If you aren't using one of the best employee recognition apps, you're missing a huge opportunity to help your people feel appreciated. Companies today have tons of options when it comes to automating employee feedback. In this article, we list our top 7 favorite employee recognition apps.

The Importance of Employee Recognition

While everyone likes to be rewarded a bit differently, 53% of all employees agree that they want more recognition from their managers. Employee recognition shouldn't be one size fits all. Just like someone may have a love language of words of affirmation and another may have a love language of acts of service, employee recognition makes the most impact when it is personalized to the employee. Some examples of recognition include:

• Monetary (a gift card, bonus, etc.)
• Extra PTO
• A promotion
• Taking an employee out to lunch or giving an employee a spontaneous phone call or direct message
• Gifts
• A shout out during a company meeting or on a Slack channel
• A card
• Gifting an experience like a vacation, free massage, etc.

The best employee recognition apps are excellent at personalizing recognition to what will resonate with the employee best. Overall, the most common employee recognition program that HR leaders provide are health and wellness related. Related: The Best Employee Appreciation Holiday Gifts: $10 to $125 and Up

What are the Benefits of Employee Recognition?

80% of companies use an employee recognition program—and it pays off! More than half of HR leaders say that their employee recognition program helps increase retention and helps during the recruitment process. Here are some more specific benefits of employee recognition apps and programs.

1. Boosts employee engagement. Employees that feel appreciated are going to feel happier and more connected to the people in your organization and the company's mission.
2. Builds relationships. Giving employees the gift of recognition will help open doors. This is especially important in a remote work environment, where employees may begin to feel isolated from their team.
3. Helps build company culture and community. Employees want recognition from all sides—from coworkers, managers, and even the CEO.
4. Improves productivity and quality of work. When employees are reassured that they are doing good work, that will help them maintain their drive and motivation.
5. Supports employee mental health and wellbeing. Getting positive feedback can help reduce work stress and help employees feel safer in their work environment.

For a great resource on the ROI of an employee recognition program, check out this great downloadable PDF from Workhuman.

Reasons to Recognize Employees

Here are some great things to recognize employees for:

1. To celebrate a work anniversary or completing the first 90 days on the job
2. To recognize excellent teamwork, consistently completing projects on time, or having a great new idea
3. To reward great performance over a period of time, such as at the end of a quarter

The Best Employee Recognition Apps Out There

Apps and software that integrate with an employee feedback and reward system are bringing employee recognition into the modern age. The best employee recognition apps allow HR managers to automate and improve their employee evaluation and recognition systems. All information is kept confidential within the app. Most of the apps listed below provide feedback that the entire company can see, feedback just for individuals, and detailed stats and reports for executives. Related: 7 Problems that Employee Stress Management Programs Solve Here are some of the most popular employee feedback apps, programs, and software.

1. Bonusly

Bonusly allows you to give employees a monthly point allowance that they can use to recognize their teammates for everyday wins. Those earned points convert to dollars that can be spent on any of the gift cards in their extensive catalog. Bonusly's integration with other software such as Slack makes their platform great for dispersed teams. Personalized notes and hashtags can be sent with each bonus as well, helping to build a fun and supportive rapport between team members. Price:$3-5 per user per month for companies with 1-100 employees. Request a quote for larger companies.

2. Kazoo

Kazoo provides a system of social recognition with real-time public information. Employees and managers alike are able to reward their coworkers with points for specific achievements. Mangers set up the system with their own company values in mind, and employees can be rewarded for demonstrating that value. This helps build company culture, morale, engagement, and more! Points can be exchanged for products, gift cards, donations to non-profits, time off, and more. Price:$5 per person for companies between 100-250 employees, and $4.25+ for companies with over 250 employees.

3. Teamphoria

In addition to social recognition, Teamphoria also allows users to give "anonymous vents," which could be helpful for airing grievances in a constructive way. Team members are able to make suggestions to the company which each user can vote on. Individuals are also able to make a direct request for feedback on anything in particular. Managers can also keep tabs on morale with reports and dashboards. Price: Request a quote online; based on the number of users each month

4. Achievers

One of the best employee recognition apps, Achievers provides a way of integrating several employee programs into one platform. HR leaders are able to link all employee rewards and incentives programs into one system—including referrals for recruiting, wellness achievements, recognition, service awards, and sales incentives. Users can reward their coworkers with points that can be redeemed for gifts. Rewards include travel, donations, or a prepaid Visa card. Price: Request a quote online

5. Tap My Back

Tap My Back is a platform for providing peer recognition across the whole company. Employees get recognition for their jobs well done, and managers get reports and analyses of how everyone is doing. Team leaders are also able to define the actions that can be recognized and rewarded, which triggers behavioral change according to your values and goals. This product also integrates with Slack, making it a simple add-on for many companies. Price: $2.50—$9.50 per user per month, based on the payment schedule and package level.

6. Give a Wow

Give a Wow by Terryberry allows coworkers to recognize peers with public mentions and appreciation. It can be integrated with typical social media platforms to make the recognition even more public among employees friends and family. The system helps to develop positive communication and appreciation. Rewards include certificates, anniversary cards, and the ability to trade points from items from their online store. Price: Starting at $2,000 per month; request a quote online for a customized proposal. Related: 5 Steps to Increase Employee Happiness

7. Workhuman

In addition to social recognition, Workhuman includes talent maps to assist with succession and development concerns, as well as performance reviews. Executives have access to excellent data and reporting. Employees can choose to spend their earned points on over 25 million reward options. Mobile integrations allow Workhuman users to take the system with them anywhere they go. Price: Request a quote online [ictabs alias="report-the-future-of-employee-engagement-2021-22"]