By the start of 2024, only 33% of employees were engaged in their work and workplace.
This staggering statistic isn’t just a number – it’s a red flag for businesses. Low employee engagement leads to decreased productivity, higher turnover rates, and costly recruitment efforts. In fact, disengaged employees cost businesses billions in lost productivity each year.
Does this sound like a situation you’re facing? If so, you’re not alone. Companies everywhere are grappling with improving employee morale and fostering a more engaged workforce. The good news? Employee engagement software can help turn things around. These tools boost collaboration and communication and provide employees with a sense of purpose, which is crucial for boosting engagement.
In this article, we’ll dive into how employee engagement tools can help transform your workplace culture, reduce turnover, and increase overall productivity. We’ll also introduce some of the top-rated employee engagement platforms that are leading the way in 2025.
What are employee engagement tools?
Employee engagement is the depiction of the level of enthusiasm and commitment of workers to an organization. But how would one maintain or increase that engagement? That is where the employee engagement tools come in. These tools help organizations build a positive company culture, increase engagement, and prevent employee burnout.
Think of them more as a toolkit to keep your team motivated, connected, and aligned with the mission of your company. Equipped with the right employee engagement activities and ideas, these platforms enable managers to interact regularly with employees, seek feedback, and offer opportunities for growth and recognition. Be it through real-time surveys, collaboration features, or regular communication, these tools make employees feel valued, heard, and part of something meaningful.
Why does your company need an employee engagement solution?
So, why exactly should you invest in an employee engagement solution? Let’s face it: disengaged employees are more prone to burnout, which leads to low morale, poor productivity, and high turnover. It’s a very costly cycle that too many businesses have a hard time breaking. But here is the good news: the right employee engagement platform can help you stop that cycle before it starts.
Think of it this way: an employee engagement solution is a toolbox that will help you construct a strong, supportive, and engaged workforce. The platform offers managers tools to communicate regularly, collect feedback in real-time, and recognize employee achievements that help build a positive company culture. And when employees can feel valued and heard, they are much more likely to stick around and give their best effort.
But it’s not about keeping them from disengaging; it’s about creating an active, vibrant work environment. Here’s how an employee engagement solution can help:
Real-time feedback and pulse surveys
Let’s be honest: No person in his or her right mind enjoys waiting for that one annual review. With an employee engagement platform, you can get real-time feedback through pulse surveys – quick and routine check-ins where employees can have their say. This creates a feedback loop that keeps you on top of concerns before they become major issues. As a result, it makes employees feel their voices matter because they do!
Recognition and reward programs
Ever feel like your hard work goes unnoticed? Imagine a workplace where recognition is part of the culture. Thanks to an engagement platform, you can institute systems to ensure employee recognition and rewards. Whether it’s a shout-out in a team meeting or a digital badge for reaching a milestone, it’s the little things that go a long way in boosting morale. Don’t save it for the annual holiday party; make it part of your everyday routine.
Smoothened communication
Regular communication is essential for any team. It is not just about sending a few emails or having weekly meetings. With the right tools, you can provide an area where employees can easily communicate: ask questions, share ideas, and even collaborate on projects. Whether through built-in chat features or channels dedicated to team updates, these tools keep your employees connected to each other and to the company’s mission. And when your team feels connected, they’re more likely to stay engaged.
Employee development opportunities
Want to keep employees engaged? Invest in their growth. An employee engagement solution helps identify areas where employees want to develop and supports their journey with learning resources, training modules, and career advancement opportunities. When employees feel like they’re growing in their roles, they’re more likely to stay motivated and committed to the company’s success.
Data-driven insights
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. That’s why an employee engagement solution offers powerful analytics to track key metrics like employee satisfaction, turnover rates, and engagement trends. With this data, you can spot potential issues early, measure the effectiveness of your engagement initiatives, and adjust strategies as needed. It’s like having a GPS for employee engagement—always guiding you in the right direction.
Preventing burnout
Burnout is the silent killer of employee engagement. Overworked employees, unclear expectations, and a lack of support are surefire ways to burn out your staff. The beauty of an employee engagement platform is that it lets you monitor workloads, set clear goals, and check in with employees regularly. This proactive approach helps make sure your employees are working at a sustainable pace and feel supported every step of the way.
In a nutshell, an employee engagement solution isn’t a tool to measure satisfaction; rather, it’s a progressive, dynamic process that shapes a positive workplace culture. If employees feel engaged, appreciated, and supported, they will be more willing to stay with your organization and contribute to its success. So, are you ready to give your team the tools they need to thrive? The right platform enables you to build a community in which everyone – from the CEO to the newest hire – feels valued, connected, and motivated to do his or her best work.
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, which can also be migrated from Postgres to Redshift for better scalability and analysis, 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
11. Culture Amp
cultureamp.com
Culture Amp helps organizations create high-performing, culture-first workplaces by providing the right tools to measure employee engagement, performance, and well-being. Its platform makes it seamless to collect and analyze feedback via surveys and pulse checks, thus making actionable insights quick for HR teams to drive meaningful change.
It boasts an impressive library of science-backed survey templates and benchmarks that make it easy for managers to ask the right questions and benchmark their results against industry standards. In addition, Culture Amp offers a focus tool to identify priority areas for improvement so efforts can be strategic and impactful.
Key features:
- Off-the-shelf, science-backed survey templates
- Real-time engagement analytics and focus areas
- Performance management tools for reviews and 360° feedback
- Actionable insights to drive cultural improvements
- Access to a library of learning resources for HR teams
12. Qualtrics
qualtrics.com
Qualtrics is a leading company in employee engagement that provides strong tools to measure and improve the employees’ experience. With its Experience Management platform, organizations can understand employee feedback through every stage-from onboarding through exit interviews.
One of Qualtrics’ biggest positives is predictive analytics with the use of AI to identify your engagement drivers and problem areas before they become bigger issues. The integration capabilities with existing HR systems make it a seamless addition to your tech stack.
Key features:
- End-to-end employee lifecycle surveys
- AI-driven predictive analytics
- Customizable dashboards for engagement tracking
- Integration with popular HRIS platforms
- Tools to measure and improve employee satisfaction
13. SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey is a household name when it comes to collecting feedback, and for employee engagement, it works just as well. It offers easy-to-use tools to create custom surveys, polls, and quizzes that capture employee sentiment on the go.
SurveyMonkey also has pre-designed templates for employee engagement, saving time for HR teams to get started. With its user-friendly interface and in-depth reporting, teams can identify trends and act on feedback in no time.
Key features:
- Custom survey creation with drag-and-drop design
- Pre-built employee engagement survey templates
- Detailed reporting and analytics
- Mobile-friendly surveys for remote teams
- Integration with collaboration and HR tools
14. Leapsome
leapsome.com
Leapsome brings employee engagement, performance and development together in one intuitive platform. Known for its continuous feedback loop, Leapsome enables teams to give and receive real-time feedback while conducting engagement surveys and performance reviews.
Its analytics tools make it easy to measure engagement trends and provide actionable insights. Leapsome also focuses on growth, with customizable learning paths and career development tools that keep employees motivated and aligned with company goals.
Key features:
- Engagement surveys with customizable templates
- Continuous feedback and performance reviews
- Learning and development tools for employee growth
- Goal-setting and progress-tracking
- Analytics to measure engagement trends
15. Motivosity
motivosity.com
Motivosity takes a different approach to employee engagement: driving peer-to-peer recognition and positive workplace relationships. The platform gives employees the ability to celebrate others’ contributions and foster a sense of appreciation and belonging.
Beyond recognition, Motivosity offers engagement surveys, goal-setting, and insights into what keeps your team motivated. It’s designed to make work a little more human – and a lot more fun.
Key features include:
- Peer-to-peer recognition tools
- Goal-setting and alignment features
- Engagement surveys with real-time feedback
- Social features to build connections and foster collaboration
- Insights to measure and improve employee motivation
Conclusion
Choosing the right employee engagement platform does not have to be a nightmare. Think about what your team needs most right now. Do they need to improve the communication level? More frequency of feedback? Or is it some kind of appreciation? Whichever is your choice, this list contains the tool that does that for you.
Take things one step at a time. Most platforms offer free trials or demos, so feel free to try a few. Test the features, get feedback from your team, and see what feels like the best fit. Remember, the right employee engagement solution isn’t about checking boxes-it’s about creating a workplace where employees feel heard, valued, and motivated.
When employees feel connected and supported, they will give their all. And isn’t that the ultimate goal?
Ready to improve your team’s communication and engagement? Try Chanty for free and see how it can make a difference for your team!
