Top employee engagement software helps organizations measure, track, and enhance employee satisfaction and work motivation. One of the best ways to choose the right tool is to evaluate the specific features it offers. In this article, we’ll cover the essential features to consider when assessing an employee engagement platform.
Employee Surveys and Feedback Tools
One of the most essential features of employee engagement software is the ability to collect ongoing feedback. Unlike the traditional once-a-year performance review, today’s employee engagement strategy focuses on continuous listening, allowing organizations to identify issues and respond quickly. And, pulse surveys are the key to making this possible.
Employee pulse surveys cover a wide range of topics, but the most common are the company’s benefits packages, (new) HR policies, business initiatives, and organizational culture.
When assessing this feature of an employee engagement platform, you should look for whether it supports this type of employee survey and provides customization around cadence, question types, and reporting. Leading platforms also include science-backed templates, making it easier for HR teams to design surveys that deliver actionable insights instead of vague feedback.
Peer Recognition and Rewards Programs
While not every employee recognition tool doubles as a full engagement platform, the best solutions make recognition an integral part of the employee experience. Peer recognition, in particular, allows team members to quickly acknowledge when colleagues go above and beyond. This simple but powerful feature strengthens morale and culture in any workplace, and it has become especially critical in today’s environment of low engagement levels and widespread remote work.
A good way to evaluate recognition features is to see how vendors practice them within their own organizations. For instance, read how Cisco’s Connected Recognition program through its Connected Recognition program. Then think about not just the mechanics of recognition but also how well the platform can support the kind of culture you want to build.
Recognition often works best when paired with employee rewards programs. While recognition highlights everyday wins, rewards turn appreciation into something tangible, whether that’s a gift card, a paid volunteer day, or a sponsored vacation. This combination reinforces employee contributions in ways that feel both personal and impactful, which, as many research findings have pointed out, is key to keeping the workforce engaged.
Goal-Setting and Tracking
Undeniably, clear goals are one of the strongest drivers of employee engagement. When employees understand what’s expected of them and how their contributions connect to the company’s goals, motivation naturally rises. And engagement platforms with native goal-setting features can ease lots of work for managers and employees on that front, from defining targets to tracking progress and celebrating results.
From our observation, top solutions tend to support frameworks such as OKRs or SMART goals, and integrate goals with recognition and rewards features. This creates a virtuous cycle: employees see their progress, feel recognized for their achievements, and stay motivated to push further.
Continuous Performance Management
Did you know that goal-setting becomes even more powerful when paired with continuous performance management? It’s because rather than relying on annual reviews, this modern, ongoing cycle of check-ins, feedback, and coaching helps employees feel heard and motivated to keep growing throughout the year.
Key features to look for include:
- Regular 1:1 check-ins that focus on both progress and development.
- Multi-source feedback from peers, managers, and direct reports.
- Coaching and mentoring tools that make growth an everyday activity.
- Flexible performance cycles that adapt to changing business needs.
Statistically, this continuous cycle is proving to be beneficial, with research showing it helps build cultures of collaboration and adaptability. It is, thus, incredibly helpful, especially for mid-to-large organizations, to ensure the employee platform links goals, recognition, and feedback into a single ecosystem.
Advanced Features to Consider
While surveys, recognition, goals, and performance management are the must-have features of any engagement platform, the strongest solutions also include advanced capabilities that help organizations go further. These features may not be essential on day one, but they can significantly enhance engagement over time. And they are:
- Sentiment analysis: AI-powered tools can read engagement metrics and detect emotional undercurrents across teams, giving HR leaders a deeper understanding of employee mood beyond survey responses.
- Integrated gamification for engagement: Features like badges, points, or challenges that turn engagement ideas into something interactive and fun can be particularly effective for boosting participation in engagement initiatives.
- Wellness programs: Access to health, mindfulness, and work-life balance programs that show employees their well-being is a company priority.
Ultimately, the best employee engagement software offers a nice balance between these desirable features and core essentials. As you vet vendors, the rule of thumbs is to ensure the must-haves are in place, then add advanced capabilities that align with your culture and objectives. Not sure which features matter most for your team? Talk to our HR Tech Advisor for a free, tailored shortlist of the best engagement software for your needs.
