Winter rewards, unexpected rewards and support for local could be key to tackling workplace motivation, according to new research.
The research, undertaken by Perth-based fintech Miconex with over 4,000 employees, organisations and consumers found that winter is worst for staff motivation, with just 14% of people saying winter is when they feel most motivated, followed by summer (17%), autumn (25%) and spring (43%).
Asked whether an anticipated or unexpected reward was more motivating, 56% of respondents in the survey said an unexpected reward from their workplace would motivate them more. In addition, 50% of respondents said they don’t feel valued by their employer and 69% think their employer could improve their reward and incentive offering.
And it seems that support for local can also help boost staff motivation with 94% of respondents saying it is important that the organisation they work for supports local businesses and 97% reporting they would feel more engaged/motivated if their company showed they care about local and their community.
When it comes to the reward staff would like to receive, gift cards maintained their popularity with employees, with 83% preferring to receive a £50 gift card (tax free) than £50 cash through payroll (taxed). The Trivial Tax Benefit scheme gives employers the opportunity to reward their employees, tax free, up to £50.
Choice was also key in R&I initiatives; 89% of survey respondents said having choice in their rewards and incentives was important to them. Wellbeing and work-life balance remains relevant to employees with 53% reporting it’s their biggest priority as an employee right now, and 61% saying they feel they have the right work-life balance.
Miconex are founders of the Town & City Gift Card initiative active across Scotland, and deliver the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card initiative alongside Scotland’s Towns Partnership. The cards can be used with national brands and independent businesses in specified towns, cities and regions in Scotland, locking spend into local areas. The cards are used by organisations including Shell and Robert Gordon University to reward their staff.
New technology introduced by Miconex in October 2024 allows organisations to send e-card Town & City Gift Cards and Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards online to multiple recipients at once, either immediately or on a future date.
Colin Munro, managing director of Miconex, pictured above, said: “Boosting employee motivation looks set to be a priority for employers next year with 60% of organisations saying they expect this to be their main objective in 2025. The research presents a number of opportunities for Scottish organisations to boost staff motivation by looking at their rewards and incentives differently, from the time of year they are offered to rewards that help employees to feel appreciated and valued, and rewards that demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to supporting local. Organisations could also use the Trivial Tax Benefit to offer unexpected, and potentially more motivating, rewards.
“Even though the majority of research participants (81%) had never received a Town & City Gift Card or Scotland Loves Local Gift Card before, almost all (97%) would like to receive a gift card from work that can be spent with local independent and national businesses. This choice, and the support for local, is what makes Town & City Gift Cards and Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards stand out among other gift cards and is key to organisations making the move to local rewards.”
Scotland’s Towns Partnership chief officer Kimberley Guthrie said the research highlighted the huge potential for employers across the county to help inject even more spending into their local economies.
She added: “These findings show the real will that there is among employees to share rewards and incentives they receive from their employers in their own community. Embracing Scotland Loves Local Gift Cards as corporate rewards really enhances any company’s corporate social responsibility – as well allowing it to play an even greater role in the local economy by securing spending for other businesses around them.”
