Home Blog Celebrating Success: The Best Employee Recognition Software to Boost Morale

Celebrating Success: The Best Employee Recognition Software to Boost Morale

Photo of Tsvetelina Hinova
Tsvetelina Hinova
15 Nov 2024 8 min read
Woman raising her hands up while sitting on the street with a laptop on her lap

Want to make your team feel like superstars? Employee recognition should be as effortless as a high-five after a win.

At Thankbox, we believe recognising achievements boosts morale, drives productivity, and strengthens your team culture. 

That's why we've compiled a list of the best employee recognition software for every occasion. Whether it's a quick shout-out for a job well done or an ongoing rewards system, the right tool can make appreciation seamless and effective. 

What is employee recognition software?

Employee recognition software is a digital tool that helps give a shoutout to team members for their hard work and contributions. It makes saying "well done" easier with cool features like badges, peer-to-peer praise, and customisable rewards. These platforms let companies celebrate both big wins and smaller successes, which helps build a positive, appreciative company culture.

Employee recognition software often gets mixed up with performance-tracking tools, but they’re not the same thing. Performance tracking is all about results and metrics, while recognition software is there to celebrate efforts, teamwork, and successes as they happen. It’s really about those moments that show how much an employee contributes to the team.

Confetti icon Celebrate Success in a Sentimental Way With Thankbox

Ready to enhance your employee recognition efforts? Try Thankbox today for a fun, easy-to-use platform that makes celebrating achievements a breeze. Start creating memorable moments for your team today!

Why is employee recognition important?

Recognising your team is like watering plants—it helps them grow and thrive. Employee recognition software simplifies celebrating achievements, building a positive workplace culture where people feel appreciated and motivated.

Here’s why using the right tool matters:

  • Encourages peer-to-peer recognition: Employees can easily recognise their colleagues, increasing engagement across the team.

  • Automates rewards: Automated systems ensure timely recognition and make it easy to offer rewards for achievements.

  • Boosts morale: Regular acknowledgment leads to higher workplace satisfaction, which keeps employees motivated and productive.

Choosing the right platform ensures that recognition becomes an integral part of your company’s daily routine, boosting overall performance and job satisfaction.

Our top picks for employee recognition software 

When it comes to celebrating your team, finding the right employee recognition software can make all the difference. Here are the top platforms to help you easily acknowledge achievements.

1. Thankbox

Whether you're celebrating a work anniversary, applauding a job well done, or just saying thank you, Thankbox online group cards deliver a unique and memorable team experience that everyone will cherish.

Thank you Thankbox sample 2

Through personalised, digital cards, employees can show appreciation and recognition for their colleagues' hard work. This boosts morale and overall employee satisfaction in the workplace. It’s easy to create truly unique e-cards with sentimental messages, GIFs, photos, and videos.

To make it extra special, we offer digital gift cards that you can add in. The process of gift collection is hassle-free and there are over 700 retailers for recipients to choose from, including Amazon, Airbnb UK, Uber Eats, and more.

Key features

  • Private messages: Sometimes you might want to include messages that only your recipient can see. It can be anything from a sentimental congratulations to an inside joke. All you need to do is mark your message as ‘private’.

  • Board or card layout option: You can have your messages displayed as either a card or a board for more design flexibility.

  • Gift collection: For easier collaboration, you can invite others to contribute cash to a gift collection pot. It’s an efficient way to split the cost of sending the Thankbox. 

  • Digital gift cards: We offer an extensive catalogue of over 700 stores around the world, so that anyone can choose a digital gift card of their choice. For those who want greater flexibility, our Prepaid Visa and Prepaid Mastercard gift cards are the perfect choice. 

  • Send flowers & wine: If you’re in the UK, you can add a beautiful bouquet of flowers or a nice bottle of wine to your order. It will be scheduled to arrive at the same time as the Thankbox.

  • Reminders: You can set reminders for birthdays or work anniversaries so that nobody is ever left out of the celebrations. 

  • Seamless scheduling: You can send your card the same day, next day, or schedule for a specific time. 

  • Download as PDF: Recipients can download a high-resolution PDF of their card as a keepsake.

Pros

  • Fun, easy-to-use interface

  • Allows personalisation with images, messages, and media

  • Cash collection feature is a huge bonus

  • Perfect for remote teams

  • Affordable pricing with no complex learning curve

Cons

  • Not as feature-rich for ongoing reward programs (e.g., points systems)

2. Bonusly

Bonusly logo

Bonusly is a peer-to-peer recognition platform that allows employees to give and receive recognition using a points-based system. The platform encourages a culture of appreciation by letting employees publicly praise one another, which boosts engagement and morale. Points can be redeemed for rewards like gift cards or donations to charity.

Key features

  • Peer-to-peer recognition with points-based rewards.

  • Integration with tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

  • Customisable rewards catalogue with options for gift cards, charity donations, and experiences.

  • Analytics and reporting to track engagement and recognition trends.

Pros

  • Encourages frequent peer recognition

  • Easy integration with existing workplace tools

  • Comprehensive rewards options

  • Public recognition creates positive workplace visibility

Cons

  • Can feel too transactional due to the points system

  • Requires active participation to maintain engagement

3. Kudos

Kudos logo

Kudos is an all-in-one employee recognition and communication platform designed to help companies build a stronger, more connected culture. With features that promote both recognition and feedback, Kudos is ideal for teams looking to improve collaboration and celebrate wins regularly. It includes analytics to measure recognition and engagement across departments.

Key features

  • Customisable recognition with badges, points, and public praise.

  • Integrated feedback and messaging for employee development.

  • Multi-language support, making it great for global teams.

  • Comprehensive analytics to track employee engagement and recognition activity.

Pros

  • Combines recognition and feedback in one platform

  • Multi-language support 

  • Detailed reports

  • Flexible customisation for company-specific rewards and recognition

Cons

  • Somewhat complicated setup for smaller companies

  • May require a learning curve to fully use all features

4. Guusto

Guusto logo

Guusto focuses on meaningful, real-time recognition by allowing employees to send gift cards instantly as a form of appreciation. The platform is easy to use and scalable, making it a great choice for companies of all sizes. Guusto’s simple interface and reward system make it an effective way to boost employee morale and engagement.

Key features

  • Send and receive gift cards instantly as recognition.

  • Trackable reports to measure recognition impact.

  • Customisable budgets and reward limits.

  • Integration with Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Pros

  • Easy to implement and scale

  • Great for both peer and manager recognition

  • Flexible for small and large teams alike

Cons

  • Focuses primarily on rewards, lacking engagement features like peer-to-peer praise

  • Limited to gift card-based recognition

Confetti icon Celebrate Success in a Sentimental Way With Thankbox

Ready to enhance your employee recognition efforts? Try Thankbox today for a fun, easy-to-use platform that makes celebrating achievements a breeze. Start creating memorable moments for your team today!

5. Achievers

Achievers platform

Achievers offers a platform where you can give and receive social recognition and rewards. It's great because employees can shout out each other's contributions. Plus, there's a massive rewards marketplace with over 3 million options. It even works smoothly with tools you use every day, like Outlook, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, so recognition becomes just another part of your daily routine.

Key features

  • Facilitates peer-to-oeer and manager-to-employee recognition, allowing team members to acknowledge each other’s contributions publicly.

  • Employees can earn points through recognition, which can be redeemed for a wide array of rewards including gift cards and experiences.

  • Provides robust reporting tools that offer insights into recognition patterns, program participation, and overall employee engagement metrics.

Pros

  • User-friendly interface

  • Extensive rewards catalogue ensures employees have a variety of options

  • Responsive and helpful customer service

Cons

  • Sometimes there can be delays in receiving online rewards

  • Gift card amounts lack flexibility

6. Mo

Post in Mo

Mo is a platform that lets managers easily recognise, connect, and reward their teams. On Mo, social posts are called "Moments," and employees can tag them with company values. Whether you want to make recognitions public or keep them private, Mo makes it simple for everyone to show appreciation for hard work.

Key features

  • Share and celebrate achievements, big or small, through social posts called “Moments”. These can be public or private, allowing for flexible recognition.

  • You can automate prompts that encourage teams to share appreciation, wins and learnings. This helps with building new high-performance habits.

  • Automated reminders ensure you never miss out on a special occasion, like birthdays or work anniversaries.

Pros

  • Integrates seamlessly with tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams

  • Tailor recognition to align with your company’s values

  • Promotes regular recognition

  • Comprehensive analytics to understand employee engagement

Cons

  • Some people can find the array of features overwhelming at first

  • The notification system could be improved

Make employee recognition memorable with Thankbox

When it comes to building a positive work environment, recognising your employees should be simple, enjoyable, and impactful. Thankbox offers a unique, personal approach to employee recognition, making it easy to celebrate team members’ achievements, milestones, and contributions in a way that feels genuine.

Whether you’re looking for a straightforward solution like Thankbox or exploring more feature-rich platforms like Bonusly or Kudos, finding the right tool ensures that employee recognition becomes a natural part of your company’s culture.

Ready to show your team some love? Create a Thankbox today and make recognition a fun and seamless experience for everyone!


Images: Cover