HR & Engagement Writer
The Best Employee Recognition Programs of 2024
10 min read
Published: Feb 15, 2024
Revised on: Apr 22, 2024
- Assembly
- Easy to use and intuitive interface. Many reviews mentioned Assembly is simple, easy to navigate, and user-friendly.
- Good customer support. Reviews mentioned Assembly's support team is responsive in resolving issues.
- Rewards redemption process is smooth. Users liked the gift card and other reward options that can be redeemed with points.
- Integrates well with Slack and Microsoft Teams. The integration makes giving recognition quick and seamless.
- Good for employee recognition and engagement. Reviews highlighted Assembly's peer-to-peer recognition features that help boost employee morale.
- Bonusly
- Easy-to-use interface and seamless integrations (e.g. with Slack) make it simple for employees to recognize each other.
- Hundreds of international reward options make it useful for international teams.
- Wide variety of gift cards and reward options to redeem points.
- Analytics provide insights into employee engagement levels.
- Ability to customize rewards and tie them to company values.
- Motivosity
- Makes it easy and fun to recognize and reward peers and employees. Many reviews mentioned how Motivosity makes it simple to give thanks and praise to coworkers.
- Improves employee morale, culture, and engagement. Multiple reviews highlighted how Motivosity has enhanced company culture, boosted team morale, and improved employee engagement.
- Fosters connections between remote/hybrid teams. Reviews noted how Motivosity helps remote and dispersed teams stay connected.
- Provides visibility into what's happening across the company. Reviews liked being able to see praise and recognition across the organization.
- User-friendly interface. Many reviews complimented Motivosity's clean and easy-to-use interface.
- Nectar
- Makes it easy to recognize and reward employees (praise, points, gifts)
- Boosts employee morale and positivity in the workplace
- Allows recognition across departments and remote teams
- Simple and intuitive interface, easy to use
- Provides analytics and insights into employee recognition
- Awardco
- Easy to use and user friendly interface. Many reviews mention how simple and intuitive the platform is.
- Wide variety of redemption options, including gift cards, donations, and products through Amazon. Provides employees choice in how they want to be rewarded.
- Ability to recognize coworkers both publicly and privately. Allows for flexibility in giving praise.
- Integration with Amazon for product redemptions. Gives access to a huge catalog of items.
- Features like the recognition feed increase engagement and positivity among employees. Helps boost morale.
Most small business owners understand that motivated and content employees are more productive. Regular recognition is one of the most effective methods to keep staff motivated. This recognition can take various forms, such as private expressions of gratitude, informal thank-you notes, or public acknowledgments on social media.
Additionally, rewards such as training opportunities, cash bonuses, gift cards, additional vacation days, or tangible gifts can further boost employee motivation.
However, research shows that an even better method of boosting motivation and engagement is with an effective employee rewards program. When your team is motivated and engaged, they’re less likely to leave, which keeps turnover low and retains talent.
Implementing and managing an employee recognition program can be challenging, particularly for smaller businesses. A great way to streamline this process is to use an employee recognition and awards platform. These platforms automate and simplify the creation and administration of recognition programs, ensuring they are equitable and comprehensive and provide meaningful acknowledgments.
Explore our guide to discover the top employee recognition programs. You’ll learn how they can benefit your organization and the features they provide.
What Is Employee Recognition Software?
Employee recognition software is a category of digital platforms specifically designed to help organizations manage recognition in the workplace. It simplifies and streamlines creating, managing, and configuring recognition programs. Most organizations use it to build a fully integrated recognition plan that is aligned with the company’s core values.
Employee recognition software is also designed to integrate with a company’s existing tools and software, reducing training and adaptation times. For example, a recognition app can integrate with HR applications to track employees and teams without re-entering their data into a separate program.
It can also integrate with payroll systems to automate the management of monetary rewards, such as incorporating a cash reward into an employee’s paycheck.
What Are the Key Features of an Employee Recognition Software?
Although each employee recognition software is different, many share standard features designed to facilitate the management of recognition programs. Common features include:
- Custom recognition templates - Employee recognition software enables you to design, adjust, and personalize recognition messages and awards to suit various achievements, milestones, or special events. You can customize each message to reflect different accomplishments, and some platforms even allow you to align recognition messages with specific company values, directly linking work achievements to organizational goals.
- Point-based systems - Many recognition programs include tools for employee engagement that quantify the value of work contributions through systems like point-based scoring. These tools enable managers to evaluate and gauge the performance levels of individual employees and entire teams.
- Employee appreciation gifts - Employee recognition software can feature reward stores and gift catalogs. A well-stocked catalog can provide recognition through a meaningful gift, helping employees feel valued and appreciated. Many platforms also use a point-based system as an internal currency to purchase rewards.
- Social feeds - Some employee recognition applications function like internal social media platforms for your company. They feature walls for posts that are visible to everyone, along with options for reactions and comments. These social walls allow employees and managers to post recognitions publicly to the entire organization or targeted teams, motivating others by highlighting achievements.
- Analytics dashboards - Employee recognition applications typically include analytics tools that supply crucial insights to managers and HR teams about employee recognition, engagement, and satisfaction. These tools can track participation in recognition programs, segment employees by activity or performance levels, and forecast effects on morale and productivity.
What Makes a Good Employee Recognition Program?
A successful employee recognition program should boost productivity, increase job satisfaction, improve company loyalty, and reinforce adherence to company values among team members. Key features that contribute to the effectiveness of an employee recognition program include:
- Integrating the company’s values into the program - Employee recognition is about more than simply rewarding employees for their work. It should recognize and reward the achievements of teams that best reflect, promote, or reinforce your organization’s core values. For example, if your company relies on innovation and creativity to succeed, you can build your employee recognition program around celebrating the most creative or innovative solutions to specific issues or projects.
- Including all employees and departments - Employee recognition programs can only be fair if every member of your organization is eligible to receive accolades and rewards. Including all members in your plan allows every team and department to be recognized for their achievements.
- A wide range of recognition forms - There are many ways to recognize employees for their contributions and performance. Integrating as many employee recognition ideas and methods as possible gives your company numerous options to keep your team engaged and motivated. For instance, you can combine occasional big rewards and benefits, like annual bonuses or monetary rewards, with smaller, more frequent informal recognitions, like gift cards or public shout-outs.
- Offer multi-directional recognition - Traditional employee recognition plans only included recognition from the top down in the corporate hierarchy, such as from managers to employees. Modern solutions and applications support all other directions, such as peer-to-peer recognition or employee-to-manager accolades. Consider using employee recognition software that lets any company member see and recognize any other collaborator. It can strengthen teamwork, camaraderie, a sense of belonging, and alignment with your firm’s values.
- Ensure recognition is given promptly - Timeliness is key to an efficient employee recognition program. The sooner an employee is rewarded or recognized for their achievements, the more positive the impact on them will be. Timely recognition reinforces the behaviors your company values most, motivating them to continue contributing.
The 10 Best Employee Recognition Programs Available in 2024
Countless programs, apps, and software platforms claim to be the best way to handle employee recognition for your company. We’ve reviewed these options and compiled a list of the top 10 to help your organization find the most effective way to acknowledge and appreciate your team.
Assembly is a platform designed to facilitate engagement and collaboration among team members. They recognize that employee recognition is not merely a perk but a fundamental driver of retention, loyalty, and overall organizational success.
Over 4,000 organizations leverage Assembly to craft a workplace culture that engages and retains top talent. Through customizable recognition badges, a Peer-to-Peer Recognition Wall, and a comprehensive Reward Redemption Center, Assembly empowers organizations to create a work environment where individuals feel valued and motivated to excel.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Assembly:
- Customizable Recognition Badges - Assembly offers a range of customizable recognition badges to suit your organization's unique culture and values. These badges serve as virtual tokens of appreciation, allowing colleagues to recognize each other's hard work, collaboration, and achievements.
- Peer-to-Peer Recognition Wall - Assembly's Peer-to-Peer Recognition Wall feature provides a dedicated space where team members can publicly acknowledge and celebrate each other's contributions. From a standout project delivery to going above and beyond to help a colleague, every act of excellence is highlighted for the entire team to see.
- Reward Redemption Center - Make recognition tangible with Assembly's Reward Redemption Center. This feature allows employees to redeem their earned recognition points for a variety of exciting rewards tailored to their preferences. From gift cards to popular retailers, and charitable donations to personalized experiences, the Reward Redemption Center ensures that every recognition is accompanied by a thoughtful token of appreciation.
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive interface. Many reviews mentioned Assembly is simple, easy to navigate, and user-friendly.
- Good customer support. Reviews mentioned Assembly's support team is responsive in resolving issues.
- Rewards redemption process is smooth. Users liked the gift card and other reward options that can be redeemed with points.
- Integrates well with Slack and Microsoft Teams. The integration makes giving recognition quick and seamless.
- Good for employee recognition and engagement. Reviews highlighted Assembly's peer-to-peer recognition features that help boost employee morale.
Cons
- Limitations in analytics and reporting features. Some reviews wanted more detailed analytics and user statistics.
- Creating flows and automations can be tricky. Reviews noted workflows and automations are sometimes hard to setup.
- Limited customization options for recognitions. Users wanted more ways to customize recognitions with images/GIFs.
- Lack of mobile apps earlier on. Reviews mentioned lack of mobile apps made it hard to use when not by a computer.
- Confusion due to branding changes. Reviews noted frequent name changes of the reward units was confusing initially.
Bonusly
Bonusly is an employee recognition program designed to improve workplace culture through peer-to-peer recognition and rewards. This platform enables employees to award points to each other for daily contributions. These points can then be saved and redeemed for a range of rewards. Bonusly boosts employee engagement and workplace performance efficiently, offering a user-friendly interface without the burden of complicated features.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Bonusly:
- Fast and streamlined recognition - Bonusly integrates numerous features to automate or streamline the recognition process. For example, you can configure Bonusly to send rewards automatically for employee milestones like years of service and birthdays.
- Manually sending rewards is equally easy; every employee has a monthly budget of points they can use to recognize any other team member. All you need is a recipient, several points to give, and a personalized message.
- Easy to use - Besides offering a simple and easily navigable interface, it uses a straightforward point system to quantify employee recognition. The more points employees accumulate, the more reward options they can choose from.
- Claimable award system - Bonusly also lets employees self-nominate for a third category called Claimable Awards. Companies can set up several tasks or challenges in the claimable awards catalog; when employees complete the corresponding task, they can claim points or benefits themselves.
Pros
- Easy-to-use interface and seamless integrations (e.g. with Slack) make it simple for employees to recognize each other.
- Hundreds of international reward options make it useful for international teams.
- Wide variety of gift cards and reward options to redeem points.
- Analytics provide insights into employee engagement levels.
- Ability to customize rewards and tie them to company values.
Cons
- Can be costly, especially for larger organizations.
- Some users have reported that Bonusly can be slow to load
- Users express dissatisfaction with the inability to keep transactions private between themselves and the recipient.
- Some users feel constrained by the number of points they can award to colleagues
- Reliant on user adoption - engagement declines if employees don't actively participate.
Motivosity is a modern application designed to let companies manage employee recognition, rewards, and overall experience. Motivosity approaches employee recognition from the point of view of creating a positive and sustainable work culture. Rewarding and appreciating colleagues is just one element in Motivosity’s four-step journey to building stronger employee experiences. The application also includes comprehensive, interconnected features to encourage better communication, train and develop managers, and collect employee insights.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Motivosity:
- Build a culture of gratitude - Motivosity’s features help your organization create or strengthen gratitude and appreciation as a core company value. It includes everything your team members need to make appreciation a daily experience and celebrate all wins, small and big.
- Wide selection of rewards - Motivosity’s reward catalog and ThanksMatters Card allow your team members to redeem gifts from a fully customizable company catalog. In addition to gift cards from outlets like Amazon, Apple Music, Cabela’s, or Walmart, you can add 100% custom company-specific gifts, such as branded merch.
- Mobile-friendly and integrated - Motivosity is available as a web-based platform, a mobile app, or through seamless integrations with numerous enterprise tools. Integrated apps include ADP, BambooHR, Google Sheets, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
Pros
- Makes it easy and fun to recognize and reward peers and employees. Many reviews mentioned how Motivosity makes it simple to give thanks and praise to coworkers.
- Improves employee morale, culture, and engagement. Multiple reviews highlighted how Motivosity has enhanced company culture, boosted team morale, and improved employee engagement.
- Fosters connections between remote/hybrid teams. Reviews noted how Motivosity helps remote and dispersed teams stay connected.
- Provides visibility into what's happening across the company. Reviews liked being able to see praise and recognition across the organization.
- User-friendly interface. Many reviews complimented Motivosity's clean and easy-to-use interface.
Cons
- Leaderboards can cause unwanted competition. Some reviews felt the leaderboards promoted competition instead of true recognition.
- Money rewards aren't always motivating. A few reviewers felt the money wasn't the real motivator - the recognition was more meaningful.
- Reporting and analytics could be better. Some reviews wanted more robust reporting capabilities.
- Mobile app lacks functionality. The mobile app was called out for missing key desktop features.
- Technical glitches. A couple reviews cited occasional technical issues with the software.
Nectar
Nectar’s approach to employee recognition focuses on engaging employees and recognizing them frequently. The platform is designed to encourage active participation, consistent praise, and ongoing feedback.
With features like real-time shoutouts, integration of core values, and incentivized recognition through Nectar points, Nectar empowers organizations to cultivate a workplace where employees feel motivated.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Nectar:
- Attach points on all actions - On Nectar, recognizing and rewarding employees go hand-in-hand. The platform enables peers and managers to assign points to every recognition act, whether it’s a quick shout-out or celebrating a milestone.
- Custom employee challenges - Team leaders and decision-makers can further engage employees and offer extra incentives through Nectar’s challenge system. For example, if your company emphasizes wellness and healthy living, you can motivate employees to participate in wellness challenges to earn points.
- Extensive reward choices - Employees can spend the points they receive on millions of potential rewards, including the Amazon Business product catalog, gift cards, and custom company-branded gear.
Pros
- Makes it easy to recognize and reward employees (praise, points, gifts)
- Boosts employee morale and positivity in the workplace
- Allows recognition across departments and remote teams
- Simple and intuitive interface, easy to use
- Provides analytics and insights into employee recognition
Cons
- Limited options for rewards in some regions/countries
- Can feel like a popularity contest with the leaderboards
- Monthly points expire if not used quickly enough
- Not integrated with common workplace tools like Slack or Teams
- Mobile app is not as robust as desktop site
Awardco
Awardco is an employee rewards and recognition application aiming to be the most comprehensive recognition solution for companies in any sector.
Since Awardco’s launch in 2015, numerous corporations have adopted the application. Awardco also offers solutions adapted to small and medium businesses (SMBs), ensuring the app is accessible to startups and organizations with more limited budgets.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Awardco:
- Amazon-powered rewards catalog - With Awardco, your organization can access one of the world’s largest employee rewards catalogs. The platform is in partnership with Amazon Business, allowing you to select any item on Amazon as a gift or recognition award.
- Cost-effective recognition plan - When using Awardco to provide your team with gifts and rewards, the app will not charge your firm with markups or extra fees. This can help stretch your company’s rewards budget to more employees, ensuring more of them receive appropriate gifts.
- Global reach - Awardco’s features and rewards system are available in 141 countries. It is an excellent solution for organizations that rely on globally distributed teams and employees.
Pros
- Easy to use and user friendly interface. Many reviews mention how simple and intuitive the platform is.
- Wide variety of redemption options, including gift cards, donations, and products through Amazon. Provides employees choice in how they want to be rewarded.
- Ability to recognize coworkers both publicly and privately. Allows for flexibility in giving praise.
- Integration with Amazon for product redemptions. Gives access to a huge catalog of items.
- Features like the recognition feed increase engagement and positivity among employees. Helps boost morale.
Cons
- Limited selection of products compared to full Amazon catalog. Not all options on Amazon are available.
- Inability to pay difference when order total exceeds points balance. Must have exact points amount.
- Reporting capabilities could be more robust for admins. Some want more data analysis options.
- Navigation issues like having to reload item list when going back to browsing. Causes inconvenience.
- Lack of ability to track shipments of ordered items. Status not always clear after ordering.
Kudos
Kudos launched in 2010 as one of the first employee recognition and rewards platforms. It is a pioneer in employee recognition programs, with companies from over 80 countries adopting the application. The application’s innovative, culture-focused approach has earned it multiple industry awards.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Kudos:
- Real-time recognition - Kudos is designed to help companies find, appreciate, and reward employees for their achievements as soon as they occur. The app supports real-time feedback, fostering motivation and excitement for wins.
- Values-aligned peer-to-peer appreciation - Kudos focuses on changing and continuously improving the workplace culture. It allows employees of all departments and hierarchy levels to see, encourage, and recognize each other’s achievements.
- Shareable recognition moments - Kudos allow employees to build and share galleries featuring their most memorable wins and achievements on the Kudos Wall. Employees can, for example, showcase photos of recognition moments, rewards, and team-building opportunities, strengthening teamwork and camaraderie.
Pros
- Easy to use and user-friendly interface. Many reviews mention Kudos is simple, easy to navigate, and intuitive.
- Peer recognition and rewards system. Reviews highlight the ability to reward and recognize coworkers as a major benefit.
- Boosts morale and relationships. Reviews say Kudos improves work culture, connections, teamwork, and morale.
- Provides incentives and motivation. The points system and ability to redeem rewards drives participation and extra effort.
- Customizable for companies. Reviews mention the ability to customize rewards, set point values, and integrate with company values.
Cons
- Limitations on points to give. Many reviews cite not having enough points each month as an issue.
- Confusing redemption process. Multiple reviews mention problems understanding how to redeem points and rewards.
- Feature and interface issues. Reviews cite problems with notifications, searching, layout, and aesthetics.
- Lack of integration with other tools. Reviews mention limitations integrating with existing company systems and processes.
- Concerns over fairness and manipulation. Some reviews express concerns about popularity contests or point trading schemes.
Recognize is a simple but efficient employee experience and rewards platform that was developed in 2012. The Recognize app supports companies and organizations in over 70 countries and integrates with standard enterprise tools, from Slack and MS Teams to Yammer and Asana.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Recognize:
- Gamified social recognition - Recognize advertises itself as the most configurable and adaptable employee rewards platform on the market. It includes over 150 customization options and supports both non-monetary and monetary rewards.
- Integrated survey system - Use Recognize’s email support or built-in integrations with Slack and MS Teams to send confidential surveys to your team. Recognize can analyze the results and provide key statistics and insights, including an Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS).
- Automated reward provider - Employees can choose from gift cards from over 1,000 retailers, Amazon gifts and products, company-branded swag, travel rewards, and other custom benefits.
Pros
- Easy to use interface and platform. Many reviews mentioned Recognize is simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate.
- Allows employees to recognize peers. Recognize provides a good way for employees to show appreciation and recognize co-workers.
- Boosts employee morale and engagement. Several reviews said Recognize helps motivate employees and create a positive work environment.
- Fosters stronger company culture. Some reviews noted Recognize promotes shared values and camaraderie amongst employees.
- Reward/points system is a great motivator. Customers liked the ability to earn and redeem points for rewards.
Cons
- Limitations on number of recognitions. Some reviews wanted the ability to recognize more people or teams.
- Not enough customization options. Customers wanted more ways to customize badges and recognitions.
- Delay in notifications. A delay between posting and notifications was mentioned as an issue.
- Point system can cause unhealthy competition. One review warned the points could create negative competitiveness.
- Rewards can be hard to redeem. A few mentioned difficulties actually using points for rewards due to account issues.
WorkTango is a cloud-based employee experience and recognition platform that understands the vital role that employee recognition plays in fostering a positive workplace culture and driving organizational success. Their platform offers innovative features designed to scale and automate recognition with customizable solutions to meet specific needs. WorkTango offers everything from zero-cost rewards to a diverse Employee Rewards Marketplace that boasts over 10 million options.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in WorkTango:
- Whole-organization recognition - WorkTango lets your team send acts of recognition in any direction, including traditional top-down messaging, peer-to-peer accolades, and bottom-up appreciation.
- Data-driven recognition insights - Decision-makers in your company have access to WorkTango’s analytics and reporting engine. It provides numerous data points and information on employee engagement rates and recognition trends.
- Incentive-driven recognition - WorkTango supports more than standard rewards and acts of appreciation. You can also offer reward challenges, incentives, and tasks, rewarding your employees for taking professional development opportunities or aligning their values with the company’s.
Pros
- Easy to use and user-friendly interface. Many reviews mentioned how simple and intuitive the platform is.
- Ability to easily recognize and reward coworkers. Giving points and recognition is seamless.
- Fun way to boost employee morale. The gamification and rewards help motivate employees.
- Provides insight into employee engagement. The data and analytics provide valuable insights.
- Good variety of rewards to choose from. Many gift cards and merchandise options in the catalog.
Cons
- Point system not ideal. Reviews mentioned points being hard to earn or expiring too quickly.
- Rewards catalog limitations. Some wanted more options, lower point costs, or better rewards.
- Reporting and analytics could be better. Some found the data analysis functionality lacking.
- Issues with notifications. Reviews cited missing or too frequent notifications as problems.
- Navigation issues. Some found the site navigation confusing or unintuitive at times.
Guusto
Guusto is an employee recognition program that emphasizes meaningful gestures of appreciation. It is designed for frontline workers in industries like healthcare, retail, and hospitality. The program allows companies to send real-time, personalized rewards and recognitions, which can be redeemed at any merchant that accepts MasterCard. Guusto’s platform is simple to use, supports social recognition features, and offers extensive tracking to measure the impact of its recognition efforts, improving employee engagement and satisfaction.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Guusto:
- Socially impactful recognition - Guusto partners with the One Drop Foundation, a non-profit organization working to provide access to clean, safe water in remote parts of the world. Guusto matches every reward sent to your team members through the app with a donation to One Drop, making it an excellent platform for socially conscious companies.
- Recognition for non-connected teams - Whether your firm has staff in offices, on store floors, at corporate desks, or on the field, the app makes recognizing and rewarding their achievements possible. The app supports the distribution of paper-based rewards, ensuring team members who don’t have internet-capable devices can still receive gifts and recognition.
- Sustainable employee gifting - Guusto doesn’t charge companies for distributing unused or unclaimed gifts, and employees are free to transfer, split, or combine rewards. It helps ensure your collaborators receive rewards that matter to them without incurring unnecessary expenses.
Pros
- Wide variety of gift card options to choose from
- Easy and simple to use
- Good customer service
- Ability to split gift card amounts between multiple merchants
- Option for recipients to select gift card of their choice
Cons
- Some issues with less tech-savvy users having trouble redeeming
- Can be confusing to navigate initially
- Reporting capabilities could be improved
- Limited customization options
- Fees associated with credit card payments
Reward Gateway is a comprehensive employee experience platform designed to enhance employee well-being and performance. By integrating recognition, rewards, and support into a single platform, Reward Gateway helps organizations build a positive, engaging, and productive workplace culture. Their innovative solutions focus on supporting employees while providing tools for continuous recognition and reward. With features like customized eCards, automated recognition, and endless redemption options, they ensure that every moment of appreciation is meaningful and impactful.
Employee Recognition Features to Look for in Reward Gateway:
- Celebrate Daily Success - Showcase individual and team achievements with meaningful moments of recognition and reward.
- Recognize and Reward in the Moment: - Create a culture of continuous recognition with on-the-spot awards accessible anytime, anywhere.
- Boost Connections and Visibility - Help employees feel connected to the company’s mission, purpose, and values by highlighting behaviors that influence business goals.
Pros
- Easy to use and user friendly interface
- Good variety of discounts, offers, and cashback opportunities
- Ability to customize the platform to match company branding
- Provides a good tool for employee recognition and engagement
- Strong customer service and quick response times
Cons
- Mobile app lacking full functionality compared to desktop site
- Reporting capabilities could be improved
- Administrator side is overly complex and not intuitive
- Lack of ability to update employee profile information directly
- Communication and follow up from customer service can be inconsistent
Conclusion
Introducing an employee recognition and rewards system in your organization can be simple and effective. Various platforms offer tools that streamline the process, effortlessly weaving recognition into your daily workflows. Take the time to explore each platform's offerings, how their reward systems work, and the extra features they provide. Choose the software that aligns seamlessly with your company’s values, objectives, and workflows to boost morale and productivity.