Unbiased Reviews: 9 Employee Engagement Tools to Maximize Team Success

You probably know it. Modern employees don’t just work for a paycheck anymore. 

Instead of just finding a job that pays the bills, many people look for a position in a bigger community that provides a sense of purpose, fulfillment, and achievement.

Successful teams means investing in employee engagement, the art and science of keeping your employees motivated, involved, and productive.

It's important nowadays because if you don't activate any employee engagement strategies, you risk losing your most talented employees to competitors who offer a more engaging work environment. 

Fortunately, several employee engagement software solutions and tools, a critical element of your employee management software stack, are available.

From features that boost collaboration to tools that track performance, here are our top nine employee engagement tools for 2024 and beyond.

The Best Employee Engagement Solutions Available in 2024.

‍

Culture Amp stands out with its advanced feedback mechanisms and analytical depth. Tailored to larger corporations, it dives deep into the nuances of team sentiment, providing managers with tools to enhance workplace culture.

The company leans heavily into being the “all-in-one” solution for improving team performance through recognition and easy-to-follow factors that grow peer-to-peer engagement.

That is probably because the platform is built upon the latest industry research for what key indicators are required for growth in employee engagement as a culture. This would be one of the better options if you are looking to improve leadership skills among your team.

Key Features:

• Deep-dive engagement surveys
• Advanced analytics and reporting with 360-degree feedback
• NEW: Full performance reviews and OKRs– ranked #1 for Enterprises by G2
• Learning and development insights with activity tracking
• Inclusion and diversity tracking

Best for: Medium sized companies to enterprises aiming for real-time, holistic view of their culture, employee engagement, and business performance.

Pros:

• Comprehensive data insights based on anonymous feedback
• Customizable survey tools in the activity dashboard
• Focus on diversity and inclusion
• Easy to do business with
• Team of people scientists to help you implement the latest best practices

Cons:

• It might be complex for small teams as there is no approval process control
• Requires training for full feature utilization, and you don’t get appraisal histories

Pricing:

Customized pricing based on company size and specific needs starts at $5 per monthly user.

‍Rating:

G2: 4.6/5.0 from 667 reviews

Capterra: 4.7/5.0 from 103 reviews

2. Officevibe: Drive Top Talent Retention and Team Performance

Officevibe creates an open channel for employees, encouraging them to share their thoughts, concerns, and feelings through anonymous pulse surveys.

This continuous feedback mechanism helps leaders identify potential issues and enhance overall team morale. There is robust cloud hosting for all the platform's engagement features and solutions, making it a fanatic option for hybrid work models with international employees.

You can leverage quick or pulse surveys with anonymous answers that are actively aggregated to craft a broad-stroke employee engagement dashboard. This allows the entire company to better understand how everyone is doing at the individual, group, and goal-setting levels.

Key Features:

• Anonymous pulse surveys
• Team engagement analytics
• Feedback and recognition tools
• Manager-to-team communication platform
• Customized survey questions

Best for: SMEs and Mid-level organizations looking to understand the heartbeat of their workforce and take timely actions based on feedback.

‍Pros:

• Encourages open communication
• Actionable insights from survey data
• User-friendly dashboard
• Cloud-based infrastructure

Cons:

• Limited customization in survey frequency
• Relies heavily on employee participation for effective results
• While OfficeVibe has great features, it's less easy to do business with them than Culture Amp according to G2 data.

Pricing:

You can use a limited free trial to get the idea of the OKRs integration and then jump to the Essential plan starting at $3.50 per person per month.

Rating:

G2: 4.3/5.0 from 705 reviews

Capterra: 4.6/5.0 from 51 reviews

Click here to check out OfficeVibe.

3. Quantum Workplace: Build Engagement from Surveys

Quantum Workplace builds a "culture of employee success."

The tool champions agility in feedback and goal management. Facilitating real-time feedback loops and flexible check-ins ensures teams remain aligned and engaged irrespective of their work setting.

This is one of the earliest companies on our list, with over 20 years in the business and one of the first models for practical employee engagement and performance software.

What is unique about this platform are the varying templates that you can use to make integration way easier. That allows quick employee survey launch and building company culture without reinventing the wheel every time you start a review.

The nationally known “Best Places to Work” content is ingrained into this software. The software aggregates international use and then collates that info to see which companies focus more on skills, culture, and process evolution.

‍Key Features:

• Agile goal setting and API
• Real-time feedback mechanisms
• Employee recognition features
• Customizable surveys with templates
• Engagement Analytics

Best for: This is best for larger companies who don’t want to waste time trying to craft custom solutions. The templates give you more than enough to begin and streamline engagement goals.

Pros:

• Fluid feedback channels
• Emphasizes employee recognition and career development
• Intuitive user interface with commenting

Cons:

• Not great for receiving real-time alerts
• Initial setup may require orientation

Pricing:

There is a free trial you can use, but it takes contacting the company directly. Otherwise, you’ll need to try the demo and then get a custom price based on your needs.

Rating:

G2: 4.5/5.0 from 407 reviews

Capterra: 4.7/5.0 from 48 reviews

Click here to visit Quantum

4. Kudos: Create A Positive Work Culture

Kudos thrives in building a positive work culture where peer recognition plays a pivotal role. Facilitating seamless appreciation exchanges ensures remote teams feel connected and valued, irrespective of their geographic location.

When low employee engagement costs businesses an average of $4,700 annually, It makes sense to use employment management software designed to boost positive interactions.

Key Features:

• Peer-to-peer recognition platform
• Customizable badges and awards
• Analytics on recognition trends
• Integration with popular communication tools
• Mobile application for on-the-go appreciation

Best for: Remote teams seeking a boost in morale through regular peer recognition and appreciation.

Pros:

• Enhances remote team cohesion
• Provides actionable recognition analytics
• Easily integrated into daily workflows

‍Cons:

• Limited to recognition functionality
• Requires consistent usage for best results

Pricing:

There is a demo, but monthly pricing starts at $3.25 per user.

Reviews:

G2: 4.8/5.0 from 1,263 reviews

Capterra: 4.8/5.0 from 1,017 reviews

Click here to check out Kudos

5. WorkTango: The Top Solution for Building Work Culture

Building a healthy culture is critical - and part of that is creating an environment where employees feel motivated and engaged. 

WorkTango (formerly Kazoo) helps you to measure employee engagement, identify areas for improvement, and align departments and teams around common goals. It also provides customizable surveys, making it easy to solicit employee feedback regularly.

WorkTango is an innovative platform that helps companies optimize employee engagement and productivity. With the help of this software, employers can easily access actionable insights from employee surveys and use predictive analytics to suggest the best changes for their organizational operations. The platform gives employees a voice through its recognition, reward system, and goal-setting tools.

Integration with HRIS and HCM systems and popular productivity tools like Microsoft Outlook and Slack make WorkTango an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes. With a highly customizable pricing plan, you can request your own free demo to find out if WorkTango is right for your team.

Best For: Best for medium to large organizations focused on building a feedback-rich culture.

Key Features:

• Customizable employee engagement surveys
• Comprehensive analytics and insights dashboard
• Recognition and rewards platform
• Integration with HRIS, HCM, and productivity tools
• Predictive analytics for organizational improvements

Pros:

• Empowers employees with a voice through feedback tools
• Enhances alignment across teams and departments
• Offers actionable insights from employee surveys

Cons:

• Pricing details require direct inquiry
• May require training for full utilization
• Complexity could be a barrier for smaller teams

Pricing: Not provided.

Reviews:

Capterra: 4.9/5 (132)

G2: 4.6/5 (716)

Click here to check out WorkTango.

6. TrakStar: An Overall Solution with Tons of Integrations

If you're implementing a system into an already-existing company framework, you'll want to ensure it can keep up. 

Trakstar is comprehensive HR performance software that helps you track, measure, and improve employee engagement across various integrations within your team or company.

This software provides a wide array of features to help you identify engaged employees, assess factors influencing employee engagement, and take action to improve engagement levels. 

It also offers a suite of HR analytics to gain insights into the impact of employee engagement on key business outcomes like productivity, retention, and profitability.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution to track, measure, and boost employee engagement levels, Trakstar is worth considering. TrakStar offers integration features with many of the most popular software systems and a free demo upon request.

Best For: Ideal for medium to large businesses seeking comprehensive performance management tools.

Key Features:

• Goal setting and tracking
• Customizable performance reviews
• 360-degree feedback
• Real-time feedback
• Succession planning

Pros:

• Automates performance review process
• Boosts employee engagement with regular feedback
• Offers comprehensive analytics for data-driven decisions
• User-friendly with an intuitive platform
• Supports goal management and succession planning

Cons:

• Limited customization for appraisal processes
• Advanced reporting capabilities may be lacking
• Customer support and training could be improved

Pricing: Not provided.

Reviews:

G2: 4.2/5 (450)
Capterra: 4.5/5 (285)

‍Click here to check out TrakStar.

7. Pingboard: Deliver a Better Employee Experience  While Remote

With so many companies moving to a full or hybrid remote model, busy HR leaders have a hard time keeping a handle on their employee experience.  Pingboard is a powerful employee engagement software designed to help people-first companies optimize their HR processes and improve engagement at the same time.

Team members stay up-to-date with relevant information like who’s who, who does what, announcements, birthdays, work anniversaries, and peer recognition, all of which help drive a greater connection and purpose with one another and the company.

With Pingboard, HR can automate and gamify the onboarding process, gather valuable employee feedback with surveys, ensure 1:1s are happening between managers and their teams, and celebrate those who go above and beyond all from one platform.  

‍Key Features:

• Creation and management of dynamic org charts
• Employee directory and profiles for enhanced connectivity
• Applause feature for employee recognition
• Status updates for comprehensive visibility on employee availability
• Custom surveys for gathering team feedback
• Facilitation of 1:1 meetings with automatic tracking of conversations and progress​​​​.

Pros:

• The org chart visualization simplifies understanding company structure
• Enhances team visibility, especially beneficial for scheduling and planning
• Integrates well with Google Calendar, aiding in tracking in/out office statuses
• User-friendly interface and easy navigation​​​​.

Cons:

• Priced higher than some competitors
• Some users reported integration issues with other software
• Limited features and flexibility in creating org charts not tied directly to personnel​​​​.

Pricing:

‍Pingboard's pricing ranges from approximately $185 to nearly $500 per month across three tiers, offering varying levels of features and licenses. There's a 20% discount for annual payments, and plans are flexible with the option to downgrade anytime​​.

Reviews:

Capterra: 4.6/5 (596)

G2: 4.3/5 (299)

Check out Pingboard here

8. Motivosity: Excellent for Improving Team Morale

Motivosity is an engaging solution if you’re looking to invest in your team dynamic and bond team members meaningfully. With its simple setup, comprehensive list of features, and flexible pricing plans, Motivosity offers an all-in-one platform that helps to build strong teams with increased productivity and better employee engagement.

The Motivosity system is built on four core components: connect, recognize, lead, and listen. These four components are designed to help build a thriving employee community and foster collaboration. They also have access to transparent reporting, personality widgets, and gift card libraries, making it easy to recognize achievements and reward employees.

Key Features:

• Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Encourages a culture of appreciation by allowing employees to recognize each other's efforts.
• Customizable Awards: Enables creation of awards that align with company values, making recognition meaningful.
• Thank You Notes: Facilitates personal and engaging messages among employees to foster community.
• Rewards System: Offers tangible rewards for achievements, enhancing motivation.
• Social Recognition Wall: Public forum for celebrating achievements, increasing visibility and promoting a culture of recognition​​.

Pros:

• User-Friendly: Similar to social media apps, making it easy to post, respond, and manage monetary rewards​​.
• Remote Work Connectivity: Ideal for maintaining team cohesion in remote settings, ensuring employees feel connected and valued​​.
• Varied Rewards Options: Includes e-gift cards and Visa cards, offering flexibility in how rewards are utilized​​.

Cons:

• Learning Curve: Some users may need time to fully grasp the interface and utilize features effectively​​.
• Integration Challenges: Limited compatibility with other HR systems, potentially complicating data management​​.
• Mobile Experience Inconsistencies: The mobile app sometimes lacks user-friendliness and feature parity with the desktop version​​.

Pricing:

‍Motivosity offers a competitive pricing model starting at $2.00 per month, with several add-ons available to enhance functionality. This pricing structure is designed to be accessible for a variety of business sizes and needs​​.

Reviews:

G2: 4.7/5 (1,228)

Capterra: 4.8/5 (988)

Check out Motivosity here.

9. Nectar: Employee Engagement On A Budget

Nectar is a user-friendly, cost-effective employee engagement and recognition platform that helps companies foster strong relationships among their employees, driving productivity and motivation.

With Nectar, businesses can easily reward their staff with digital gift cards or on-demand swag for job performance, service excellence, and more. No contracts are required, and you only pay when their employees actually use the software—making it an excellent option for companies with 50-1500 employees.

Three features that make Nectar stand out include peer-to-peer recognition, wellness challenges, and on-demand swag. With peer-to-peer recognition, staff members can reward each other for their hard work, fostering a sense of camaraderie and appreciation. 

Wellness challenges encourage employees to stay motivated even during periods of low engagement or stress, while the on-demand swag storefront makes shipping branded items effortless.

Features:

• Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Allows employees to acknowledge each other's contributions, promoting a culture of appreciation.
• Customizable Rewards Catalog: Offers a wide range of rewards that can be tailored to fit company culture and values.
• Social Recognition Feed: Enables company-wide sharing of achievements, enhancing visibility and fostering a positive workplace culture.
• Nomination/Voting for Awards: Encourages a democratic approach to awards, involving the workforce in the recognition process.
• Reporting & Analytics: Provides insights into recognition trends, helping inform future HR strategies​​.

Pros:

• User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies navigation and utilization, requiring minimal training​​.
• Building Team Camaraderie: Effective in fostering a culture of familiarity and friendliness across departments​​.
• Wide Variety of Rewards Options: From gift cards to swag management, offering flexibility in how rewards are utilized​​.

Cons:

• Integration Limitations: May not easily fit into a company’s existing HR technology ecosystem due to limited integration capabilities​​.
• Scalability Challenges: While it excels in small to medium-sized settings, very large organizations might find the platform less efficient​​.
• Occasional Technical Glitches: Users have reported minor errors and interface issues, although these are relatively trivial​​.

Pricing: Nectar offers a free core subscription with unlimited users and redemptions. Paid plans start at $2.50 per active user/month.

Reviews:

Capterra: 4.8/5 (286) 

G2: 4.7/5 (4,749)

Click here to explore Nectar

The Bottom Line: Start Creating a Better Culture with Employee Engagement Software

Employee engagement is essential for any successful business; the right software can make a huge difference in your team’s engagement. Our list of the top five employee engagement software tools provides the information you need to decide which fits your team’s needs best.

With these tools, you can start creating a culture of recognition, collaboration, and motivation among your team. So get started today and see how easy it is to get your employees engaged and productive!

What To Look For In An Employee Engagement Tool?

First, let's consider the top features that you should look for when choosing an employee engagement solution:

• Collaboration features allow employees to communicate in real time and brainstorm ideas, enabling more efficient decision-making.
• Gamification elements encourage employees to reach milestones and reward them for keeping them motivated and happy.
• Performance tracking helps you identify areas for improvement and set goals, ensuring employees stay on task.
• Social integration allows employees to communicate with one another beyond their workplace environment.

Other Frequently Asked Questions about Employee Engagement Software

What is employee engagement software?
Employee engagement software is a suite of tools designed to help businesses motivate, involve, and maintain productivity among their employees. These tools range from collaboration boosters to performance trackers, aiming to create a more engaging and fulfilling workplace​​​​​​.

Why is employee engagement important?
Engaged employees are more productive, less likely to leave, and contribute to a positive work environment. Without effective engagement strategies, businesses risk losing talented individuals to competitors who offer more engaging and fulfilling roles​​.

What are the best employee engagement solutions for 2024?
Notable solutions include Culture Amp for its deep analytical tools, Officevibe for open communication via pulse surveys, Quantum Workplace for real-time feedback, and Nectar for budget-friendly engagement options. Each offers unique features catering to different business sizes and needs​​​​​​.

How does employee engagement software improve workplace culture?
These tools enhance workplace culture by promoting recognition, providing insights into team sentiment, facilitating communication, and supporting personal and professional development. They help build a community where employees feel valued and connected​​​​​​.

Can small businesses benefit from employee engagement software?
Yes, solutions like Nectar offer scalable, cost-effective options for small businesses, enabling them to foster a strong sense of team camaraderie and appreciation without a significant financial investment​​.

What features should you look for in employee engagement software?
Key features include real-time collaboration tools, gamification elements for motivation, performance tracking for continuous improvement, and social integration to enhance communication beyond the workplace​​​​​​.

How do you choose the right employee engagement software?
Consider your business size, specific needs, and budget. Look for software that offers the features most relevant to your goals, such as in-depth analytics, customizable rewards, or seamless integration with your existing HR systems​​​​​​.