the tango card employee rewards handbook
TRANSCRIPT
An overview of modern employee rewards, recognition, and engagement programs.
www.tangocard.com | www.rewardsgenius.com | [email protected]
The Tango Card Employee Rewards Handbook
Why do companies reward employees? Reasons run the gamut from employee recognition
and appreciation to referrals and wellness. No matter the reason, the underlying motive is to
keep employees happy, healthy, productive, and engaged because that’s what it takes to keep
a company moving forward.
This Employee Rewards Handbook covers the why, when, what, and how of successful
employee rewards—and how you can ensure yours is one of them.
Why Employee Reward Programs WorkTo understand why employee reward programs work, it’s important to recognize the
core concept of any successful employee reward program: employee engagement.
It might seem like increased productivity is the true goal of any rewards program, but
by focusing on overall engagement through safety, wellness, and recognition programs,
you’ll be on track to improve employee safety and turnover as well as productivity.
That’s why a rewards program that focuses on overall employee engagement does
more than simply boost productivity.
You’ll also experience the real-world feeling of having happy, healthy, engaged people
around you at work—which makes for a more enjoyable work day for everyone.
Program Examples
RecognitionRecognize employees going above and beyond their role and
surpassing goals.
Health & WellnessMotivate behavior by rewarding employees for completing
wellness tasks and making healthier choices.
Employee ReferralsIncentivize employees to refer qualified candidates for available
job openings.
SafetyReward associates who identify a problem with a current process
and o�er a solution.
Get
tin
g S
tart
ed
Vacation TimePaid time o� is a great reward option for today’s overstimulated employees
who are often working from the moment they wake up to the minute they fall
asleep. Technology makes it hard for people to disconnect and power down,
which makes vacation time a great way to treat employees and incentivize them
to hit the snooze button.
SwagItems such as t-shirts, mugs, and sunglasses can be easily custom branded with
your company logo and handed out to employees. Swag is a great way to build
company morale while also increasing brand awareness.
Some great brands we’ve worked with include:
CustomInk—CustomInk has provided us with basic branded t-shirts,
sweatshirts, and other apparel. They do a great job, have great apparel options,
and o�er some of the best prices.
RainCity Promotions—RainCity is local to Seattle and has an extensive product
catalog from which to choose.
4Imprint—This company has been in the swag and promotional product game
for a long time. We love working with them.
Team Lunch and Happy HourTeam and cross-departmental collaboration is important no matter what
function an employee plays. Show appreciation for a job well done with a
company-sponsored lunch or happy hour at a local spot where employees can
mingle and decompress with each other.
Digital Gift CardsDigital gift cards are our favorite employee reward. By giving employees the
option to pick their own reward, you’re giving them the chance to treat
themselves or their loved ones to a special experience, coveted gift, or
not-for-profit donation they’ll remember. Check out our catalog of e-gift
cards—we guarantee there’s something in it for everyone.
Reward Types
Three Steps To Implement An Employee Reward Program
1. Decide why and when rewards are given Giving a reward is a great way to reinforce positive or helpful behaviors, and doing so at the right time
maximizes the impact of those rewards. Here are some common situations in which people give rewards:
• Spot awards—These are generally small rewards between $5 and $25 that applaud people for doing a good job.
Most people respond well to the recognition alone, but adding a tangible reward reinforces the recognition.
• Challenge completion—Whether it is for safety, wellness, sales, or completing a project, a reward is a great way
to say thanks for an employee’s hard work and diligence.
• Event participation—Team events come in many shapes. Leveraging a time when everyone is together to
announce a reward for a stand-out individual or for a team accomplishment is a great way create a
motivating moment.
• Incentivize participation—Do you need your employees’ or colleagues’ help to complete a project? O�er them a
small incentive to eliminate the need for that third follow-up email.
2. Determine who does the rewarding and who gets rewarded How do you want to structure your program? Figuring out whether you want to allow manager-to-peer,
peer-to-peer, or open-ended rewards is key to determining how to set up budgets and choose available
rewards. You can always use a mix of these three—whatever best suits your company and program’s needs!
3. Pick the right employee reward options Choosing rewards that are meaningful and deliver real value to your employees is paramount to e�ectively
motivating employees and making them feel good. When choosing what works best for your company, keep in
mind the feasibility and cost of sourcing and delivering rewards for an ongoing program.
We’ve outlined several reward types in the section above because we believe incorporating company-specific or
employee-requested rewards should always happen when appropriate. However, our go-to is always the e-gift
card—specifically the Reward Link—because it allows employees to choose their own reward! Plus, they’re cost
e�ective, customizable, and quick to send.
There’s no question rewarding employees is a great way to drive results. But how
can you make sure you’re o�ering the right rewards when they aren’t one size fits
all? Employ engagement strategies focused on personal instead of universal
motivations.
Increased FlexibilityDid you know gift cards have been the #1 wished-for holiday gift 14 years in a
row? E-gift cards help take the question mark out of your engagement strategy
by providing the flexibility of choice. More options equal a better reward
experience because what motivates one employee may not resonate with
another.
Let employees select their own reward through either the Reward Link—a choice
card with over 100 gift card options—or direct brands ranging from spa and travel
experiences to their favorite online retailer or restaurant. Regardless of the
option, an e-gift card ensures the choice is theirs.
Instant RewardsEmployees must obtain their rewards quickly enough for them to remember how
they were earned in the first place; this makes timing an important piece of any
employee-engagement program. Luckily, e-gift cards can be delivered
immediately to an employee’s email address, which in turn results in instant
gratification and satisfaction. Whatever the employee did to receive the reward
will trigger a shot of dopamine in the brain, which bonds a happy memory to the
behavior that resulted in the reward.
E-gift cards keep timing in mind with instant email delivery to an employee’s
inbox. With a few easy clicks, employees can redeem the reward of their choice
and start shopping—instantly.
Why
Dig
ital
Gif
t C
ard
s M
ake
Gre
at E
mp
loye
e R
ewar
ds
Expert TestimonialsDr. Bob Nelson is known as one of the world’s leading experts on employee
motivation, performance, engagement, recognition, and rewards. In his book,
Recognizing & Engaging Employees for Dummies, Dr. Bob outlines the
importance of employee engagement and recognition in the workplace: By
being proactive, positive, focused, and forward looking, managers can engage
and inspire employees—and employees can inspire and engage themselves
and their coworkers—in practical ways that yield real results and allow their
companies to become stronger, more profitable, and more competitive in even
the most di�cult marketplace.
Dr. Bob makes a clear connection between the benefits of employee engagement for employees and companies.
Adding rewards to your engagement program helps drive important business initiatives, changes behavior, and
creates a positive work culture.
You can learn more about Dr. Bob and his knowledge of employee engagement and motivation here.
Employee Rewards, Recognition, And Engagement PlatformsCurious where to start when it comes to platforms? You can use Rewards Genius, our free, self-serve web portal, to
manage rewards or work with one of our partners below. These providers o�er a variety of options that can help
streamline your internal communication e�orts and boost employee engagement, all while o�ering e-gift card rewards
from Tango Card.
Employee Rewards FAQs
Q: I’m already playing my employees, what’s the benefit of rewarding them further?
A: We’ve found that employees respond well to rewards for a variety of reasons. From recognition for hitting a certain
milestone to saying “thank you” for going above and beyond on a certain project, it’s important to take the time to
reward them for something positive. You can read more about why rewarding employees is beneficial here.
Q: Can you provide some examples of when and why to reward employees?
A: One of our customers rewards employees for making healthy choices, which then keeps health costs down. Speaking
of, did you know 2.2 trillion dollars are spent annually on unhealthy workers in the United States? Another customer
uses employee rewards to incentivize safety awareness in a predominantly factory-based workplace where accidents
happen but can be avoided with new procedures. Check out our Use Case page for more examples.
Q: How much should I reward? What kinds of rewards do people usually choose?
A: The answer to this one is easy—it’s up to you! If you choose to reward employees with gift cards, we suggest
attaching a higher value to bigger tasks—a $50 reward for creating and implementing a new operation procedure, for
example—and a lower value for smaller tasks—such as $5 for staying late to meet a deadline.
Digital gift cards range from brand name retailers to groceries, gas, restaurants, spa treatments, hotels, airlines, and
more. We also o�er not-for-profit donation options if you prefer a more philanthropy-focused approach to your reward
program. If you’re not sure what kind of rewards to send, we’re here to help.
Q: What if the reward is accidentally deleted or the employee has issues redeeming it?
A: With Rewards Genius, you’re able to resend rewards if something happens. Simply log into your account to resend
the gift card to the employee. We also have a customer-support team that can be reached Monday–Friday from
7:30am–5:00pm PST via email at [email protected] or by telephone (877)558-2646.
Q: How do I start sending e-gift cards as part of my engagement program?
A: We’re glad you asked! You can either sign up for free here to get started quickly or email us at [email protected]
to have someone on our team get in touch with you.
Tango Card caters to thousands of customers' reward, incentive, and payout needs
with a global catalog of e-gift cards, digital prepaid cards, not-for-profit donations,
and more.
Tango Card o�ers Rewards Genius, a free web portal for managing rewards and
incentives programs. Use the Rewards Genius dashboard for self-serve ordering and
management of the Rewards as a Service API and integrate e-gift cards to fit your
app, platform, or program experience. In this self-serve portal, you can:
• Order Reward Link—our most popular reward solution—in bulk or one at a
time, which are immediately delivered to recipients
• Create custom email templates
• Create and fund accounts, check balances, and view funding history
• Manager user access and permission levels
• Review order history and download reports
• Resend rewards with the click of a button
www.tangocard.com | www.rewardsgenius.com | [email protected]