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Promote a Positive Workplace Culture Through Recognition in 2024
Contents
9 min read
Published: Feb 28, 2024
Revised on: Mar 1, 2024
Here’s our curated shortlist and our reasons for liking each company; please click into each company to get more details:
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Cooleaf
- Users appreciate the gift card rewards provided by Cooleaf, which have proven beneficial in helping them afford small purchases.
- The platform facilitates challenges, trivia, and recognitions, fostering employee engagement.
- Cooleaf's mobile app makes it convenient for users to access and participate in activities even when not at work.
- The recognition and reward system positively impacts employee morale.
- A valuable remote tool to maintain communication and connection among team members, fostering a sense of community.
- Guusto
- 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
A positive workplace culture fosters an environment where employee contributions are recognized and achievements are valued. This approach not only boosts retention and productivity by combatting the primary reason behind job exits—a toxic environment—but also, engaged teams experience a staggering 21% higher profitability.
Today’s employee recognition programs use cutting-edge software to simplify and automate accolades and achievement tracking. These platforms come equipped with analytics to measure the effectiveness of recognition efforts and often incorporate or link to rewards systems, enabling teams to convert employee engagement into tangible perks.
Explore software programs that recognize employee achievements to promote a positive workplace culture. Our guide covers the top 10 software programs designed to acknowledge your team’s hard work.
How Important Is Recognition in the Workplace?
Recognition at work impacts your organization’s efficiency, employee morale, and overall productivity. Some of the key benefits of an employee recognition system include:
- Increase in employee morale and satisfaction - Everyone appreciates seeing their work and contributions valued. Employee recognition in the workplace helps your team feel more appreciated through positive reinforcement, improving morale and job satisfaction.
- Enhanced productivity - Employees who receive accolades and recognition for their contributions are more likely to maintain or improve their performance, increasing company-wide productivity.
- Better employee retention - Recognizing workplace achievements boosts team morale by showing appreciation, driving job satisfaction, and encouraging company loyalty. This reduces turnover and slashes the high costs associated with it, proving that a happy workforce is a stable one.
How Do You Drive a Culture of Recognition?
An organization achieves a culture of recognition when it has integrated employee recognition ideas and principles into its basic operations. If you want to promote a culture of recognition within your company, explore the following strategies:
- Ensure leaders are committed - Recognition should start at the top of your corporate hierarchy; leaders must champion the value of acknowledging employee contributions. By actively giving feedback and celebrating achievements, they set a precedent, empowering managers and supervisors to do the same.
- Define clear criteria - Making recognition part of your company’s culture requires clearly defining what it values. Every team member should know what the company prioritizes: teamwork, innovation, exceptional customer service, or project completion. Aligning recognition criteria with your organizational goals is crucial for reinforcing these values.
- Implement multiple recognition programs - Boost your recognition culture by fostering recognition from every level—not just top-down. Implement peer-to-peer and bottom-to-top acknowledgments across departments to democratize appreciation in the workplace.
- Use the right tools - Selecting powerful, feature-packed employee recognition software accelerates the creation of a recognition-rich culture. Opt for software that integrates seamlessly into your team’s daily routine, automating and simplifying the recognition process for effortless and convenient acknowledgment of contributions.
What Is the Difference Between Recognition and Appreciation?
Employee recognition and appreciation are two distinct but closely related concepts in employee engagement and workplace culture. Understanding the differences is essential to properly integrating recognition practices into your firm.
Employee Recognition:
- Acknowledges achievements, contributions, or work performance relative to established metrics and standards
- Performance-based; depends on an employee’s capability to achieve specific results or predetermined goals.
- Typically rewarded through bonuses, promotions, awards, and other tangible benefits.
- Acts of recognition are occasional and periodic, such as during performance reviews, after project completion, or at annual events.
Employee Appreciation:
- Acknowledges people and their presence in the team instead of specific performance or metrics.
- Personality-based; mainly centered around celebrating a team member’s inherent value, non-tangible efforts, and qualities.
- Conveyed through informal thanks, notes, or gestures.
- Unconditional and frequently conveyed to reinforce a team member positively.
10 Best Employee Recognition Programs and Software Solutions
While many tools and programs with features encourage recognizing employees, not all fit the needs of a rapidly growing organization. We’ve compiled a list of the 10 best and most efficient employee recognition programs to help you select the right one for your company.
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
- Free version
- Free trial available
- Seat Minimum: 1 User
Awardco, hailing from Utah, elevates employee recognition through its partnership with Amazon Business. This alliance lets organizations on Awardco treat team members with anything from Amazon’s vast catalog. With a global reach mirroring Amazon’s, Awardco is perfect for companies with a worldwide presence, offering unparalleled reward options.
Employee Recognition Features of Awardco:
- Extensive rewards catalog - Awardco opens access to Amazon’s vast selection, boasting one of the largest employee reward catalogs globally. This ensures finding the perfect, meaningful reward for any team member is easy and convenient.
- Cost-efficient rewards system - Awardco enables budget-savvy organizations to deliver gifts and rewards without extra charges. By slashing or abolishing processing fees, vendor markups, and service fees, Awardco ensures nearly all of the rewards budget funds the rewards, maximizing every dollar spent.
- Real-time recognition features - Awardco enables team members to instantly recognize and appreciate each other. Accolades are given out in real-time, allowing immediate acknowledgment of achievements, big or small, keeping morale and motivation high.
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.
2
Nectar
Pricing
$2.75 per user/month
- Seat Minimum: 50 Users
Nectar offers a comprehensive employee recognition platform ideal for small to medium-sized businesses to promote a more inclusive and positive workplace culture. Its user-friendly dashboard features a points-based reward system, leaderboards, and social interaction tools to increase employee connectivity and engagement.
Nectar’s 360 recognition approach allows both peers and managers to acknowledge contributions, and the platform boasts an extensive rewards catalog, including branded merchandise, Amazon products, and gift cards.
Employee Recognition Features of Nectar:
- Multi-directional employee recognition - Nectar stands out for enabling cross-hierarchy recognition, supporting top-down, peer-to-peer, and bottom-up accolades, and empowering every team member to acknowledge others, regardless of position.
- Highly customizable - Nectar delivers instant customization, enabling you to align its recognition and rewards system perfectly with your business goals right from the start.
- Powerful analytics engine - Nectar’s analytics engine offers insights into how your organization engages with its recognition and rewards platform. It tracks engagement levels, reward usage, and the impact of your recognition efforts, providing actionable feedback to fine-tune your strategies.
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
3
Assembly
Pricing
$2.80 per user/month
- Free version
- Free trial available
- Seat Minimum: 1 User
Assembly stands out as a comprehensive employee engagement platform designed with a primary focus on fostering a positive workplace culture. It distinguishes itself through a range of features dedicated to enhancing employee engagement, with a particular emphasis on recognition. The platform recognizes the pivotal role that positive workplace culture plays in the overall well-being and productivity of employees.
The employee recognition features within Assembly provide a structured and meaningful way for colleagues and management to celebrate accomplishments, milestones, and contributions. This approach goes beyond mere acknowledgment, contributing to the creation of a work environment where employees feel valued, appreciated, and connected to the larger organizational mission.
Employee Recognition Features of Assembly:
- Recognition That Goes Beyond Just Rewards - Beyond traditional rewards, Assembly’s platform is meticulously designed to optimize engagement through a variety of cultural initiatives. Announcements, icebreakers, feedback mechanisms, and contests enrich the hybrid employee experience, fostering a sense of community and connection.
- Peer-to-Peer Recognition Feed - Facilitate a culture of appreciation with the Assembly Peer-to-Peer Recognition Feed. Team members can publicly acknowledge and celebrate each other's achievements, resulting in boosted morale as employees share their successes and express gratitude for their colleagues' hard work.
- Extensive Rewards Catalog - Motivate and incentivize your workforce with Assembly’s extensive rewards catalog which includes swag, culture rewards, discounts, Amazon integration, gift cards, and opportunities for charitable contributions.
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.
4
Cooleaf
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
Cooleaf, launched in 2016, is an innovative employee recognition and rewards platform inspired by the idea of turning over a new leaf to cultivate a people-first workplace. The platform encourages peer-to-peer interaction and gamifies employee engagement by enabling employees to complete tasks and activities to earn points that go toward rewards like gift cards.
Employee Recognition Features of Cooleaf:
- Core values first - Cooleaf’s strategy for employee recognition is anchored in core values. It’s engineered to weave your company’s values into the fabric of the platform, guaranteeing recognition is meaningful and aligned with constructive, positive outcomes.
- Engagement challenges - Companies can use Cooleaf to create engagement challenges and activities, providing employees with enjoyable and engaging tasks that come with rewards for completion. This approach is effective for promoting a healthy and collaborative workplace culture.
- Seamless integrations - Cooleaf integrates with various collaboration and HRIS applications, including Slack, MS Teams, Zapier, HRIS, and Namely.
Pros
- Users appreciate the gift card rewards provided by Cooleaf, which have proven beneficial in helping them afford small purchases.
- The platform facilitates challenges, trivia, and recognitions, fostering employee engagement.
- Cooleaf's mobile app makes it convenient for users to access and participate in activities even when not at work.
- The recognition and reward system positively impacts employee morale.
- A valuable remote tool to maintain communication and connection among team members, fostering a sense of community.
Cons
- Some users express a desire for more tasks and challenges on the platform.
- The mobile app is reported to occasionally forget user credentials, requiring re-entry.
- While infrequent, there are mentions of occasional system downtimes.
- The comment and reaction interactions on the platform are considered less dynamic compared to other social media sites.
- Some users suggest that Cooleaf's user interface might be overly simplified, making navigation a bit challenging at times.
5
Guusto
Pricing
$40.00 per user/month
- Free version
- Seat Minimum: 1 User
Guusto bridges connections and celebrates efforts across the board—from office staff to frontline warriors. Tailor-made for the unique dynamics of healthcare, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, financial services, and call centers, Guusto’s platform excels in environments demanding high engagement and appreciation.
Employee Recognition Features of Guusto:
- One-to-one gift-giving - Guusto allows employees to send gifts or rewards to any other employee, regardless of their position. This one-to-one strategy boosts the sense of value and appreciation among recipients, ensuring every gesture of recognition is meaningful and impactful.
- Widely accepted by merchants - Guusto offers flexibility in reward redemption by using Mastercard, allowing recipients to choose from a wide range of vendors and items at their convenience without being limited to a specific catalog.
- Positivity through sustainability - Guusto’s approach to creating a positive workplace culture emphasizes sustainability and minimizes waste. Unredeemed gifts can be either reclaimed or funneled to charity, ensuring that every reward finds a meaningful use.
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
6
Bonusly
Pricing
$3.00 per user/month
- Free trial available
- Seat Minimum: 1 User
Bonus is a modern, cloud-based employee recognition platform that promotes a positive, high-performing workplace culture. It emphasizes celebrating successes and achievements through recognition and appreciation strategies. Used by over 3,250 companies, Bonusly has facilitated more than 51 million acts of recognition since its launch.
Employee Recognition Features of Bonusly:
- Recognition through engagement - Bonusly makes employee recognition more convenient with an engagement-centric model. It empowers team members to award points to each other for every effort and contribution, transforming recognition into an interactive celebration.
- Easy to use interface - Employee recognition tools click seamlessly into place within organizations when they’re user-friendly and intuitive. Bonusly nails this, offering a social media-inspired interface that demands virtually no training, ensuring an effortlessly smooth adoption.
- Customizable rewards - Bonusly puts a personalized spin on rewards and bonuses, offering customizable options that let organizations tailor their recognition strategy. Employee recognition examples include gift cards and charity donations to custom merchandise and cash rewards.
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.
Pricing
$2.00 per user/month
- Seat Minimum: 10 Users
Motivosity redefines corporate rewards and recognition, focusing on elevating the employee experience. It provides tools designed to make every team member feel valued and integrated within their organization. Tailored for businesses eager to cultivate a culture steeped in recognition and gratitude, Motivosity aims to boost productivity and drive business results.
Employee Recognition Features of Motivosity:
- Monetary and non-monetary rewards - Motivosity amps up recognition with a layered reward system that blends appreciation with tangible acknowledgments. Engage in a spectrum of reward categories—from heartfelt thanks to redeemable credits for gift cards and gifts—making every gesture of recognition impactful and memorable.
- Focuses on peer-to-peer recognition - Motivosity excels in organizations with a flat hierarchy, designed to spark peer-to-peer recognition across all levels, breaking the mold of top-down accolades.
- Manager development programs - Motivosity goes beyond rewards and recognition, offering manager development initiatives that sculpt a positive workplace culture. By training managers with Motivosity, you ensure team leaders are well-prepared to celebrate their team’s achievements and growth, enhancing the overall work environment.
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.
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
- Seat Minimum: 150 Users
WorkTango, established in 2015, is a platform focused on employee rewards and recognition, offering a variety of features. Its main aim is to improve the employee experience in organizations across different industries, helping employees to thrive.
Employee Recognition Features of WorkTango:
- Integrated recognition and feedback system - WorkTango’s employee recognition system is built around the concept of continuous feedback. It celebrates achievements and encourages team members to express their opinions regarding work tasks. This helps managers effectively assess engagement levels.
- Social recognition features - WorkTango offers a platform similar to social media for peer-to-peer and manager-to-employee recognition. This visibility allows everyone in the organization to see the accolades, fostering positive sentiment throughout the company.
- Mobile friendly - WorkTango is fully optimized for desktop and mobile devices, including Android and iOS phones and tablets. This ensures seamless access for every employee, anytime and anywhere.
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.
9
Mo
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
Mo, operating under mo.work, is one of the most recent programs available to promote employee recognition. The software is designed to forge stronger team connections, showcase achievements, and make every contribution’s impact felt across your organization.
Employee Recognition Features of Mo:
- Moment-to-moment employee appreciation - Mo uses its social recognition platform, Moment, to enable team members to exchange shout-outs and messages of appreciation, fostering an atmosphere of instant acknowledgment and gratitude.
- Automated special occasions - Mo integrates with your HRIS platform to spotlight birthdays, work anniversaries, and special events, prompting employees to celebrate each other and infusing the workplace with a spirit of communal joy and recognition.
- Highlight system - Team members can save and showcase selected achievements from their time at your company on their Highlight Reel, promoting a sense of accomplishment and potentially enhancing job satisfaction.
Pros
- Powerful communication platform with various interactive features like gifs, emojis, and characters.
- Enables easy recognition and appreciation of colleagues for their efforts and achievements.
- Simple and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users to recognize and reward colleagues.
- Facilitates bonding and interactions among team members, especially in remote or international work settings.
- Addresses the challenge of isolation in remote work environments by providing a platform for recognition.
Cons
- Some users express concerns about the user interface, suggesting improvements like a drag-down screen to refresh, better notification updates, and changes in the profile header.
- Users find it inconvenient that once a post is made, they cannot edit it. The only option is to delete and repost.
- There is a desire for improvements in how posted photos are displayed on the feed, suggesting the ability to see the entire photo while scrolling.
- Users face challenges in navigation, such as going back to the home screen after checking a notification, resulting in a return to the start instead of the previous position.
- Some users express a desire for more shop options on the platform.
10
Terryberry
Pricing
Contact sales for pricing
Terryberry is an employee engagement company that is dedicated to transforming organizational cultures through the power of recognition. With a primary focus on fostering employee engagement, Terryberry offers a holistic approach through its platform, encompassing recognition and wellness solutions.
Employee Recognition Features of Terryberry:
- Highly versatile - Terryberry’s employee engagement platform includes recognition, rewards, wellness, analytics, and surveys. It is designed to equip your organization with every tool needed to measure and foster a positive workplace culture.
- Numerous integrations - Terryberry can integrate with a full suite of commonly used enterprise software. Examples include HRIS and payroll applications like ADP and BambooHR, email platforms like Gmail or Outlook, and business communications platforms like Slack and MS Teams.
- Full-stack support services - Terryberry offers a fully-featured suite of support services, including a 24/7 helpdesk, a global shipping infrastructure for rewards delivery, and employee training programs.
Pros
- The platform is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
- Their Customer support team is responsive and helpful.
- Quick resolution of technical glitches or limitations.
- The platform allows for seamless customization to meet the company's needs and values.
- Enables global acknowledgment for efforts and behaviors that matter to the organization.
Cons
- Occasional technical glitches or limitations, although addressed promptly.
- Improvement is needed in the communication software feature.
- Some users experience login issues and occasional site crashes.
- There is a desire for more diverse reward options in the catalog.
- The admin website is considered outdated and not very user-friendly.
Conclusion
Recognizing and appreciating employees’ efforts doesn’t have to be confined to annual ceremonies or traditional cards. The right employee recognition software transforms appreciation into an ongoing, impactful experience. Ensure your team feels valued continuously with meaningful rewards that truly resonate.
