As my company's marketing manager, I give some staff members small rewards (gift cards, lunches, etc.) for going above and beyond their job duties. But others act resentful about these rewards. How should I handle this?

Your staff may be reacting that way if you're rewarding employees for accomplishments that their teammates don't think they've actually earned. If so, you need to know why that's happening, and what proactive steps you can take.

We perceive rewards through two lenses: fairness and equity. In fairness,
your staff looks to see if you fairly rewarded those who deserved it. In equity, your staff wants to feel that everyone had the same opportunity to earn those prizes. I suspect your employees feel the rewards fall short in one of these two areas.

The solution might be twofold. First, keep the rewards process as transparent as possible. That means listing the specific reasons, in meetings and perhaps also via e-mail, why those individuals received rewards. But at the same time, also note the hard work that everyone else on the team contributed, because individual achievements are seldom attained without the sometimes-invisible contributions of others.

Next, spread the rewards around as much as feasible. Recognize as many other people as practical for their genuine contributions. By keeping your system of accolades transparent and inclusive, you'll make sure your rewards don't become resented.