Best Employee Recognition & Rewards Software and Platforms

When it comes to inspiring and motivating employees, there are few better ways than by recognizing their achievements in the workplace. The best leaders take this one step further by not only recognizing their team's contributions, but by rewarding them, too.

But a comprehensive recognition and rewards strategy can quickly become complicated – especially when hundreds or thousands of employees are involved. That's why we've set out to review the 15 most common employee recognition and rewards solutions. By interviewing teams across industries like IT, eCommerce, retail, and more, we've been able to narrow down the field and find the best employee recognition program available today.

Best Employee Recognition & Rewards Software and Platforms

1. Nectar – Excellent Solution to Automate Employee Recognition
2. Guusto - Leading Reward Platform for Supporting Humanitarian Efforts
3. Bonusly - Best Reward Platform for Peer-to-Peer Recognition
4. WorkTango - Top Rewards Solution for In-House and Remote Workers
5. Motivosity - Most Empowering Software for Employee Recognition and Rewards

What is an Employee Recognition & Rewards Platform and What Does it Do?

Many organizations struggle with employee engagement. Employees who aren't actively engaged with their jobs are less productive when compared to those who are engaged, and this can lead to a myriad of other problems within the workplace – including increased turnover and lower retention rates. 

But you can prevent many of these issues from occurring in the first place by implementing an employee recognition and rewards platform. This approach makes it easy to proactively recognize the contributions of your staff and reward their efforts. Many modern solutions are also compatible with third-party apps and programs, ultimately letting you expand their functionality even further with data analytics, reporting, HRIS, and more.

Employee Recognition & Rewards Platforms and Programs Reviewed

There are no shortage of options when it comes to employee rewards software. From tools that automate the entire process to platforms that are capable of accommodating thousands of employees across the globe, there's a solution for every company.

Nectar – Excellent Solution to Automate Employee Recognition

One of the most comprehensive employee recognition platforms, Nectar can benefit most small- and medium-sized businesses in a variety of ways. Not only does it make it easy to reward your organization's most engaged and productive workers, but their automated system works with minimal input from organizational leaders. As such, various milestones and celebrations can be celebrated and planned well in advance. 

Things We Liked

• Employees are notified as soon as they receive new reward points, so they never have to go searching for their balances
• Nectar offers many different ways to use points, so employees don't have to choose from pre-screened gifts
• Intuitive platform makes it easy to send notes to those who give you points, thus continuing the cycle of recognition
• Organizations can build a storefront with branded swag which is made-to-order; there is no additional overhead involved

Things We Didn't Like

• While Nectar offers a plethora of reward options for users in the United States, international users have significantly fewer choices
• The vast majority of the reward options are all focused on materialistic gifts or gift cards instead of personal experiences
• Reward points don't rollover from month to month, so users are forced to use them all or lose them every 30 days
• Some of the custom clothing items offered in the swag size are limited in size or availability
• While regular changes to the UI add new features and functionality, they can cause confusion for novice users

Guusto – Leading Reward Platform for Supporting Humanitarian Efforts

Guusto offers employee recognition and employee rewards software in tandem with genuine humanitarian efforts. The team at Guusto provides one day of fresh, clean drinking water (via the One Drop Foundation) whenever a gift is sent through their platform, so you'll be able to support impoverished regions around the globe while recognizing the contributions of your team. 

The UI is rather simple and straightforward, especially to those who have used similar employee recognition platforms in the past, so most users will be able to adapt to the layout rather easily. Finally, Guusto boasts a handy customer support team that is available via online chat box or email.

Things We Liked

• Guusto's implementation is much faster than that of many competitors, with the ability to get up-and-running within a matter of minutes
• There are no unnecessary hoops to jump through when claiming gifts, which ultimately gives employees more time to be productive
• Guusto's free single user account is all that's needed to start sending rewards to other users on the platform
• Organizations can customize the platform – and some rewards – to better match their brand

Things We Didn't Like

• While Guusto does offer a nice selection of gift cards, some of the most popular options are frequently out-of-stock
• The platform doesn't let users transfer funds to other users
• Certain fees are assessed if you fund your account with less than $500
• The process of sending rewards to multiple users is a bit more complicated than some of their competitors

Bonusly – Best Reward Platform for Peer-to-Peer Recognition

Touted as providing "fun and smart employee recognition and rewards," Bonusly is a peer-to-peer recognition platform that goes above and beyond that of most competitors. With a plethora of features that aren't seen elsewhere, and with new innovations being launched on a regular basis, Bonusly is a great choice for teams of nearly any size.

Things We Liked

• Bonusly includes fun and unique features, like the implementation of word cloud analytics, thereby gamifying the experience even further
• Not only can managers and supervisors reward their staff, but co-workers can reward each other, too
• Customer service team is helpful and responsive
• Support for many popular third-party services, including HRIS platforms like ADP, Workday, Paychex, and SAP
• New features and functionality are added to keep the platform fresh and competitive

Things We Didn't Like

• Platform only allows users to reward others with Bonusly points – no support for giving gifts or gift cards to others
• Many of the rewards offered on the site cost too many points, ultimately making the task of accumulating points a tedious one
• The monthly Bonusly points don't rollover to the next month, which could cause some users to lose their unused points and miss out on potential rewards
• Bonusly has a limited selection of rewards when compared to many of their competitors
• The Bonusly employee rewards platform is prone to technical bugs, errors, and glitches
• Bonusly's UI is a bit clunky, making it difficult to navigate for some users

WorkTango – Top Rewards Solution for In-House and Remote Workers

Billed as a full-scale "Employee Experience Platform," WorkTango was designed to support employee recognition and rewards, workplace surveys and insights, and career goals. It achieves this through a highly versatile solution that supports customization, peer-to-peer recognition, and more.

Things We Liked

• Incentives, activities, and challenges can easily be customized to meet your organizational needs
• It's really easy to recognize coworkers, whether they are in the office or working from a remote location
• The WorkTango platform makes it very easy to tag individual or multiple peers in a single post, making it a great way to recognize team-oriented achievements
• Although some novices may have issues navigating the UI, it's pretty straightforward for experienced users
• A built-in check-in feature makes it easy for workers to make their presence known, even if they aren't in the office

Things We Didn't Like

• While virtual gift cards are available as rewards, physical gift cards are not an option
• Some users experience delays when redeeming certain rewards, unlike the instant redemption process of most competitors
• Users are required to give points any time they want to recognize a coworker, meaning some events and milestones may go unrecognized
• While the rewards marketplace does have the ability to search for specific rewards and even filter the results, these tools aren't as useful as they could be
• Given its resemblance to popular social media sites, coworkers who don't currently use social media may be hesitant to embrace WorkTango

Motivosity – Most Empowering Software for Employee Recognition and Rewards

Designed to strengthen company culture and employee engagement, Motivosity offers four subscription plans for users of all types. For an introduction to their service, the first plan focuses on community-building and engagement. The second plan introduces workforce recognition and rewards, while the third plan offers managerial and leadership development. Finally, their final plan offers valuable employee insights.

Things We Liked

• The UI is easy-to-use, but there is also a comprehensive help section for anyone who experiences issues
• Gamify the employee rewards experience while adding some transparency to your recognition efforts with an integrated leaderboard
• Unlike many of their competitors, Motivosity supports cash rewards

• Quickly incentivize employee development opportunities by attaching rewards to these programs
• The platform won't overload users with non-stop notifications whenever something occurs that doesn't pertain to them

Things We Didn't Like

• Updates to the UI or functionality of Motivosity are few and far between, which could cause them to lose their competitive edge over time
• Frequent technical glitches and service issues often cause the platform to slow down or crash completely
• Reward options outside US are limited to to Visa card payments
• Lack of support for emojis or GIFs (at the time of this writing) takes away some of the fun and gamification of the platform

Awardco – Best Platform for Rewarding Employee Health and Wellness

Awardco is designed to help your organization develop a strong culture while bolstering productivity in the process. It does this through a variety of means, including rewards and recognition, health and wellness programs, and more. Although it doesn't have dedicated apps for iOS or Android, it's progressive web app (PWA) is available on any device with an internet connection. It can easily be added to your smartphone's home screen for easy access.

Things We Liked

• Because of their partnership with Amazon, Awardco offers one of the largest reward marketplaces in existence
• Powerful automation lets your team recognize every employee milestone, no matter how big or small
• Reward points can easily be exchanged for cash, gift cards, or products
• Downloadable MemoryBook lets employees download the recognition history for use in their portfolio or just for safekeeping
• Reward points rollover from month to month, so users never have to worry about their points expiring   
• Integrated wellness and safety programs provide tangible rewards for maintaining health and safety in the workplace

Things We Didn't Like

• Products ordered from Awardco can take a long time to arrive
• Lack of custom notifications means that employees have to forward emails to their teammates
• While there is a custom swag store that offers branded merchandise, the selection and sizing of items is limited
• Tasks and activities don't reward many points, so it can take users a long time to accumulate enough points to spend
• Support representatives aren't always clear, concise, or timely with their responses

Cooleaf – Top Platform for Rewards, Recognition, and Collaboration

Designed to empower employees by recognizing top employees and rewarding their efforts, Cooleaf uses surveys, third-party integrations, and various incentives to gamify the entire experience. One of the most popular options available today, Cooleaf easily makes our list as one of the best employee recognition programs.

Things We Liked

• Digital gifts are delivered quickly, sometimes immediately after completing a task
• Email notifications give you a preview of each Cooleaf post that mentions your name, so you can decide whether to login and respond right away or save it for later
• Managers can easily distribute reward points and employees can recognize their coworkers
• Customer support team is helpful and highly responsive
• There are a plethora of fun tasks, activities, and challenges that offer numerous ways to earn points
• Cooleaf is available as a web app or for iOS and Android

Things We Didn't Like

• Although the website's UI is easy-to-use and highly intuitive, the mobile app isn't quite as user-friendly
• Minor technical glitches have been known to occur when browsing the marketplace and redeeming rewards
• The login system doesn't always remember user credentials, even when ticking the "Remember Me" box 
• Physical gift cards often take a long time to be delivered
• Only one hashtag can be added per post, which can make it difficult to recognize multiple users at one time
• Some of the contest instructions aren't clear enough, which could cause confusion and result in employees missing out on points

Kudos – Award-Winning Platform for Employee Recognition and Rewards

A recipient of numerous awards themselves, mainly for overall usability and performance, the team at Kudos has developed their platform around employee empowerment, company culture, and rewards. They offer everything from digital gift cards to travel accommodations and personalized experiences, while their people analytics provide supervisors with actionable insight into their team's day-to-day productivity.

Things We Liked

• Kudos offers a wide variety of prizes, so most employees will be able to find exactly what they want
• Rewards can be sent publicly or privately, letting individual users decide whether the achievement should be celebrated amongst the entire team
• Not only can coworkers comment on past achievements, but they can add extra reward points of their own
• The platform lets you choose from branded merchandise with either the Kudos logo or your company's brand
• Easily a view a daily list of employee birthdays and work anniversaries and give recognition as appropriate

Things We Didn't Like

• Rewards expire at the end of each month, which could leave some users with leftover points that they cannot spend
• The platform only lets user reward points in certain intervals (5, 10, 20, or 50), with no ability to send a custom amount
• While there are plenty of reward options available in the United States, other countries, including Canada, have a limited selection
• Users are limited in the number of points they have to spend each month – even more so than some of their competitors

Workstars – Top Rewards Solution with Additional Features and Functionality

Billed as a social employee recognition program, Workstars accommodates managerial reviews, peer-to-peer recognition, a large selection of rewards, and built-in analytics. They're the first company in the industry to offer a SaaS platform that is 100% free to launch, and their versatile pricing plans make them an excellent choice for local or global teams of any size.

Things We Liked

• The ability to reward coworkers with "Perks" or financial rewards
• Easily customize the look and feel of Workstars to match your brand
• Workstar's pricing is based on the overall number of employees in your organization, which could be quite affordable for smaller businesses and startups
• A hands-on product demonstration gives your team a rundown of the most useful features and functionality
• Customizable user avatars let employees express themselves without having to worry about offending anyone on the team

Things We Didn't Like

• Users must wait 72+ hours to receive their rewards after completing the redemption process
• Third-party integrations are extremely limited and feature little compatibility with modern HRIS platforms
• Monetary rewards can only be redeemed in increments of $5, which could leave some users with balances that are unusable until the accumulate more points
• Platform instability can sometimes lead to lost connections with external services, like their GIF provider
• While the UI is easy-to-use, it's outdated appearance could use some work
• Internal data analytics and reporting features are lacking, especially when compared to the services of their competitors

Bucketlist – Best Platform for Motivating and Rewarding Employees

Specifically built for mid- to large-sized companies ranging from 100 to 5,000 employees, Bucketlist offers customizable rewards for your top talent. Recognition is easily automated, letting you respond to every birthday, work anniversary, and milestone, and specific rewards can be tied to various events or achievements. Bucketlist's marketplace currently offers 4,000+ rewards across 20 countries, so there's sure to be something for every employee.

Things We Liked

• Bucketlist is a highly customizable platform to ensure brand consistency 
• They offer a free trial and a hands-on product demonstration
• Bucketlist points never expire, so employees won't feel rushed to use them before a specific date
• The Bucketlist platform is quite a bit more affordable than many of their competitors
• Managerial rewards can be distributed in the way of points (to be spent in the marketplace) or with gift cards
• Their customer support team is quick to respond to issues
  

Things We Didn't Like

• Some rewards are only available during certain timeframes, so some users might miss out on the rewards they actually want
• Certain rewards on the marketplace are rather expensive, especially when compared to the marketplaces of their competitors 
• Employees are allotted less than 10 points per month to spend on recognizing their coworkers' achievements, while managers are limited to 100
• Work anniversaries don't reward enough points
• Gift cards can only be redeemed in intervals of $5 or more
• Important emails from Bucketlist are sometimes misdirected to Junk or Spam folders

Vantage Circle – Best Holistic Approach to Employee Rewards and Recognition

By integrating several purpose-built programs, including Vantage Rewards, Vantage Fit, Vantage Pulse, and Vantage Perks, the team at Vantage Circle has created an interconnected framework of employee recognition and rewards. Employees can choose from gift cards, branded merchandise, or personal experiences, and the whole platform integrates with most popular HRIS platforms today. Vantage Circle is currently used by hundreds of companies, including Bosch, DHL, InfoSys, Cognizant, and more.

Things We Liked

• Services are grouped into holistic and modular components, giving organizations the opportunity to mix-and-match features as needed
• Marketplace rewards are grouped into several categories, including Dining, Shopping, Movies, and more, and reward points can be allocated to specific categories
• Digital rewards are usually fulfilled within a few minutes, if not instantaneously
• Managers and users can recognize coworkers with monetary or non-monetary rewards
• Premade award templates can easily be customized to meet your organizational needs
• The interactive social feed lets everyone see the achievements and milestones of their teammates

Things We Didn't Like

• The Vantage Circle doesn't hold up to their competitors in the way of events and activities that are meant to help your employees earn extra points
• While Vantage Circle points can be spent at participating eCommerce sites, there are only a few options available
• Tracking numbers aren't always provided for rewards
• Automated notifications are sent to the entire team whenever someone is recognized or rewarded, which could become cumbersome for larger businesses
• Some rewards, especially the more popular options, are frequently out-of-stock or unavailable

Terryberry – Leading End-to-End Employee Recognition and Rewards Platform

Designed to provide end-to-end recognition of your entire staff, Terryberry provides a comprehensive approach to the employee reward process. It also doubles as a wellness solution, so employees can work on their mental and physical health, too. 

The platform also integrates with many popular apps and services, including Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, and various HRIS platforms – ultimately expanding its power and functionality even further. Terryberry is currently used by the likes of Little Caesars, Ford, Jaguar, Bentley, Land Rover, Unilever, Discount Tire, and more.

Things We Liked

• The ability to decide the intervals for awards, including the dollar amount or range
• Although there is no free trial available, Terryberry does offer a hands-on demonstration of their product to interested parties
• The customer service team is quick to respond to any issues that may arise
• Rewards in the marketplace are of high quality
• Personal service representatives show an active interest in your organization's success
• Terryberry's interface makes it easy to monitor achievements and distribute points to the right employees

Things We Didn't Like

• Some technical glitches can cause problems while trying to navigate the service
• User feedback frequently goes unaddressed by anyone at the Terryberry team, which could lead to frustration amongst users
• Terryberry's marketplace is lacking in variety when compared to many of their competitors
• The platform can take a bit of time to set up, especially if this is your organization's first rewards platform
• The aesthetic appeal of their UI is a little outdated

Assembly – Best Rewards and Recognition Software for HRIS Integration

For organizations that want to build their culture around employee appreciation, there are few better options than Assembly. Employee nominations, unique rewards, and automated milestones all work together to create an environment around team recognition. Some of Assembly's current customers include Amazon.com, Coca-Cola, 1-800-Flowers.com, StubHub, PODS, and over 2,000 more brands. 

Things We Liked

• Assembly's free plan supports up to 50 users, making it a great option for small businesses and young startups
• Thousands of different reward options are available on the Assembly platform, including gift cards, charitable donations, personalized swag, and more
• Assembly can be integrated directly into Microsoft Teams or Slack, so employees won't have to leave the platforms they already use
• Various recognition and rewards templates are easily applied to any project, thus establishing clear milestones and automating recognition
• The Assembly platform features support for a bevy of third-party integrations, including Microsoft Teams, Slack, ADP, BambooHR, PayChex, OKTA, and many more

Things We Didn't Like

• Their services are billed on a per member / per month basis, so it could be a rather expensive option for large enterprises
• Reward points do expire eventually, which could result in some users missing out on their hard-earned rewards
• The amount of points allocated per month is relatively small, so it can take a long time to accumulate enough points to spend on a meaningful reward
• Frequent changes to their reward system could cause confusion, especially for new users

Reward Gateway – Easiest Way to Inject AI into Recognition and Rewards

Established in 2006, the team with Reward Gateway has already connected with 8 million employees across the globe – and that number keeps growing every day. Reward Gateway supports managerial feedback, peer-to-peer recognition, customized swag, surveys, and even more. The platform itself has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including SelectSoftware Reviews' Top Employee Experience Software of 2023. 

Things We Liked

• A 1:1 ratio between points and dollars makes it easy to understand how much you're actually being rewarded
• Organizational leaders can reward employees with points or actual dollars – and there are no fees involved for either
• Reward Gateway integrates with dozens of third-party apps, including SAP, Microsoft Azure, OKTA, ADP, Paychex, and more
• Fully certified to ISO27001 standards ensures maximum data security and protection
• An extensive marketplace full of rewards helps Reward Gateway maintain competitiveness 
• Filter recognition and achievements according to location, making it a great solution for organizations with several different offices

Things We Didn't Like

• The platform does take some time and effort to get started on the administrative side
• Some feedback, including managerial recognition, can be difficult to locate within the platform itself
• Monthly allotment of points to distribute is lower than some of their competitors, so some employees can't provide as much recognition as they'd like
• Some of the reward options on the marketplace are a bit overpriced
• Certain physical gifts have slow shipping times
• Lack of UI customization and a very basic appearance overall

Expert Advice on How to Choose the Right Software for Your Employee Rewards & Recognition Program

It can be difficult to find the perfect employee rewards and recognition solution for your team – especially if you're not sure what features you need. In cases like this, start by determining your overall budget. This is a great way to narrow down the field while still giving you several different options to consider. 

You'll also want to consider the variety of features offered by each potential solution. Ask your coworkers and colleagues for their input, too. Finding out the features they'd like to see can go a long way in finding the perfect platform for your team.

Pricing Options to Consider Before Committing

Don't forget to consider the price of your employee rewards software, too. There are many different pricing options available, depending on your chosen platform, so make sure to research this ahead of time to make sure that it matches your budget. The most common options include:

• Per-employee / per-month: This is a rather affordable option for smaller businesses, but costs can quickly skyrocket when trying to accommodate hundreds or thousands of employees.
• Annually: Most employee recognition apps that advertise monthly pricing will also offer annual pricing at a discount. Once you've committed to a specific employee rewards platform, this is one of the most affordable options.
• Marketplace pricing: This option requires your company to pay a percentage of the annual employee recognition budget to their employee rewards software vendor.

With so many different pricing plans and options available, it's easy to find one that works with your budgeting needs.

Key Features Offered by Employee Rewards & Recognition Platforms

While some platforms offer unique features that really set them apart from the competition, most employee recognition and rewards solutions share a few common features. As such, we used these features as benchmarks when testing out all the software on our list of best employee recognition programs.  

• Overall usability: Your chosen software needs to be accessible to tech-savvy employees and novices alike.The user interface (UI) should reflect modern aesthetics while still making it easy to navigate through menus and find the most important features with no more than a few clicks.
• Managerial feedback: One of the primary points of employee recognition and rewards software, managers and supervisors need to be able to provide feedback and acknowledgement to their staff. It's even better if they have the option to do this privately or publicly. 
• Social recognition: Peer-to-peer feedback is another purpose of employee recognition software, so you want to make sure that your staff can recognize and congratulate each other. Some platforms even give them points to distribute amongst their coworkers, while others limit point distribution to the management team.
• Reward systems: A comprehensive reward system helps to recognize top talent and express your appreciation for a job well done. The best platforms offer thousands of reward options, ranging from consumer products to lavish vacations, so try to find one that matches the needs and wants of your staff.
• Customization: Maintain brand continuity by customizing your chosen platform with your company's logo, preferred colors, and mission statement. Some solutions let you customize rewards, too, with some platforms offering customized company swag. 
• Third-party integrations: If you still want to use the software you're already familiar with, such as Slack, Gmail, Outlook, or modern HRIS systems, then you'll want to ensure compatibility before committing to an employee recognition and rewards platform.
• Software updates: Not only do regular updates help developers keep their software competitive, but many updates contain patches and fixes to security flaws, holes, and bugs. For the best possible experience, it's a good idea to find a solution that is updated on a consistent basis.
• Customer support: If something does go wrong, it's nice to know that your issues will be resolved in a timely manner. While you might not ever find the need to reach out, it's important to find a platform that has stellar customer service scores.
  

The features described above come standard in most modern platforms. If you're considering an employee recognition and rewards solution that doesn't contain all of these standard features, you might want to take a second look at some of the alternatives.

Why is Employee Recognition Important?

Everyone wants to be recognized for their hard work and dedication. It's always nice when that acknowledgement is accompanied by a small gift or reward, but even the sentiment of gratitude can have a positive impact on an employee's day. Some want to share this feedback with others, while some want to use it in their professional portfolio or resume. Others just want to know that their talent is appreciated.

The old adage, "happy workers are productive workers," still holds true. Fair and consistent employee recognition can go a long way in improving morale and, as a result, overall productivity. Not only does this result in greater profitability and an improved brand image, but it can do wonders for employee retention. Building a reputation based on employee recognition and rewards can even help attract the top talent in your industry – regardless of how competitive it is.

Why Should You Consider Employee Recognition & Rewards Software for Your Company?

Nearly every company operating today stands to benefit from comprehensive employee recognition and rewards software. Acknowledging staff members on a regular basis will keep morale high across the board, while giving employees the ability to recognize each other is a fantastic team-building exercise – especially in remote and hybrid settings.

Some of these improvements will be noticeable right away. For example, teams that currently have a manual system for recognizing top talent and distributing rewards will start saving time and money immediately after switching to an automated system. Organizational leaders will likely notice the increased camaraderie between co-workers within a few weeks after implementing a good platform, and most companies will be able to scale back their hiring campaigns as a result of increased talent retention.

If your company is currently struggling to attract or retain qualified employees, you might be surprised at how much an employee recognition and rewards platform can help you turn things around. 

What are the Benefits of Having an Employee Recognition Software for Your Team?

Although we've already covered some of the most obvious and immediate benefits of employee recognition and rewards software, these platforms can improve nearly every aspect of your company. Some areas that might not be readily apparent include:

• Human resources: Next-gen employee recognition and rewards software relieves a lot of the pressure from HR, especially when it comes to general people management.
• People analytics: Some platforms include built-in analytics that provide actionable insights into your staff. It makes it easy to identify your top-performing employees.
• Reporting: Analytics won't go very far without reporting. Most modern platforms can process data and present it in a way that is easily understood by all parties.
• Software integration: While some solutions provide more integrations than others, most platforms are compatible with numerous third-party apps and services.

Perhaps above all else, employee recognition software helps build a company culture revolving around fair treatment, team collaboration, and staff appreciation. It improves the overall employee experience for every member of your team – from the newest hires to the CEO – and it cultivates a comfortable work environment for everyone. 

Are There Any Differences Between Employee Recognition and Employee Rewards Platforms?

All the platforms featured here offer a combination of employee recognition and employee rewards, but most of them are better at one element over the other. Whereas one solution might offer several different forms of recognition, they might be lacking when it comes to tangible rewards. Conversely, one platform might offer a plethora of rewards while providing only one or two methods for recognizing staff. Understanding these differences – and knowing which area you'd like to highlight – is another key in finding the perfect solution for your team.

But some of the best employee recognition programs can do both equally well. Although they might not be the strongest or best solution in any one particular area, these platforms are usually versatile enough to accommodate teams of nearly any size that are located in virtually any industry or profession.  

What are Good Ways to Reward Your Employees?

Although employees do receive a paycheck, some go above and beyond their normal job duties – and they should be rewarded extra for doing so. But how exactly do you determine a fair reward? How do you know what kind of rewards your staff would like?

While some employees want monetary rewards, others prefer non-monetary bonuses. For the latter, rewards like additional PTO, paid vacations, and other personal experiences are almost always well-received. Other potential non-monetary incentives include use of the company car, reserved parking, lunch with the boss, and even company swag.

Rewards, like recognition, can take many different forms. Finding a platform that offers the kind of rewards your team actually wants will go a long way in determining the success of your employee recognition and rewards programs, so make sure to choose wisely. 

Final Words & Conclusion

Workplace recognition is a two-way street. Taking the time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of your staff often comes back to you in kind. Likewise, those who offer tangible rewards to their employees are often rewarded themselves by enthusiastic staff members who are eager to do their best – and that's exactly where rewards and recognition software comes into play. 

These solutions make it easy to incentivize daily tasks, ultimately gamifying the employee experience and creating a fun environment for everyone involved. If you already have a rewards program in place, or if you're considered implementing one for your workforce, make sure to consider our list of the best employee recognition software solutions – you might just find the one that offers that perfect combination of features and functionality you've been looking for.