The best employee recognition programs to boost performance

Paying employees well isn’t the only thing that makes them stay. You also need to make them feel valued and respected. And that’s easier when you make employee recognition a priority. 

The best employee recognition programs are great for motivating your team, building pride in their work, and strengthening their connection to your company. Recognition is a powerful way to boost engagement and retention, and it’s sometimes even more effective than bonuses.

In this guide, we’ll explore practical employee recognition tools, plus recognition strategies for HR managers and leaders. Get inspiration and ideas that lift morale, supercharge productivity, and cultivate an incredible workplace culture.

What’s employee recognition? 

Employee recognition is the act of appreciating and acknowledging the positive impact employees make in your company. When leaders and peers recognize team members for their impact, effort, and commitment, the organization has an easier time attracting and retaining top talent. 

A strong employee recognition program offers a structured way for organizations to reward employees for quality work. It creates a culture of recognition, strengthening everything from employee engagement to motivation. 

How workplace recognition programs pay off

Companies who only focus on salary or output targets often miss what really motivates their team. Whether your people are in-office, remote, or hybrid, they want to know their work matters. Employee recognition programs show that your company values its people, making them feel driven and appreciated. In fact, those who get high-quality recognition are 45% less likely to leave after two years. 

Employee recognition should be an ongoing effort, not a one-time event. By consistently showing appreciation as part of your management strategy, you’ll reap the benefits of invested employees.

6 top employee recognition platforms 

Build recognition in the workplace with one of these six platforms. 

1. Workleap 

Workleap is a people-experience platform built for modern teams. Our employee recognition program lives inside Officevibe, a powerful employee engagement tool designed to make appreciation part of your everyday flow. 

Workleap Officevibe makes it easy to gather real-time feedback, celebrate wins publicly and privately, and send custom surveys. 

Pros 

• Employee recognition, surveys, and engagement insights all in one place
• Allows HR to create custom recognition cards 
• Encourages both private and public manager and peer recognition 
• Easy to integrate with tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams 
• Connects with Workleap Performance for easier performance tracking during review cycles

Cons 

• Currently integrates with a select set of tools, prioritizing simplicity and ease of use

2. Assembly

Assembly is an employee recognition platform that makes it simple to recognize team members through customizable shout-outs and automated milestones. By using a points system, the platform lets your individuals redeem points for rewards. 

Pros 

• Fun, social interface for team-wide recognition 
• Starter plan is free (with limitations) 
• Strong peer recognition tools

Cons 

• Points and rewards are limited 
• Interface can be confusing for new users 
• Can be difficult to customize programs
  

3. Motivosity 

Motivosity is a people-first platform that focuses on peer connections, value-based awards, and celebrating milestones. 

Pros 

• Good peer recognition features 
• Built-in budget controls 
• Well-suited for remote and hybrid workplaces 

Cons 

• Limited reporting and customization 
• Some users report software bugs 
• Customer service can be slow

4. Bucketlist Rewards

Bucketlist Rewards is a cloud-based employee recognition and rewards platform. It’s ideal for remote teams spread out across multiple time zones. Bucketlist offers features like social recognition feeds and a fully customizable plan for employee recognition. 

Pros 

• Large rewards marketplace 
• Automates work anniversaries and other occasions 
• Customizable to align with your company values 

Cons 

• Occasional technical issues 
• Limited points for rewarding employees 
• Platform navigation can be tricky
  

5. Nectar

Nectar is a popular employee recognition platform that’s easy to launch and fun to use. It helps HR leaders and managers create a culture of appreciation using a points-based system. The program also offers core values alignment to connect employee actions with the company’s mission. 

Pros 

• Peer-to-peer and manager-to-employee recognition 
• Clean design and a fast setup 
• Create and manage company-wide challenges to boost engagement 

Cons

• Limited third-party integration 
• Lacks in-depth reporting and analytics
• Few multimedia options
  

6. Awardco

Awardco focuses on helping businesses build a culture of appreciation through spot recognition, automated milestone rewards, and custom programs. It also has a wide range of tailored rewards so everyone is recognized in a way that’s meaningful to them.

Pros 

• Redeem points for rewards like gift cards and travel 
• Social feed for sharing praise 
• Clients, customers, and partners can send employee recognition 

Cons

• Can be too expensive for small businesses
• Limited customization 
• Some users report issues with the reward catalog  

Ideas for an effective recognition strategy

Now that you know why employee recognition is valuable, here are some ideas for building a program that actually works. 

Celebrate work milestones 

Big wins deserve big moments. Recognize events like work anniversaries, promotions, and project completions to give people landmarks in their journey with your company. 

This type of employee appreciation is simple and effective because it shows your team how their contributions and growth are important to your organization.

Achievement and recognition awards

Offer awards for behaviors that embody your organization’s core values. Think “Innovation Champion,” “Values in Action,” or “Project MVP.” 

These fun recognitions highlight the people bringing your company values to life. Be sure the awards reflect what matters in your company culture, not just revenue targets or sales numbers.

Personalized thank-you messages 

Never underestimate the power of “just because” appreciation. Sending a handwritten note or a quick message can make all the difference for morale. These small moments of employee recognition build connection and reinforce positive behaviors without needing a mega-budget. 

Employee spotlights 

Want a recognition idea that fits the whole team? Try an employee spotlight. Feature someone’s story in your newsletter or next all-hands meeting. Include who they are, what they’ve achieved, and how their work impacts your company. This shout-out shows everyone what success looks like and encourages others to step up. 

Wellness and lifestyle incentives

Employee recognition is a great way to show how you care for your employees’ health and mental wellbeing. Offer wellness-oriented rewards to signal that you value them as humans, not just workers. 

These incentives can include things like mindfulness app subscriptions, gym memberships, or experiences like yoga retreats.

Gift programs

Giving employees something they actually want or enjoy is a simple way to reward them for a job well done. This staff reward scheme lets you adjust the gift to better suit the scenario. For example, a small weekly win earns a $10 gift card for a local coffee shop, while a monthly or quarterly win earns a large gift basket or an experience.

A smart employee recognition program offers gifts that align with your employees’ wants, needs, or hobbies. An outdoorsy team member might prefer hiking gear, while a foodie appreciates trying a new restaurant. 

What are some employee reward recognition programs that work well?

Let’s look into two global giants who’ve mastered the art of employee recognition. These companies prove that appreciation done right fuels employee engagement. 

The Walt Disney Company 

Disney dreams and recognizes big. Their employee recognition program uses peer-to-peer shout-outs, guest feedback, and milestone honors to build a culture of employee appreciation.

Disney’s RecognizeNow! platform lets team members send appreciation and recognition notes to one another. Their CelebrateNow! platform offers e-cards for birthdays, work anniversaries, and other standout moments. They also use Cast Compliments—a mobile app for guests to film and send a video shout-out to cast members for a job well done. 

Apple 

When Apple recognizes their employees, it’s often linked to performance. Financial and performance-driven awards come with benefits like extra time off, discounted products, company stock, and bonuses.

Apple’s employee recognition program also celebrates milestones like 10, 20, 30, and 40 years with the company. For the 10-year award, employees receive an engraved aluminum block with a note signed by Tim Cook himself. 

Build your employee recognition program with Workleap 

Employee recognition is an effective strategy for transforming how your team feels, works, and grows. When you make appreciation part of your everyday workflow, employee engagement skyrockets and your company values come to life in tangible ways. 

If you want to implement an employee recognition program that feels easy, try Workleap Officevibe. Our Good Vibes feature lets teams send digital cards to celebrate wins and share organization-wide shout-outs. Combined with AI-powered insights, Officevibe helps leadership understand how to reward employees in ways that matter. 

Explore Workleap’s Employee Recognition Bundle and sign up for free to start building a culture where appreciation is second nature.