What is employee recognition software?

Employee recognition software is a web-based application that allow managers to recognize and reward employees for performance or accomplishments. Rewards range from social media recognition to certificates and company-awarded bonuses, such as time off, a gift card or travel awards.

When managed effectively, a recognition app may help HR and management motivate employees, enhance positive communication, improve productivity and reduce turnover.

13 top employee recognition tools

The right recognition tool for your company should align with your workforce. Here’s an overview of 13 software tools to help you narrow it down.

1. Applauz

Applauz promotes participation with an incentive program that recognizes productivity and positivity. Peers and managers award each other points that act as currency to be redeemed for perks and merchandise.

Company perks are customizable and may include company-branded merchandise, time off or free lunch. The marketplace provides more than 3,000 products and offers a live chat option for shopping convenience.

Key features:

• Employee goals tracking

• Company newsfeed

• Company values badges

• Employee pulse surveys

• Incentivized goals and rewards

Price: Applauz’s pricing includes a free plan for companies with fewer than 10 employees and a per-person per-month pricing structure for businesses with 10-500 employees. The platform also offers custom pricing for large organizations.

2. Appreiz

Appreiz can be a good option for businesses of any size. Its interface allows management to set goals, manage performance and create rewards points and a rewards catalog. The platform also encourages peer-to-peer and manager-to-peer recognition and nominations. Appreiz integrates with Mac, Windows and web-based platforms in addition to iPhone and Android applications.

Key features:

• Flexibility in creating company-specific rewards

• Employee recognition linked with gamification

• Graphs for data tracking

Price: Appreiz’s monthly rates vary per number of users and features. The company offers customized pricing for businesses with more than 10,000 employees. Clients can also sample the company’s recognition apps with the 30-day free trial.

3. Assembly

Assembly’s free plan makes the platform accessible to small and large businesses. It includes unlimited team members and recognition, custom culture rewards and three months of message history. Its peer-to-peer recognition feature can help boost morale with positive messages and rewards. You can also integrate the employee recognition software with Slack.

Key features:

• A core values sidebar that provides visibility of highly valued qualities

• Badge options that showcase specific talents or skills

• Birthday and anniversary recognition

Price: Assembly offers four paid plans, depending on features. The company also provides a customized plan priced according to the organization’s needs and requirements.

4. Bonusly

Bonusly allows small businesses and large corporations to streamline recognition and rewards while delivering actionable analytics. Each person in the organization can receive public recognition from peers or managers. These public acknowledgments might increase employee engagement, an important factor in workplace motivation.

Key features:

• A free trial that doesn’t require credit card information

• Integration with existing company software, saving administrative time

• Analytics that provide detailed reports

• Digital signage that displays recent bonuses on all workplace screens

• A tailored manager experience with recognition and bonus customizations

Price: Bonusly offers a Core and Pro package. The employee recognition software company also provides a custom pricing option for midsize and large organizations. It includes the Core and Pro package elements plus additional options.

5. Bucketlist

Bucketlist utilizes dashboards and reports to recognize employees’ strengths and build on improved retention rates. It offers employee of the month, team player, safety, performance and innovation awards, and the built-in newsletter can improve team communication.

A potentially good option for midsize and large companies of between 100 and 10,000 or more employees, Bucketlist offers an incentive program to encourage employee engagement.

Key features:

• More than 4,000 items available in 20 countries, with incentives ranging from $5 gift cards to travel experiences

• Integration with a variety of software programs, including ADP, Ascentis and BambooHR

• Streamlined communication with posted events, announcements and thank-you notes

Price: Business managers are encouraged to try Bucketlist’s free trial, which includes all the platform’s features, before selecting a plan.

6. Fond

As a global SaaS platform, Fond consolidates employee recognition and rewards processes for organizations of 1,000 or more employees. Each company’s reward and recognition budget is tailored to meet its unique needs.

The software also has a feature to help you conduct 360-degree reviews. The company’s reward points never expire, and unused points are returned to the employer.

Key features:

• Social recognition that acknowledges accomplishments and milestones

• Customization of service awards from the catalog to track important dates

• Prenegotiated corporate discounts on a variety of travel, fitness and entertainment options

• Performance analytics that tracks performance, perks and usage

Price: Interested business owners and managers can request a free demo and pricing information via the website. Fond’s pricing structure is based on business size. All programs include an annual subscription rate free of markups and hidden costs.

7. Guusto

Guusto’s employee recognition software offers solutions for midsize companies with 250-1,000 employees and large companies with over 1,000 employees. Its flexible platform allows one central location to load up to 1,000 gifts at a time, and rewards may be redeemed with more than 60,000 merchants.

Data tracking includes expense and gift reports and taxable benefits. Services include a custom consultation package to develop a rewards strategy.

Key features:

• Gifts, which can be redeemed through the internet or mobile app

• Gifts, which can be split between multiple merchants and never expire

• Platform integration with Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android

• Simplified tracking with the navigation command center

Price: Guusto’s rates range from free for single users to a monthly cost per 10 members. Guusto also offers an add-on feature, including a peer-to-peer nomination box for nonmonetary rewards.

8. Kudos

Kudos is suited for companies with 250 to more than 20,000 employees and extends to 80 countries with 30 verticals. The corporate social network platform encourages peer-to-peer recognition and offers an engagement dashboard and customized reports.

The Kudos Basic program includes peer recognition, video recognition and basic reports. The Plus plan adds custom awards and certificates, photo galleries, announcements, events calendar and analytic dashboards and reports. Kudos’ Enterprise program is the most comprehensive option with more controls and insights.

Key features:

• Recognition opportunities, such as peer-to-peer, birthdays and anniversaries, certificates, videos and customized rewards

• Tools to provide internal space for communication, media sharing, newsletters and employee profiles

• Integration with existing software and tools

Price: Kudos offers three plans, and the company’s pricing is available upon request.

9. Motivosity

With Motivosity, managers can create and customize satisfaction surveys and measure progress by comparing previous data. The Listen Plan focuses on employee satisfaction surveys, employee net promoter score (eNPS), turnover tracking and analysis. Other features include personality profiles, interest groups, announcements, influence currency and rewards.

Key features:

• Peer-to-peer social recognition

• Feedback collection

• Monetary reward and gift card management

Price: Motivosity’s monthly cost depends on the number of users. The platform also offers a Listen package.

10. Nectar

On Nectar, managers can streamline incentives and maintain a connected culture regardless of physical locale. The software is available for an unlimited number of users and includes peer-to-peer recognition, custom allowances and core values, more than 100 reward options and participation analytics.

The Standard package includes manager-to-employee recognition, centralized company rewards, birthday and anniversary recognition, global reward options and Slack integration. The company’s Plus package also includes HRIS and SSO integrations and organizational network analysis.

Key features:

• Integration with Slack, Microsoft Teams and other company software to enhance engagement

• Integration with the organization’s HRIS/HCM and SSO providers

• Wellness challenges and initiatives that encourage employee participation

• On-demand custom swag storefront that includes direct shipping

Price: Nectar’s monthly pricing ranges. It offers an Employee Perk add-on, which enables access to more than 50,000 discounts.

11. Qarrot

Effective for small to midsize companies, Qarrot offers features such as role-based budgets that allow a fixed-point program to manage costs. The platform’s public social feed encourages communication between peers and celebrates meaningful milestones. Badges can be customized based on the company’s core values and may include team player, problem solver and strong leader recognition.

Key features:

• Objective-driven award campaigns

• Employee recognition that encourages positive interaction

• HRIS integrations and administrative dashboard and reporting

Price: Qarrot offers custom options for organizations with more than 200 employees. Managers are encouraged to try the free demo and trial offers to experience the available features, including award campaigns, employee-to-employee and manager-to-employee recognition, analytics and reports.

12. Terryberry

Terryberry offers webinars and reward products, promoting employee strengths. The platform features service anniversaries, achievement awards, peer recognition and wellness programs.

Key features:

• A diverse range of program options to meet unique company goals

• Access to engagement and performance data for individuals and organizations

• Employee recognition program that delivers peer-to-peer and manager-driven recognition

Price: Terryberry’s programs vary in price. Employers can participate in a free demo.

13. Workstars

Workstars is adaptable for small local companies and large global organizations. The platform adapts to its clients’ budgets, accommodating employee-awarded bonuses and corporate awards. Workstar also offers secure cloud hosting through Amazon Web Services.

Key features:

• Peer-to-peer recognition

• Prepaid cards and rewards

• A social wall to nominate colleagues for awards

• Integration with existing company software, including Slack, Workplace by Facebook and Salesforce Chatter

• Various languages, countries and currencies to accommodate a global workforce

Price: Workstars’ platform pricing is based on the number of employees and features four levels. Workstars does not require a setup fee.

What to look for when choosing employee recognition software

Consider the following features before implementing a program at your business:

• Security: Checking a platform’s security certifications is essential to protect company and employee data.

• System compatibility: Choosing a platform that seamlessly integrates with your existing software allows HR to access all systems at once.

• Unified dashboard: Creating a consistent recognition and rewards program that extends to all employees and departments is important for large companies that operate from several sites. A dashboard that can handle multiple languages and locales can be a cost-effective resource.

• Real-time accessibility: Select a platform that offers reporting to gain insight into the acknowledgment and budgetary matters received and sent.

• Reflection of company values: Software should align with the organization’s core values.

• Engaging user experience: Choose a platform that’s enjoyable for team members to use.

• Customized recognition and reward structures: The platform you choose should accommodate each level of desired recognition.

Frequently asked questions about employee recognition software

Where do I start with an employee rewards software program?

Consider program goals—such as improved morale and productivity, fewer absences or lower turnover rates—budget and technology capabilities to find a suitable employee recognition platform.

How can I measure the success of an employee recognition platform?

You can measure the employee recognition platform’s success by monitoring platform usage rates, direct employee feedback, on-the-job performance, quick polls and reward redemption rates. Some recognition plans provide tracking and analytics capabilities for business metrics.

How does employee recognition software help improve employee engagement?

An effective recognition software empowers team members by offering positive feedback and potentially increasing confidence. Additionally, clearly defined goals offer employees a purpose-driven course to successfully achieve milestones.