Use this checklist to compare HiThrive with other employee recognition and culture-building platforms. Assess key features, functionality, and impact to ensure you choose a solution that truly meets your organization's needs.

1. Core Recognition & Engagement Features

□ Shoutouts & Peer Recognition – Can employees easily recognize each other in real time?

□ Automated Celebrations – Are birthdays, work anniversaries, and milestones automatically recognized?

□ Spot Celebrations – Can managers send on-demand and pre-templated recognitions?

□ Nomination Programs – Does the platform support structured nomination campaigns with approval workflows?

□ Challenges & Culture Initiatives – Can you run engagement-driven challenges (e.g., wellness, team-building)?

□ Rewards & Incentives – Does the platform offer a diverse rewards marketplace?

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2. Ease of Use & Adoption

□ Seamless Integrations – Does it integrate with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and HRIS systems?

□ User-Friendly Interface – Is the platform intuitive for employees and administrators?

□ Multi-Platform Access – Can employees engage via web, mobile, and chat platforms?

□ Customization – Can you tailor messaging, branding, and workflows to fit your culture?

□ Onboarding & Training – Does the vendor offer onboarding support and ongoing training resources?

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3. Administration & Automation

□ HRIS Integration – Does it sync user data, reporting structures, and permissions automatically?

□ Budgeting & Permissions – Can admins set budgets, track spending, and control access levels?

□ Automation Capabilities – Can recognition and reward processes run with minimal manual effort?

□ Manager Dashboards – Can managers track engagement trends and employee participation?

□ Security & Compliance – Does the platform meet enterprise security and compliance standards?

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4. Reporting & Analytics

□ Engagement Metrics – Can you track recognition trends and employee participation?

□ Program ImpactMeasurement – Are there insights into how recognition influences retention and morale?

□ CustomReporting – Can admins and HR teams generate detailed reports?

□ Benchmarking & Insights – Does the platform provide industry comparisons and recommendations?

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5. Rewards & Fulfillment

□ Global Availability – Can employees redeem rewards worldwide?

□ Gift Cards – Does the platform offer a variety of gift card options from popular brands?

□ Swag & Branded Merchandise – Can companies offer custom-branded items as rewards?

□ Physical Products – Are tangible rewards available beyond digital redemptions?

□ Seamless Fulfillment – Does the platform handle order processing and delivery for rewards?

□ Custom Reward Options – Can companies add their own unique rewards to the system

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6. Implementation & Program Design

□ Guided Onboarding – Does the vendor provide structured onboarding support to ensure a smooth implementation?

□ Program Customization – Can you tailor recognition workflows, approval processes, and branding to fit your company culture?

□ Admin & Manager Enablement – Are there tools, guides, or training resources to help leaders drive engagement?

□ Adoption Strategies – Does the platform offer playbooks or best practices to maximize participation?

□ Scalability for Growth – Can the platform evolve with your team’s needs over time?

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7. Scalability & Long-Term Fit

□ Scalable for Growth – Can the platform support small teams and large enterprises alike?

□ Flexibility for Global Teams – Does it support multiple languages, currencies, and distributed teams?

□ Continuous Product Innovation – Is the vendor actively improving and expanding the platform?

□ Customer Support & Success – Does the vendor provide dedicated support and a roadmap for long-term success?

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Final Considerations

□ Does the platform align with your company culture and values?

□ Are employees excited about using the tool?

□ Will it reduce administrative burden or create more work for HR?

□ Does it provide clear ROI and measurable impact on engagement?

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Pro Tip: A great recognition platform should feel like a natural extension of your company culture—not just another tool employees are expected to use. The right choice will drive engagement, foster a sense of belonging, and make recognition a core part of daily work life.

Looking to see how HiThrive stacks up? Schedule a demo to explore how we can help you build a thriving workplace culture.