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Employee recognition software platforms can transform not only your organization’s culture, but it also leads to business outcomes like employee engagement, retention, and productivity. In fact, employees recognized monthly are 47% more likely to have high job commitment compared to those recognized quarterly. But how can you get everyone involved in showing appreciation, from staff all the way to the C-suite, without making it a chore or interrupting their workflows? Simple: employee recognition software.
Employee recognition software leverages HR technology to simplify the recognition process, allowing the entire workforce to appreciate each other whenever and wherever they prefer. And the best employee recognition platforms give people leaders key data – like the number of monthly recognitions sent, how many employees are participating, and even employee sentiment. These insights help you take more informed and timely action, cultivating engagement throughout your entire workforce.
Below are 15 of the top employee recognition software platforms, so you can make an informed decision and kickstart your organization on its path to a culture of recognition.
What is an employee recognition software platform?
An employee recognition software platform is where managers and employees can acknowledge each other for a job well done through a company-wide feed. Big or small, these recognitions tie to company core values helping to reinforce desired behaviors and fostering a culture of belonging.
What are features and benefits of an employee recognition software platform?
The features and benefits of an employee recognition software platform include:
- Peer recognition: public recognition from colleagues help drive workplace engagement and connection.
- Rewards marketplace: personalized rewards motivate employees increasing business performance and productivity.
- Mobile-friendly platform: make recognition more inclusive by allowing your entire workforce to easily recognize however they work, whether in office, remote, or on-the-go.
- Integrations with workplace apps: consolidate the number of apps and save time by recognizing with common tools employees already use.
- Customer support & success: ensure your program is running smoothly and that you are able to measure results based on your investment.
What are the best employee recognition software platforms?
The best employee recognition software platforms include:
- Achievers for a powerful, high-frequency platform that makes it easy for employees to recognize and redeem rewards wherever they work
- Kudoboard for it’s unique online and printable group cards
- Workvivo for workplace collaboration and employee engagement
- Motivosity simple and clean interface that is intuitive to use
How do you measure success of employee recognition platform?
You can measure success of an employee recognition platform by tracking a number of key metrics and seeing how these metrics align with your business objectives. Robust platform reporting should offer important metrics like total number of recognitions sent, activation rate, number of active users, and rewards given. You can also measure engagement using pulse surveys and always-on feedback channels.
The 15 best employee recognition software platforms for 2024
1. Achievers
Achievers is an award-winning, mobile-first employee recognition software platform that’s designed to get everyone at your company involved. Its science-backed approach starts with encouraging social recognition. Employees can engage by liking, commenting, and sending emojis on any individual recognition. From a company newsfeed that amplifies the reach of recognition to fun e-cards and gifs, employees will want to come back to give thanks to their coworkers — and see the recognition they themselves have received — time after time.
While social recognition is the basis of any culture of recognition, monetary rewards are a crucial complement. But employees don’t respond to generic, one-size-fits-all rewards that come down from on high — not to mention that limiting the ability to provide rewards to managers and HR prevents most of your workforce from participating. Instead, Achievers features a points-based reward system in which all employees accumulate reward points on a regular basis. They can then redeem them for a wide variety of rewards that will actually have meaning to them through the Achievers Reward Marketplace. Seeing your point balance grow is always exciting, and you can even “boost” others’ social recognition by awarding some of your own points.
Achievers doesn’t neglect data analytics either. It features easy-to-use dashboards and reporting capabilities so HR and management can gather insights on everything from the recognition program as a whole to the participation of specific teams and departments. Along with recognition, there are other great tools that build engagement, including Achievers Listen — your one-stop-shop for supporting employee voice.
Recognition for everybody is made easy through integrations with common workplace tools like Outlook, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. On top of that, Achievers integrate with leading HRIS providers like Workday, ADP, Oracle, Ceridian, SAP SuccessFactors, and UKG Pro.
Those who have adopted Achievers are:
- 107% more likely to give their culture of recognition a high rating than organizations that don’t use recognition technology
- 36% more likely to see an increase in employee engagement than customers of other technology providers
- 3.6 times more likely to give recognition multiple times per month than customers of other technology providers
It’s no wonder that Achievers is the recognition platform of choice for global brands like Kellogg and McDonald’s.
“Using Achievers, we have been able to make recognition fun, inclusive, and global at Kellogg. We now have the tool to show our people just how much we value and appreciate them in a public and creative way.” – Liz Smith, Global Recognition Manager, Kellogg Company
Feature highlights:
- User-friendly platform on both desktop and mobile
- Vast rewards marketplace with 3M+ reward options and 2,500 global brands
- Integrations with popular workplace apps like Zoom, MS Teams, Slack, and more
- Highest active usage platform in the industry
2. Mo
Mo is a recognition platform that empowers managers to recognize, connect, and reward their team. Social posts are called “Moments” on the Mo platform where employees can select company values to go with every Moment. Recognitions can be public or private, enabling the entire workforce to show their appreciation for the hard work done. Mo equips managers with weekly suggestions to motivate their employees and offers analytics for the HR & leadership team to track program success.
Feature highlights:
- Peer-to-peer recognition
- Automated work celebrations
- Budget tracking
3. Worktango
Worktango is an employee experience platform that enables organizations to automate Recognition and Rewards, track costs, and incentivize desired actions. You have the ability to run your recognition program with or without reward points giving you flexibility based on your budget. Managers can set up Employee Incentives to drive participation in company initiatives in exchange for points. Track program participation and get insights by department, location, or role.
Feature highlights:
- Integrations with common workplace apps
- Employee Incentives
- Automated years of service awards and milestone celebrations
4. Motivosity
Motivosity facilitates workplace recognition through public shows of appreciation and monetary rewards. Each team member can provide social recognition together with actual money to show appreciation to others. Motivosity also supports custom awards and allows organizations to award spot bonuses. Like Achievers, Motivosity is part of an HR technology ecosystem with additional engagement products.
Feature highlights:
- Built for small or mid-market sized companies
- Peer-to-peer recognition
- Performance management
5. Kudoboard
Kudoboard is a more specialized recognition platform that focuses on providing memorable group cards. Users can customize each card with unique text and visual media. You can invite others to collaborate on a single card and show them off in a variety of ways, including a printed poster or as a slideshow. Kudoboard is available in a limited free version for trying out as well.
Feature highlights:
- Unlimited ‘boards’ (i.e. e-cards)
- Custom branding
- Printing and shipping options
6. Nectar
Nectar is an employee recognition platform that supports both social recognition and monetary rewards. It enables recognition at all levels of an organization and features a built-in rewards catalog. Nectar also allows organizations to reward employees who overcome specific challenges, automatically schedule milestone recognition, and create custom awards. Integrate with commonly used HR and business tools, enabling single sign on (SSO) and data sharing.
Feature highlights:
- Points-based recognition
- Custom ‘challenges’ to promote company initiatives
- Reward options and select discounts
7. Assembly
Assembly is a platform for building workflows that supports employee recognition programs. It features an employee recognition workflow template that helps employees more easily provide public and peer-to-peer recognition. It also includes a template dedicated to nominating employees across your organization. Assembly goes beyond recognition as well with over 40 additional workflow templates.
Feature highlights:
- Points-based recognition
- Custom ‘challenges’ to promote company initiatives
- Employee reward options and select discounts
8. TerryBerry
Source: www.terryberry.com
TerryBerry leverages their “Be Recognized” employee recognition software to drive peer-to-peer recognition within your organization. Their recognition platform includes service awards, employee incentives, and custom awards. Employees can redeem points for a variety of reward options including customized swag, charitable gifts, and merchandise from top brands. TerryBerry also offers features like Health & Wellness and Surveys to help drive engagement.
Feature highlights:
- Plug-and-play modules
- Wellness programs
- Engagement surveys
9. Guusto
Guusto offers employee recognition software that includes features like real-time recognition, performance awards, and connecting appreciation to wellness. It comes with a rewards catalog that allows employees to redeem rewards from over 60,000 merchant locations. Guusto also prioritizes scalability with the ability to begin with limited pilot programs and then expanding recognition initiatives company-wide. Reports on engagement, rewards, and more help organizations measure the effectiveness of their recognition programs.
Feature highlights:
- Milestone, years-of-service awards
- Employee gift card programs
- Manager and peer recognition
10. Cooleaf
Cooleaf engages and connects employees through employee Recognition and Rewards, pulse surveys, and employee programs. The platform connects managers and employees together with a variety of engagement programs like Health & Wellness, Learning & Development, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Build customizable surveys to measure eNPS feedback, manager effectiveness, and employee engagement.
Feature highlights:
- Recognitions tied to company core values
- Real-time analytics
- Customizable employee surveys
11. Fond
Fond is an employee recognition solution that supports points-based rewards and social recognition. Employees can redeem points for thousands of items and experiences, while organizations can tailor rewards to best suit their culture and employee interests. Fond supports mobile recognition, integrations with popular HR and business tools, and reacting to others’ recognitions. Fond also offers a corporate discount platform that helps companies manage discounts they or Fond obtain for their employees.
Feature highlights:
- Recognitions tied to company core values
- Real-time analytics
- Customizable employee surveys
12. Empuls
Empuls is a Recognition and Rewards provider that focuses on peer recognition as a driver for building a more engaged workforce. Employees can actively interact with each other using polls, posts, and comments. Digital Wishboards replace physical bulletin boards allowing your people to send birthday, holiday, and other life event wishes to colleagues. Keep employees in the loop with important and relevant company news through internal communication tools.
Feature highlights:
- Public recognition made visible on the social intranet
- Reactions like comments, GIFs, and likes to recognitions
- Digital Wishboards (i.e. birthdays, life events, holidays, etc.)
13. Workvivo
Workvivo is an employee experience platform that aims to drive engagement through a personalized social feed. This feed allows colleagues to share information, collaborate, and recognize team and individual achievements through public shout-outs. Align your workforce by tying posts to company core values. Workvivo has other engagement features including surveys, polls, collaboration spaces, and live video streaming.
Feature highlights:
- Public peer recognition
- Personalized activity feed
- Peer nomination for awards
14. Espresa
Espresa is a platform that includes peer-to-peer recognition with monetary and non-monetary rewards. Employees get access to rewards from over 200 vendors ranging from gift cards to branded merchandise to personalized experiences. Espresa promotes participation through gamification with digital recognition badges, driving a more meaningful and inclusive workplace culture.
Feature highlights:
- Monetary and non-monetary recognition
- Integrated rewards marketplace
- Customizable budgets
15. Bucketlist
Bucketlist is an employee recognition software platform that includes public social recognition, automation of milestone recognition, and a rewards catalog with over 4,000 items to choose from. Organizations can also create custom awards to fit their culture and workforce. Bucketlist features a built-in newsletter as well and features account management and support services.
Feature highlights:
- Group shoutouts
- Rewards catalog of 4,000 items
- Custom awards
Start your recognition journey today
Employee recognition takes work to cultivate, but thanks to the many quality employee recognition software platforms available, you don’t have to go it alone. You’ll want to take your time and carefully evaluate your options before committing your organization to one — but while you’re here, why not start your search with Achievers?
Achievers users are 54% more likely to rate their recognition culture highly than customers of other technology providers. If you’d like to see the difference Achievers can make yourself — and become your organization’s number one recognition champion in the process — try a free demo today.
*Information and pricing in this blog post was sourced from each vendors website
Employee recognition software platform FAQ
In this article:
Key insights
- Learn about employee recognition software platforms and their features and benefits.
- Discover that the best employee recognition software platforms have a simple interfaces, online cards, and high-frequency use where ever you work.
- Compare the top 15 employee recognition software platforms and their highlights.
