reward?
3. How long will the reward take to arrive?
4. How much will the reward cost to ship?
5. How will employees get the reward?
6. Are there additional fees?
7. Will employees like the reward?
8. Will employees feel motivated by the reward?

These questions will help guide your search for different types of employee rewards and prepare you for conversations with your leadership team.

Consider Additional Fees

Branded merchandise and clothing are popular employee rewards, but are they really as cost effective as you think? We sat down with Rebecca Hathaway, our Director of Employee Experience, to hear her thoughts from a budgeting perspective. “Many businesses offer employees branded merchandise—like backpacks and sweatshirts—as rewards. But even something as simple as a t-shirt can come with unexpected costs,” Rebecca explains. “By the time you’ve paid the added fee to have your logo printed on the shirts, covered the cost of shipping, and paid the additional fee to send the shirts to multiple addresses, these seemingly simple items have increased your budget by at least 6%.”

T-shirts are still a great option. Here at Tango Card, we gift branded t-shirts to employees when they join the team. You’ll just want to note any added fees or shipping costs before you get too far in the ordering process.

Keep Employee Engagement in Mind

Two of the eight questions on our list may feel especially daunting:

• Will your employees like the reward?
• Will your employees feel motivated by the reward?

Finding an employee reward that’s both popular and effective in driving engagement may be the most challenging part of your search. Things like gourmet coffee or a nice bottle of wine will appeal to some team members, but these items won’t necessarily move the needle when it comes to engagement or job satisfaction. According to the Incentive Research Foundation, these are the top five rewards—rated on a five-point scale—that are linked to the highest levels of job satisfaction.

If finding a reward that’s desirable across the board feels challenging, consider allowing employees to choose their own rewards.

How Employees Can Choose Their Rewards

With digital gift cards, you can guarantee satisfaction by letting your employees choose how they want to spend their hard-earned reward. Our global rewards catalog is filled with 350+ of the most popular e-gift cards, ensuring there’s something for every employee on your team. Plus, when you work with us you can skip any logistical stress because digital gift cards can be instantly sent to employees through email. See all the benefits of offering gift cards as an employee reward or incentive at your company.

Email sales@tangocard.com to learn how you can build an employee rewards program with Tango Card.

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