Why Are Virtual Gift Cards Ideal For Remote Employees?
Virtual gift cards are ideal for remote employees. They offer instant recognition and flexibility. Build a culture of inclusivity in your remote team with virtual Mastercards.
Back when employees worked from the office, recognition was easy. A cake in the cafeteria, a gift hamper on the desk, or some friendly cheer from colleagues. But in today’s remote-first world, things look very different.
Traditional rewards no longer work as they once did. Sending physical gifts is expensive and often delayed in shipping. Cash bonuses, while convenient, create payroll complications and usually end up being taxed.
For remote employees, these gestures can feel impersonal. A LinkedIn survey found that Ireland now ranks highest in Europe for remote job availability, highlighting how distributed teams are becoming more common.
With this shift, many companies are turning to virtual gift cards for employees. They’re instant, cost-efficient, tax-friendly, and most importantly, they allow recognition to reach employees instantly, no matter where they are.
The Challenges Of Rewarding Remote Employees
Physical distance can create emotional distance, making employees disengaged and demotivated if not handled correctly. Here are the common challenges of rewarding remote employees:
Employees are disengaged
Remote employees often feel distant from their peers. Without the casual interactions of the office, like coffee breaks and team lunches, there is little opportunity to build cultural bonds. Research suggests that 25% of fully remote employees experience loneliness at work, which impacts their motivation.
Physical gifts cost more
Shipping physical gifts to remote employees creates significant financial and logistical hurdles. International shipping costs can exceed the value of the gift itself. Moreover, delayed deliveries, customs duties, and address management challenges become significant barriers to rewarding remote employees effectively.
Cash bonuses feel impersonal
Cash bonuses seem like the perfect choice here, but they feel more transactional to employees than thoughtful. They are added to the payroll and are often lost in monthly expenses. Virtual gift cards, however, stand out by giving employees the flexibility to spend them anywhere, making the reward both practical and memorable.
Regional differences take place
Managing a globally distributed team brings another layer of complexity when it comes to rewards. What feels thoughtful in one region may be inappropriate in another. Religious practices, cultural norms, and dietary restrictions all play a role. For example, a gourmet food basket might delight employees in one part of the world but could be unusable for others due to dietary or religious reasons.
Why Virtual Gift Cards Work So Well For Remote Employees?
57% of fully remote workers are actively looking or passively watching for new job opportunities. This shows that the need for effective employee retention strategies has never been more critical. Here are some reasons why virtual gift cards work well for remote employees:
Instant Recognition: Remote employees often feel invisible when compared to their in-office peers. Virtual Mastercard gift cards arrive within minutes, ensuring employees feel recognised in real-time. Unlike traditional rewards, a virtual gift card bridges the gap between achievement and appreciation.
Flexible Gift: Remote workers work remotely because they want flexibility. Their rewards should be the same. With a virtual gift card, remote employees can spend it however they like. Whether it is on a coffee machine for their home office or on a wellness day.
Personalised: Virtual gift cards scream 'personalised' like no other gift. These gift cards are pre-loaded by employers and can be used to spend anywhere. Employees can send these cards online with a thoughtful message, making employees feel like this gift was chosen especially for them, even when sending bulk virtual gift cards.
Efficient: No shipping delays, customs issues, or address complications. Whether employees are in Dublin or New York, they receive consistent reward experiences without logistical hurdles. Moreover, for HRs, bulk virtual gift cards make it easy to recognise entire departments at once.
CleverCards: Best Virtual Gift Card For Remote Employees
For remote employee gifting, CleverCards offers the best virtual gift cards for employees. Employers can instantly order and send bulk virtual cards for their remote team.
Key features of CleverCards' virtual gift card are:
- CleverCards can be issued instantly via email with a personalised message
- Virtual gift cards are Mastercard-powered, meaning employees can use them at over 50 million merchants worldwide
- Employees can add their virtual gift cards on Google Pay and Apple Pay and use them to pay online or in-store
- Employees can easily track their gift card balance on the CleverCards app
When Should You Gift Employees Virtual Gift Cards?
Virtual gift cards address critical challenges of remote workers; the next key step is to know the right time to send virtual gift cards to employees. Here are some occasions where you can send these cards:
1. Project Milestones: Instant delivery of virtual cards after a project completion or goal achievements ensures employees feel maximum joy of being rewarded.
2. Special Occasions: Gifting on work anniversaries and birthdays shows you care and that employees are important to you, irrespective of the distance.
3. Busy Seasons: Send virtual mastercards during peak work season to promote a healthy work-life balance.
Building The Right Culture In A Digital-First World
Shortly, the most successful organisations will be the ones that make virtual gift cards an integral part of their remote culture. These rewards help employees feel truly connected, even when working miles apart.
Ready to strengthen your remote culture? Fill out the form below to get started with CleverCards.