By the start of 2024, only 33% of employees were engaged in their work and workplace.
That’s a discouraging number, especially for companies actively looking for better ways to engage their workers.
Does that sound like you? If so, have you considered employee engagement software?
These platforms foster communication, boost collaboration, and make employees feel valued and involved.
To help you narrow down the list of platforms to consider, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 employee engagement tools leading the way.
Why is employee engagement important?
Employee engagement is the backbone of any successful organization. Engaged employees are more productive, motivated, and committed to their work.
When employees feel valued, their sense of purpose grows. This positively affects their performance and the overall workplace culture they represent.
Engaged employees are more likely to stay, which helps reduce turnover and recruitment costs. Plus, they can become advocates for your business. This can boost your reputation and attract top talent.
Of course, this is an ideal workplace. Fostering employee engagement is not always easy. But the results can be amazing once you reach the point where your people love coming to work and are committed to giving their best.
Software and other tools have helped successful organizations create employee engagement programs where none existed before. These tools bridge the gap between struggling managers and disengaged employees.
Before we dive into some of our favorite tools, let’s explore some simple tips and tricks that can boost employee morale.
Tips for increasing employee engagement
Struggling to keep your team engaged with their work? We’ve put together a list of some important ways to engage your employees.
Open communication
Transparency and regular communication are essential for engaging employees. Your team members need to know what’s happening in the organization and feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.
This means you must provide updates on the company’s direction and actively listen to employees. Remember, communication is a two-way street.
Continuous feedback loops can help employees feel heard. When they feel heard, they’ll feel more comfortable providing their valuable insights. If your employees see you valuing and acting on their feedback, they become more engaged with their work.
Recognize and reward
Social recognition is one of the simplest and most effective ways to increase engagement. Everyone wants to feel appreciated for their hard work.
This doesn’t have to be a formal process. Simple gestures like a public “thank you” or acknowledging achievements can go a long way.
If you recognize more significant contributions, you can offer rewards like bonuses, time off, or even small gifts to show employees that you appreciate and acknowledge their efforts. The key is to build a culture of recognition and appreciation.
Provide growth opportunities
Employees are more likely to stay engaged when they see a future in the company. So, provide learning opportunities, mentorship programs, and employee development paths that show you’re invested in their personal and professional growth.
This could be through workshops, online courses, or job rotations. Team members that feel growth are more motivated to contribute meaningfully to the organization.
Support work-life balance
Burnout is one of the biggest threats to employee engagement. To avoid this, promote a healthy work-life balance.
Flexible work hours, remote work options, and mental health support are just a few examples of ways to promote work-life balance.
Foster a positive culture
A positive company culture is one where employees feel respected, included, and part of a team.
This kind of environment encourages collaboration, innovation, and trust. Building this culture starts with leadership and trickles down through every level of the organization.
Leaders should model respectful, open behaviors and encourage team-building activities that promote unity and a sense of belonging.
Empower employees
Empowerment means giving employees more control over their work. So, they’ll have the autonomy to make decisions, manage their time, and take ownership of projects.
Why does this matter so much? Because it helps them feel more invested in the outcome and connected to the mission.
You can achieve this by offering more flexible roles, letting employees choose how they tackle tasks, and giving them the tools and resources they need to succeed.
What to look for in an employee engagement tool
When choosing the best employee engagement software, consider solutions that integrate seamlessly with various HR functions, including those that manage the complexities of a global workforce.
Effective employee engagement tools should be capable of synchronizing data from different departments, such as time and attendance, benefits administration, and even global payroll, to provide a unified and comprehensive view of employee performance and satisfaction.
This integration helps create a cohesive and engaging work environment, whether employees are based locally or internationally or work on-site or in remote teams. It does this by ensuring that all aspects of their employment are well-managed and aligned with the organization’s overall goals.
Application programming interfaces (APIs) play a crucial role in employee engagement apps by enabling seamless integration with other tools such as HR systems, communication platforms, and project management applications. This integration allows companies to create a cohesive digital workspace, fostering better collaboration and streamlining workflows.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a game-changer in today’s employee engagement tools. It helps to create a more personalized and responsive experience for each team member. HR teams can proactively address issues before they impact business.
AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants also bring practical support to employees, guiding them to resources, answering questions, and even helping with tasks like scheduling. Using AI creates a smoother and more engaging workplace for everyone.
Other features to look for in employee engagement software include:
- Real-time communication: Seamless messaging, video calls, and group chat features keep everyone connected and informed.
- Employee feedback tools: Surveys, polls, and pulse checks help you understand and act on employee sentiment.
- Recognition and rewards: Shoutouts, badges, and rewards programs allow you to recognize employee achievements.
- Task and project management: Task management, goal setting, and progress tracking help employees stay productive and aligned with company goals.
- Mobile accessibility: Mobile-friendly software is crucial for remote work and deskless employees.
- Social features: Internal social networks and activity feeds foster a sense of community.
- Analytics and reporting features: Detailed reports on engagement levels, communication patterns, and employee satisfaction help HR teams make informed decisions.
- Customization options: Things like branded dashboards and employee engagement profiles allow you to tailor the software to your company’s culture and needs.
- Learning and development: Integrated learning modules and customizable training plans support training and professional development.
10 best employee engagement software:
So you’ve got the fundamentals of employee engagement. Now, let’s boost that with tools that help you take things to the next level.
Here are some of the best platforms out there.
1. Chanty
Maybe it’s biased, but we had to list Chanty as the #1 employee engagement tool. It offers ways for teams to communicate and collaborate, which are both vital aspects of keeping employees engaged.
HR teams can organize internal comms with employees via text, audio, or video calls and organize conversations in public or private channels.
Announcement channels, scheduled messages, polls and surveys are vital tools in employee engagement. All available and integrated in Chanty.
Plus, you get a built-in task manager. You can turn any message into a task, assign it to team members, and track progress all in one place.
Chanty’s clean interface and simple user experience (UX) make it easy for teams to stay focused and productive. It’s perfect for companies looking for a fast, secure internal communication tool that also doubles as a project manager.
Key features:
- Announcement channels for company-wide updated
- Polls and Surveys
- Employee analytics and statistics
- Mobile-first platform for deskless workers
- Built-in AI agent and bots
- Integration with 3500+ apps
- Audio and video calls with screen sharing
- Set and control roles and privileges
- Mentions (@) to highlight teams, departments or members
- Kanban-style task management
- Data retention and access settings
2. Connecteam
connecteam.com
Connecteam is a powerful employee engagement tool for deskless and mobile workers.
Whether you’re managing a team in the field or overseeing shift workers, Connecteam provides an all-in-one mobile app to keep everyone connected and informed.
The app includes features for task management, employee scheduling, and communication. Also, managers can send announcements, update schedules, and even provide training through the app.
Key features:
- Communication channels
- Wrapper of web app for mobile
- Task management and scheduling tools
- Customizable training modules
3. Beekeeper
beekeeper.io
Beekeeper is another mobile-first platform for frontline workers. It’s ideal for industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, and retail where employees don’t have regular access to email or computers.
Beekeeper allows for real-time messaging, updates, and surveys to keep employees connected no matter where they are.
Key features:
- Mobile-first interface tailored to frontline workers
- Centralized hub for company updates and news
- Email-style messaging and file sharing
- Customizable employee surveys
4. Workjam
workjam.com
Do you have hourly and shift-based employees? Workjam may be a good fit for your team. It’s a digital workplace platform with a suite of tools for scheduling, task management, and communication.
It empowers employees to take control of their shifts and tasks.
The platform also includes communication features like real-time messaging and announcements.
Key features:
- Communication features for announcements and messaging
- Employee self-service for schedule adjustments
- Shift scheduling and task management
- Training and compliance modules
5. Haiilo
haiilo.com
Haiilo focuses on bringing employees closer to the company’s mission, vision, and values. It’s a social platform that encourages employees to engage with company content, share stories, and celebrate wins together.
With Haiilo, your organization can share internal updates, create social campaigns, and track employee engagement with the content. The platform encourages two-way dialogue, which makes employees feel like active participants in the company’s journey.
Key features:
- Social platform for internal communications
- Content sharing and engagement tracking
- Campaigns to boost cultural alignment
- Analytics on employee participation
6. Workvivo
workvivo.com
If you need a comprehensive employee engagement platform, you might want to look into Workvivo. This tool combines communication, recognition, and culture-building tools.
It acts like a social network within the company by allowing employees to post updates, share achievements, and interact with each other.
The goal is to connect employees emotionally to the company’s goals, which helps them feel like they’re part of something bigger.
Workvivo also provides features for employee recognition. Through its social sharing features, managers can publicly acknowledge employees for their hard work and foster peer recognition.
Key features:
- News feed and updates for company-wide communication
- Analytics on employee engagement and interaction
- Internal social network for employee interactions
- Recognition tools for celebrating achievements
7. Sociabble
sociabble.com
Sociabble offers a straightforward way to boost internal communication and collaboration across teams.
Its user-friendly interface encourages employees to actively participate in company discussions and projects.
Key features:
- Channels for company-wide or team-specific conversations
- Simplified communication tools for teams
- Collaboration features for project sharing
- Easy-to-use interface for quick adoption
8. Happeo
happeo.com
Happeo is an intranet solution designed to improve employee engagement by centralizing company information and internal communication.
It’s a solid option for businesses that want to streamline their communication channels and make sure employees have easy access to the tools they need.
Key features:
- Customizable employee profiles and dashboards
- Intranet for centralized company communication
- Collaboration tools for cross-functional teams
- Integration with existing business tools
9. Simpplr
simpplr.com
Simpplr offers a simple but powerful employee engagement tool focusing on communication and feedback.
It’s great for helping employees share their thoughts and participate in company decisions, which allows them to feel more connected to the business.
Simple provides easy-to-use tools for surveys, pulse checks, and direct feedback so managers can stay in turn with employee sentiment.
Key features:
- Customizable surveys for gathering actionable insights
- Tools for employee feedback and pulse checks
- Real-time feedback for immediate action
- Simple, user-friendly interface
10. Unily
unily.com
Unily offers a range of tools to keep employees connected and aligned with company goals,
This includes internal communication channels and collaboration features, which are housed within a customizable intranet solution.
Unily emphasizes creating a personalized experience for employees.
It also offers powerful analytics tools to help managers track engagement levels and see how employees interact with the platform. This data helps HR teams make informed decisions to further improve employee satisfaction and performance.
Key features:
- Customizable intranet platform for internal communication
- Engagement analytics to track and improve performance
- Collaboration tools for teams and departments
- Personalized employee dashboards
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking for a tool to improve team collaboration or to engage remote employees, the platforms on this list offer tailored solutions that can meet your company’s unique needs.
Too overwhelmed by the number of choices? While you can’t go wrong with any option on this list, take the time to think about your needs and consider the features you value most.
And don’t be afraid to try out different tools. Most have free trials or demos that allow you to get a feel for the platform and see if its features are a good fit for your company.
The right employee engagement software can foster open communication, create a sense of belonging, and give employees the support they need to perform at their best.
