Building a Rewards Catalogue Employees Actually Want

It’s tempting to fill the Rewards Shop with whatever’s easiest to source — generic gift vouchers, branded merchandise, done. That approach often produces a catalogue nobody’s particularly excited to redeem from.

Ask before you stock

A short, anonymous survey — “what would actually motivate you to redeem points?” — beats guessing every time. Teams are often surprised by what comes back: extra leave time, a coffee allowance, a lunch with a senior leader, or a donation-matching option can outperform generic vouchers by a wide margin.

Mix tangible and experiential rewards

Vouchers are easy to fulfil, but experiential rewards — an extra half-day off, first pick of a desirable project, a mentoring session with a leader — often carry more perceived value per point than their cost would suggest, without requiring much operational overhead.

Consider a charitable option

A “donate my points’ value to a cause” option costs little to set up and resonates strongly with some segments of a workforce, particularly younger employees who may value that more than another voucher.

Keep the catalogue fresh

A static catalogue eventually loses its pull, even if the rewards were good to begin with. Rotate in a limited-time or seasonal reward every quarter to give returning redeemers something new to aim for.

Watch redemption patterns, not just completion counts

If a reward sits unredeemed for months despite being affordable to most of your team, that’s a stronger signal about what to remove than any assumption made at setup. Let real behaviour, not initial guesses, shape the catalogue over time.

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