Employee Engagement Advice

The 7 Best Employee Engagement Software Tools for Happier, More Productive Teams in 2025

May 2, 2025

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5 min read

The 7 Best Employee Engagement Software Tools for Happier, More Productive Teams in 2025

Keeping employees engaged at work sounds simple—listen to feedback, make changes, and build a culture where people feel valued. 

But in practice? Not so smooth-sailing.

It's not the lack of trying—most teams send out surveys, hold town halls, and perhaps even throw in occasional pizza parties. But ask employees how they really feel, and the answers aren’t always glowing.

Here’s what tends to go wrong:

  • Teams ask for feedback, then do nothing with it
  • It’s tough to identify why engagement is low when all you’ve got are surface-level metrics
  • HR teams are juggling a million things and stuck using spreadsheets to manage it all
  • Internal surveys feel risky—without guaranteed anonymity, honesty takes a hit
  • Some platforms chase high engagement scores instead of real change
  • Even when you find good insights, they don't get translated into action

It’s frustrating—for employees, HR, and leadership alike. That’s where employee engagement software makes a difference. 

They help you gather honest feedback, spot what’s really going on, and push you to take timely action.

In this guide, we’ll explore the best employee engagement tools for 2025 and how to make them work for your team.

Benefits of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement directly impacts productivity, innovation, wellbeing, and customer satisfaction.
 

Engaged employees are more motivated, collaborative, and committed to their work, which translates into better performance and stronger business results.

On the flip side, disengaged employees can be costly. Gallup estimates that the global economy lost $8.9 trillion due to low engagement—that’s 9% of the global GDP! 

From lost productivity to higher turnover rates, the financial impact is drastic.

According to another Gallup study, the cost of replacing an employee can range from one-half to two times the employee's annual salary.

Organizations that fail to prioritize engagement often struggle with employee retention and maintaining a positive workplace culture.

When businesses listen to and act on employee perspectives, they’re better equipped to make informed decisions that benefit both the workforce and the bottom line.


Today’s workplace is also witnessing a major shift toward prioritizing employee wellbeing. As work-life balance, mental health, and flexibility take center stage, organizations that support these needs are more likely to thrive, especially in a competitive talent market.

Key Features to Look for in Top Employee Engagement Software

The right employee engagement software helps you listen, understand, and act on what your people need. Here are the features you should look for:

1. Comprehensive survey capabilities

Choose tools that support a range of surveys—from engagement to onboarding, exit, and organizational health check-ins.

Customizable templates let you tailor surveys to your business goals. Make sure the platform offers features like automated dispatching, reminders, and real-time tracking. Anonymity is another crucial aspect, as anonymous employee feedback tools encourage open and honest feedback.

2. Actionable analytics and reporting

Pick a platform that breaks down insights by department, role, or demographic, and uses AI to analyze sentiment in open-ended responses.

Visual tools like heatmaps help you spot trends fast. Bonus if it lets you benchmark against industry norms and shows how engagement affects productivity, performance, retention, and employee morale.

3. Built-in action planning

The best software for employee engagement helps you create and track action plans, assign ownership, and collaborate across teams.

Some tools suggest AI-generated next steps based on your data, giving you a headstart on driving improvement.

4. Continuous feedback tools

Engagement can’t be a once-a-year event. Look for pulse surveys and check-in features that help you stay connected with your team throughout the year.

Scheduled surveys are helpful—but so are real-time feedback tools that support ongoing conversations across the employee journey.

5. HR system integration

The employee engagement platform should integrate with your existing HRIS, allowing you to automate tasks such as triggering surveys after hiring, promotions, or exits. 

It also helps you design a more personalized feedback experience.

6. Focus on the entire employee experience

Top employee engagement platforms help you monitor how people feel during vital moments in their journey (e.g., onboarding, promotions, offboarding). They also assess broader organizational health factors like inclusion, stress, and work-life balance.

With these valuable insights, you can create a culture where people feel valued, supported, and aligned with the company’s goals.

Top 7 Tools for Employee Engagement in 2025 

Let's go over the best employee engagement solutions we’ve shortlisted for you: 

1. Engagesoft

Engagesoft is an employee engagement and experience platform that helps organizations collect regular feedback and analyze workforce data. 

Based on this data, the tool helps businesses take meaningful actions to improve employee satisfaction, performance, and retention.

These are the key features of Engagesoft that improve employee engagement: 

1. Make decisions with science-backed insights 


Engagesoft doesn’t rely on generic surveys or one-size-fits-all frameworks. It’s built on decades of research in organizational psychology and engagement. 

It draws from well-established models like Kahn’s Personal Engagement and Schaufeli’s Work Engagement, both of which have been validated in hundreds of studies.

Building on this foundation, Engagesoft uses the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) to define engagement through three key dimensions—vigor, dedication, and absorption. 

But Engagesoft doesn’t stop at theory. 

It has taken these actionable insights and built a practical, people-first model that helps employees with:

  • Job satisfaction
  • Organizational engagement
  • Being valued for their work

To help you support your people across these three pillars of engagement, Engagesoft offers a suite of powerful people insights tools:

  • Organization-wide analytics: Stay on top of employee engagement levels, eNPS surveys, and focus areas with continuous tracking across key metrics. Easily spot what’s working and where attention is needed.
  • Employee segment analytics: Dive deeper into specific groups using heatmaps, organizational charts, and lifecycle data. Identify emerging priorities and tailor your approach by department, role, or tenure.
  • Sentiment and comment analysis: Let AI do the heavy lifting with automated tagging that analyzes open-ended feedback, highlights trending topics, and maps sentiment—visualized through intuitive word clouds.
  • Diagnostics and alerts: A smart alert system flags potential issues in real time, from declining engagement to employee turnover risks. You can investigate root causes quickly and take action before problems escalate.

Engagesoft’s science-backed systems give HR teams confidence in the survey findings and help them justify strategic decisions to leadership.

2. Transform feedback into tangible action with integrated action planning


Collecting employee feedback is just the beginning—turning it into action is where the real value lies. 

Engagesoft makes this easy with integrated action planning, allowing you to create customized plans directly from survey insights. Engagesoft’s AI can also suggest relevant action items based on your data, helping you implement meaningful changes at scale. 

Managers and HR teams can update action plan statuses, add comments, track milestones, and monitor progress in real time. 

To check the effectiveness of these actions, Engagesoft deploys pulse surveys—short, regular check-ins that measure engagement and track the success of initiatives. By collecting ongoing feedback, acting on it, and then seeking feedback on those improvements, you create a continuous feedback loop.

3. Get end-to end survey management and expert guidance 


From start to finish, Engagesoft takes care of the survey logistics—sending out surveys, collecting responses, and pushing automated reminders. The platform tailors its approach to meet local needs. For example, in Saudi Arabia, Engagesoft offers a local SMS service to boost participation. 

You can choose from a thoughtfully designed bank of questions rooted in what actually drives engagement, or build your own to address specific teams, topics, or challenges. 

But what really sets Engagesoft apart is the human touch. The team works alongside you during the planning phase to understand your organization’s goals and reporting needs and offers consultation at the end of the project to help you take the next steps. 

And there you have it—a smoother survey management process and one less thing on your HR team’s plate.

4. Understand the entire employee journey with comprehensive employee experience surveys


One annual survey won’t give you the full picture. With Engagesoft’s employee experience surveys, you can gather feedback throughout the employee lifecycle—from onboarding, post-probation, training, performance reviews, promotions, to offboarding.

Engagesoft integrates with your HRIS, so surveys are automatically triggered by key events like new hires or the end of probation periods. What does this mean for HR? You’re always capturing insights at key touchpoints and learning from them. 

Regular check-ins help you spot what’s working, uncover pain points early, understand the reasons behind departures, and respond to employee needs in real time.  It’s a great way to keep engagement high, create a positive work culture, and reduce surprise turnovers.

Want to see Engageoft in action? Book a demo today for a personalized walkthrough.

Who it's best for


Engagesoft is best suited for mid-sized to large organizations, particularly enterprise-level companies, with over 300 employees. The platform is useful for both the private and government sectors.

Pros

  • Fully customizable surveys, comprehensive insights, and action plans tailored to your company’s goals and culture
  • Multi-language support to engage your global workforce 
  • Industry and regional benchmarking to see how your engagement scores compare to peers

Cons

  • May not be a good fit for small companies with a limited workforce

Pricing


Contact us for customized pricing

Why it stands out in 2025

  • AI tools: One of the latest additions to Engagesoft is its built-in AI, designed to make feedback more actionable. It analyzes employee comments, suggests next steps through smart action plans, and helps identify churn risks
  • Localized support: Engagesoft pairs its platform with hands-on advisory services. Clients can easily reach out via WhatsApp for quick support, and for those in Saudi Arabia, the Engagesoft team prioritizes in-person meetings

2. Officevibe

Source: Officevibe by Workleap

Officevibe by Workleap is a smart employee engagement tool that helps companies understand how teams feel and identify ways to improve communication bottlenecks. 

It sits inside the Workleap ecosystem, which gives you native integrations with performance review systems and interactive organization charts.

Key features 


1. Pulse surveys:
With Officevibe, you can understand real-time employee sentiments by sending bite-size pulse surveys that don’t create distractions. By contextualizing and tracking continuous feedback, you can prevent miscommunications. 

2. Automated onboarding surveys: Officevibe improves engagement metrics by automatically sending onboarding surveys to new employees and monthly surveys to gauge DEIB programs.

3. Recognition cards: You can revamp your company culture by creating recognition cards that align with your company values. You can add personal messages to highlight wins and nudge employees to share milestones.

Who it's best for


Officevibe is great for mid-market and globally distributed teams that collect a lot of feedback and survey data.

Pros 

  • Easy to use and thoughtfully designed UI to help HR teams/managers to create and track surveys
  • The Workleap platform integrates with HR tech and communication tools, allowing Officevibe to be set up and run smoothly 
  • Anonymous feedback to encourage employees to share their thoughts without fear of retaliation

Cons

  • Teams organization can be clunky, which can complicate the jobs of HR 

Pricing


Officevibe only:
$6.25/user/month

Workleap suite: $12.00/user/month (annual commitment)

Why it stands out in 2025 


As part of Workleap, Officevibe has continued to improve core features while adding new tools. The workflow refinements and expanded integrations are big reasons why companies choose Officevibe in 2025. 

3. Culture Amp

Source: Culture Amp

Culture Amp helps you improve company culture by analyzing employee emotions through surveys. 

After that, it fixes productivity with retention metrics with 1-on-1 conversations, shoutouts, and performance insights. 

Key features 


1. Easy-to-sort survey results:
Instantly access AI powered takeaways from survey answers sorted by sentiments and most popular topics. 

2. Pre-made templates: Ready-to-use survey templates help you edit and deploy surveys in minutes.

 3. Benchmarking: Add context to feedback by comparing it with other leading organizations and taking actions based on your position. 

Who it's best for


Culture Amp works best for companies with a distinct office culture that needs a few tweaks. Large organizations with complex structures can extract most value out of it. 

Pros 

  • Helps managers develop leadership skills through coaching 
  • Enables you to align survey goals to organizational structure so departments are on the same page
  • Reduces churn by turning data into career development plans

Cons

  • Can become complicated in the absence of people with domain knowledge 
  • Limited language support for employee engagement surveys

Pricing


Custom pricing

Why it stands out in 2025


Culture Amp focuses on improving the company culture by surfacing employee emotions, benchmarking performances, and creating plans to develop new skills. All of these are key challenges in 2025 and Culture Amp’s science-backed surveys aim to solve them.

4. Lattice

Source: Lattice

Lattice is one of the most popular HR platforms in the employment engagement and productivity space. From onboarding and pulse surveys to AI analysis, Lattice helps you collect feedback across employee lifecycles and make smart decisions.

Key features 


1. Manage feedback loops:
Lattice lets you work with managers to close the feedback loop and address issues raised by employees.

2. Make data-backed decisions: Connect the engagement data to performance metrics, OKRs, and goals to prevent churn and increase contribution. 

3. Create opportunities: Set up employee development opportunities and use the data to run fair compensation reviews.

Who it's best for


Lattice is ideal for large businesses and enterprises that use HRIS tools and require consistent analytics across employee performance, workforce growth, and payroll management.

Pros 

  • Incredibly detailed HR platform for businesses with complex hierarchies
  • Goal setting at every step to improve team focus 
  • The 1-on-1 meetings work seamlessly, and they integrate with feedback data and growth trajectory

Cons

  • Key engagement features are locked as add-ons

Pricing


Talent Management:
$11/ seat/mo (with add-ons)

Why it stands out in 2025


Purely based on talent management features, Lattice is neither cost-effective nor simple. But as a comprehensive HR platform, it reduces the need for separate tools.

5. 15Five

Source: 15Five

15Five is a performance management system that combines HR dashboards and employee engagement systems. It predicts the impact on engagement, so you can accurately focus on specific groups and devise strategies accordingly.

Key features 


1. Easy survey management:
Customize and send surveys across the organization and gather real-time insights on how employees feel about the workplace.

2. Predict obstacles: Stay ahead of the curve by predicting engagement challenges and proactively fixing flaws in company culture. 

3. Check staff inputs: Use 15Five’s calibration engine to consistently review employee contributions. 

Who it's best for


15Five is best for businesses that want to save money by predicting engagement challenges before they occur. It’s best for startups and mid-size businesses that can’t afford talent churn.

Pros 

  • 15Five allows you to connect engagement data to company goals and act on AI-powered recommendations 
  • Helps managers be more impactful by going through effectiveness indicators 
  • Connects with popular HRIS systems such as Deel, BambooHR, HiBob, ADP, Slack, and Salesforce

Cons

  • 1-on-1 meetings aren’t as intuitive as other tools 
  • Limited language support for translations

Pricing


Engage:
$4/user/month

Total Platform: $16/user/month

Why it stands out in 2025


15Five’s advanced analytics is one of the most accurate and detailed among its competitors, making it a popular choice in 2025.

6. Leapsome

Source: 15Five

Leapsome is another AI-powered people management platform that runs continuous and periodic employee surveys, reviews performances, and helps HR automate tasks. It assigns dedicated mentors to review feedback and support growth.

Key features 


1. Promote mutual appreciation:
Create a culture of appreciation by encouraging employees to contribute to the publicly available Praise Wall.

2. Turn data into action: Extract key insights from feedback data and let AI generate action plans.

3. Encourage career advancements: Create a competency framework for your company and help employees visualize career growth. 

Who it's best for


Leapsome is great for businesses that want to improve employee engagement, development, and productivity metrics, along with time tracking and payroll. 

Pros 

  • Improve survey participation by tweaking participation analytics 
  • Measure employee performance and refine payroll systems 
  • From Humi, Paylocity, and UKG to Ceridian Dayforce—integrate with all popular HRIS tools

Cons

  • Adjusting hierarchies between different levels of goals and learning outcomes might not always be seamless 
  • Even though Leapsome integrates with Google Calendar, it skips other Google app integrations

Pricing


Custom pricing

Why it stands out in 2025


Leapsome is a comprehensive talent management platform for companies. It links several departments, reducing the need to switch between many apps to run your business.

7. Motivosity

Source: Motivosity

Motivosity puts recognition and rewards at the front and centre of employee engagement, helping businesses get the most out of their workforce. From wellness programs to ERGs and leadership development—with Motivosity, you can drive participation and manage outreach programs in one place.

Key features 


1. Personalize engagement:
Use Motivosity Spaces, a shared space for common interests and hobbies, to engage employees on a more personal level.

2. Provide incentives: Reduce survey fatigue by offering rewards for participation and tracking data to adjust the rewards. 

3. Run strategies on autopilot: From managing service awards, recognition schedules, to addressing challenges—you can automate recognition strategies while keeping the personal touch.

Who it's best for


Motivosity is best for companies that are on board with the idea of direct rewards to improve employee engagement and well-being. Companies that struggle with team participation and want a quick turnaround will find Motivosity useful.

Pros 

  • Neatly designed and globally supported employee rewards and gifting platform
  • Let customers use QR codes and links to appreciate good services provided by employees 
  • Schedule program reports to be automatically emailed to executive teams

Cons

  • Analytics aren’t as streamlined or easy to access as competitors 
  • The mobile apps are not as intuitive as the browser version

Pricing


SMB bundle:
$4/user/month ($3,000 minimum spend, includes four recognition and rewards programs)

Custom: Pick your recognition and reward programs for a custom quote

Why it stands out in 2025


Motivosity uses fun and low-stakes ways to keep people engaged and motivated. It’s one of the few tools that has reinvented peer-to-peer recognition and incentive programs, making it super relevant in 2025.

How to Choose the Right Employee Engagement Tool


A tool’s features are important, but there are other things to consider when finalizing your staff engagement software. 

Here’s what you should keep in mind:

Company size and structure

Think about your company’s size and complexity. 

Are you a growing organization with multiple departments and locations? You’ll need a tool that can provide deep insights at various levels. 

If you're a smaller team, you’d want to prioritize simplicity and quick implementation. 

At the end of the day, you’ll need to choose a tool that suits your needs and aligns with your engagement strategy.

Ease of use

Look for something with an intuitive interface that employees and managers can quickly adopt. 

A seamless user experience leads to higher participation and more valuable feedback.

You don’t want to choose a tool that has you spending more time on setting it up than actually using it.

Pricing

The tool needs to provide good value for your organization. Look for flexible pricing models that align with your company’s budget and growth plans. 

Compare what’s included in the price, such as customization options and analytics, to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment.

Support and advisory services

Strong support can make or break your experience with the tool. 

Check if the vendor offers comprehensive guidance, both during setup and as you start interpreting results. You need a partner who helps you maximize the tool’s potential for long-term success.

Best Practices for Using Employee Engagement Tools


To turn feedback into impact, you need a thoughtful approach that goes beyond just running surveys. Here are some best practices to help you get the most out of your tool:

a. Communicate the why

Before launching surveys, let your team know why you’re using the tool, how their feedback will be used, and what changes they can expect to see. When people understand the purpose, they’re more likely to participate and be honest.

b. Prioritize anonymity and trust

Employees need to feel safe sharing candid feedback. Make it clear that responses are anonymous and confidential. Using a trusted third-party platform like Engagesoft reinforce that sense of security.

c. Drive participation

Encourage strong response rates by explaining how their input makes a difference. Send timely reminders and track participation by team or manager to spot where extra encouragement might be needed.

d. Take action on feedback

Use action planning tools to set clear, measurable goals based on the feedback you receive. Bring managers and department leads into the process so actions are owned and executed.

e. Keep the conversation going

Engagement isn’t a once-a-year event. Mix in regular pulse surveys to keep a finger on the pulse of your teams. Use built-in analytics, such as heatmaps and sentiment analysis, to spot trends and opportunities over time.

f. Close the loop

Always share the results and next steps. When employees see that their voices lead to real change, they’re more likely to stay engaged and participate in future surveys.

FAQs

What are the benefits of using an employee engagement tool?

These tools give you a clear picture of how your people feel about working in your organization. They help you identify what’s driving (or hindering) engagement, reduce turnover, improve employee and business performance, and support a healthy work culture. They make collecting and acting on feedback faster and more efficient than manual methods.

How do employee engagement tools work?

Most tools start with surveys, delivered via email or an app. They then analyze responses, often with dashboards, heatmaps, and sentiment analysis. Some also include action planning features, so you can go from insight to impact without missing a beat.

Are employee engagement surveys anonymous?

Yes. Trusted tools like Engagesoft ensure anonymity, encouraging honest feedback. They use end-to-end encryption and avoid storing data with personally identifiable information (PII).

How often should we run surveys?

There’s no one-size-fits-all. Many organizations use a mix of annual surveys and shorter pulse check-ins throughout the year. For instance, tools like Engagesoft support check-ins at key moments, like onboarding or exit.

Will using a tool automatically boost engagement?

Not automatically. The tool gives you the insights, but it’s your response that drives change. Real impact comes from listening actively, following through with actions, and building a workplace where people feel heard and supported.

Wrapping Up

Engaged teams don’t happen by chance. They’re built with intention, insight, and the right tools.

The platforms we’ve mentioned above are designed to keep your workforce happy, improve engagement, boost productivity, and promote retention. 

But if you're looking for software that goes beyond the basics, Engagesoft stands out. With a suite of features like end-to-end survey management, tracking engagement across employee lifecycle, powerful analytics, and personalized support every step of the way, Engagesoft can be your strategic partner. 

Book a demo with us and experience it for yourself.

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