Top 11 Employee Experience Software Solutions — 2023

In a recently updated article, Josh Bersin describes new workforce issues, including rising voluntary turnover rate and falling employee productivity. His answer? The employee experience platform. 

Simply put, an employee experience platform isn’t a single suite like an HCM. It’s a group of solutions working together to help your HR team create an overall better employee lifecycle. As such, the use cases for employee experience software will range based on your HR department’s needs. But there are a few general reasons to seek these solutions out: 

• Increased retention: If employees like their workplace, feel challenged, and have the potential to grow in their career, it’s likely they will stick around longer. Employee experience software focuses on those areas, and might track your company’s shortcomings so you can make a change.
• Heightened productivity: It’s no secret that engaged employees get more done than disengaged employees. Employee experience software poses the question of how to engage employees so you can see higher output from your whole organization.
• Better business output: The work your employees do directly affects how your business performs. Why not make their experience better so they want to be a more active part of your success?
• Boosted employee satisfaction: This might sound like a no-brainer, but employee experience software can help your employees feel contentment at work. Leaving all productivity and monetary gains aside, wanting to make your employees happy is a noble pursuit in itself. Companies with high rates of employee satisfaction tend to bring in the best talent too.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of buying the right software and thinking your problems are solved automatically. That’s a major oversight! There are many obstacles to overcome, especially when just introducing an employee experience platform. As such, here are a few things to look out for:

• Over-reliance on software: Software isn’t a miracle worker. If your culture is struggling, you’ll need to do more than sign a contract with a tech vendor. Diagnose the problem below the surface, then use that information to guide you to the right software solution.
• Not defining your goals: Similar to the previous bullet, you won’t accomplish much if you don’t have a firm idea of what you’re trying to accomplish. Find your problem, then set a few goals along the way to measure the success of your efforts.
• Not measuring employee data: Goals have to be measurable so you can track success. Make sure you use KPIs like retention rate or employee satisfaction to recognize the difference your employee experience software makes.
• Not integrating across your tech stack: As HR grows more data-centric, the more you know about your workforce, the better. Using data from all of your systems creates a holistic view of your organization. Make sure they’re cleanly integrated for easy access.

As with any software purchase, it will be easier to get buy-in from upper management if you’re able to clearly explain benefits and ROI. Employee experience software, as its name suggests, aims to benefit the employee experience. 

Measuring experience isn’t perfect, as employee satisfaction and happiness are nearly intangible metrics. However, there are a few different categories of data that can provide higher-ups with enough information to know that your new software is making a difference.

• Better retention rate: It can cost 6 to 9 months salary to replace an employee. Keeping top talent in-house is incredibly valuable. You’ll get your finger on the pulse of organizational health by checking how many employees are jumping ship and how quickly after hire.
• Positive employee feedback: Surveys are a solid way to keep track of employee satisfaction. If you’re getting positive anonymous feedback, you’re likely doing a good job. 
• Heightened employer branding: What do your former employees say about you? Are your current employees referring people from their networks to open roles? If your employee experience initiative is working, you should hear nothing but positive things, and as a result, you will see more people want to apply to work for you.
• Higher candidate conversion rate: Keep an eye on how many candidates make it all the way through your application process. If close to 100% are completing applications, it’s likely because your company is a desirable place to work.
• Active social media followers: Are employees sharing LinkedIn posts or retweeting your company’s tweets? While this might not seem like much of an ROI at first, you’ll soon realize it goes hand-in-hand with employer branding.

Employee experience software includes a wide variety of tools. Therefore, the pricing structures are going to be very different depending on whether it’s an engagement tool, onboarding software, or other types of HR tech. 

However, there is a common thread with the vendors on this page. They are on a subscription basis, most of them operating on a per-employee-per-month or per-user-per-month basis. This means that the price will automatically take your business size into account. 

There may be additional implementation fees, training and coaching costs, and other charges to look out for when demoing a product.

Employee experience software hosts many different features, mainly because there are so many different types of software under the landscape’s umbrella. Let’s break down key features that the vendors on our shortlist offer:

• Pulse surveys: Employee surveys check-in to see how you’re doing as an employer. If the employee response rate is high, you can get a really in-depth look at their thoughts and feelings so you can adjust your plans accordingly. The vendors on this list provide templates or customizable surveys that you can send out on a schedule or when you feel necessary.
• Rewards & recognition: Certain vendors on our shortlist provide different types of rewards to incentivize good work, like gift cards or extra time off. When employees feel appreciated for their work, they’ll stay with your company longer and often be more productive during work hours. 
• Employee directory and org chart: Directories and org charts make it easier for employees to connect with others across your company. Detailed employee profiles display contact information as well as more personal information like birthdays and fun facts. 
• Social media-style activity feeds: Many of the vendors on this list engage employees through a newsfeed not unlike Facebook or Twitter. Employees can share their thoughts or recognize each other for achievements, while employers can share news and updates.
• Onboarding tools: The employee experience starts at onboarding. Automated workflows and self-service portals simplify the process and ease the pain of paperwork.
• Training and coaching: Growth is an important aspect of employee experience. A few vendors on this list offer training and coaching programs to provide employees with chances to learn and connect with leadership to benefit their long-term career.
• Performance management: You’ll be able to track employee performance over time by pulling data from surveys, manager feedback, and more. By doing so, you can diagnose any problems with an employee’s performance or recognize them for work well done.‍
• Wellness: Whether mental, physical, or financial, employee wellness is extremely important to maintaining a healthy work environment. These types of tools provide employees with important resources that will also benefit them outside the office. Employers in return see higher retention and productivity rates.

Software purchases are big decisions, especially when it comes to software that may affect your employees’ day-to-day working lives. It’s incredibly important to try before you buy. This is typically done through a demo with someone on the vendor’s product or sales team. 

Write down your company’s key considerations and goals in preparation for the demo call. Then, craft the questions to ask that get to the heart of those considerations. If you need a place to start, here are some suggestions for questions to ask:

• Will your software fit seamlessly into my current tech stack?
• Do you have strong data on how your software has helped employee attrition?
• Do you just consider your solution to be employee engagement software, or is it a wider suite?
• How will your software boost engagement?
• How will the workflows from this solution automate my processes?
• How good is your user experience, especially because I want my entire company to adopt this solution?
• How positive has customer experience been?
• What’s the implementation process like?

Implementation will vary based on the solution. Some solutions on this page are apps you simply have to download and sign up for. Others are entire software suites that require an implementation team and a longer process. During demos, be sure to ask what the timeline is, if there are additional fees, if there is a dedicated support team, and how the rollout is executed.

What is employee experience software?

Employee experience software is any solution designed to enhance your workforce’s day-to-day. 

What makes a good employee experience software?

A good employee experience software positively impacts your workforce, while also providing value to your business. Employees who are happier in their day-to-day work are more likely to stay with your company longer and tend to be more productive. Therefore, your company doesn’t lose money to turnover and will actually make more money thanks to productivity.

Why are different types of employee experience software?

Types of employee experience software include engagement tools, wellness apps, employee directories, social networks, EAPs, rewards & recognition software, learning management systems, and performance management platforms.