Over the years, our employees have made a variety of memorable purchases with Reward Link®, our most popular reward solution. Some purchases have been practical—like the time our director of customer success bought a dress for her son’s high school graduation. Other purchases have been treated as special occasions, like the time our director of employee experience bought custom Nike sneakers—something she normally wouldn’t buy for herself. Some purchases were made with furry family members in mind, like when our senior accountant used a Reward Link to buy pet supplies for her new dog.

While all our employees receive the same type of reward, the way they choose to spend it is always different. That’s the goal. We give our employees a choice of the most popular gift cards to support their unique interests and needs—inside and outside of work.

The Reward Link Experience from an Employee Perspective

Here’s what the experience of receiving a Reward Link has been like for three of our employees—from the reason they were gifted a reward to their most memorable purchases.

• How long have you worked at Tango Card? Two years
• What does your department do? My team onboards and maintains the brands within our gift card catalogs.
• When you think back to the reasons you’ve been gifted a Reward Link during your time at Tango Card, which one stands out? I would say that they’re all memorable because they all have a reason behind them. I can’t just pick one because there are two that were very important. One was the $500 Reward Link that Tango Card provided to all employees to help make working from home more comfortable. The other was a Reward Link we received at the end of 2020, after not being able to have our fun holiday party due to COVID-19.
• What’s the most memorable thing you’ve bought with a Reward Link? The most memorable was being able to buy my sister AirPods for Christmas with several Reward Links I’d been saving.
• What are the top three brands you’ve redeemed a Reward Link for? Target, Amazon, and Nordstrom

• How long have you worked at Tango Card? Nine years
• What part of your job do you enjoy the most? Creative support and direction. I love working with so many different teams across the company.
• When you think back to the reasons you’ve been gifted a Reward Link during your time at Tango Card, which one stands out? Being gifted a Reward Link after working on a large project that spanned over a few months. It felt awesome to be recognized after working so long on the project.
• What’s the most memorable thing you’ve bought with a Reward Link? A robot vacuum. I have two small children that make sure my floor is never clean. I got the vacuum to help save me a few extra minutes in my day.
• What are the top three brands you’ve redeemed a Reward Link for? Target, Starbucks, and Lowe’s

• How long have you worked at Tango Card? 11 years
• What part of your job do you enjoy the most? I enjoy partnering with our clients to help them develop successful reward programs.
• When you think back to the reasons you’ve been gifted a Reward Link during your time at Tango Card, which one stands out? I remember being awarded a Reward Link for working with a client on a very difficult program. I felt proud knowing that Tango Card appreciated what I did to help make the program work.
• What’s the most memorable thing you’ve bought with a Reward Link? The most memorable thing I purchased was a new high-tech camera, which I normally wouldn’t be able to afford, but my Reward Link allowed me to do so. I have photographed many family events and memories, and I cherish the photographs every time I look at them. This camera is something I appreciate every time I use it—and each time I bring it out, I think of how I was able to purchase it.
• What are the top three brands you’ve redeemed a Reward Link for? Amazon, Lowe’s, and Kohl’s

How Companies Sustain Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Our employees send about 100 e-gift card rewards each month. How do we sustain this peer-to-peer engagement? The answer may be simpler than you think. “There are two key reasons why our program is successful,” explains Becky Hathaway, our director of employee experience. “The first reason is because it’s public on Slack.” As a result, our employees can view a steady feed of recognition, thank-yous, and general positivity in real time throughout the day. “The fact that it’s public is the main reason we’ve had success. It’s a constant reminder that motivates employees to participate,” explains Becky. The second key to success comes down to the positive memories fueled by recognition. 

“When our employees send rewards, they’re often sending them to peers on completely different teams. If you’re someone who went out of their way to help another department, receiving a thank-you goes a long way. Ultimately, it creates a positive memory—one that reminds you that you can send rewards too,” says Becky.

Email sales@tangocard.com to learn how you can incorporate Reward Link into your employee reward program. Be sure to also check out the other resources and information we provide about employee engagement.

Want more thought leadership from Tango Card? Sign up here to be alerted when we post new content, host webinars, and speak at events.