Best Employee Engagement Software
Understand what your team really thinks—and act on it before they leave
By Toolradar Editorial Team · Updated
Culture Amp leads for comprehensive engagement analytics and action planning. Lattice combines engagement with performance management well. 15Five offers excellent value focused on continuous feedback and check-ins. Officevibe is great for smaller teams wanting simple pulse surveys. Pick based on whether you need standalone engagement or integrated people management.
Employee engagement software emerged because annual surveys weren't cutting it. By the time you discovered problems, people had already left. Modern platforms enable continuous feedback, pulse surveys, and real-time insight into team health. But tools alone don't fix engagement—they reveal issues you need to actually address. Here's how to choose the right platform for genuine improvement.
What is Employee Engagement Software?
Engagement platforms measure how connected, motivated, and committed employees feel. They typically combine surveys (pulse checks, annual surveys, lifecycle surveys), analytics, benchmarking, and action planning tools. Some integrate with performance management, 1-on-1s, and recognition. The goal: understand engagement drivers and take targeted action.
Why Engagement Software Matters
Engaged employees perform better, stay longer, and create better customer experiences. Disengaged employees cost you—in productivity, turnover, and culture. But you can't improve what you don't measure. Engagement software provides the data to understand problems, track trends, and measure whether interventions actually work.
Key Features to Look For
Short, frequent check-ins to track engagement trends over time
Visualize engagement data by team, department, and demographic
Compare your scores against industry and company-size peers
Tools to identify priorities and track improvement initiatives
Protect employee identity while enabling honest feedback
Enable managers to see team results and take action
Connect engagement to goals, reviews, and development
Peer recognition and appreciation features
Key Factors to Consider
Evaluation Checklist
Pricing Overview
Officevibe Essential $3.50/mo, 15Five Engage $4/mo, Lattice Engagement add-on $4/mo
Culture Amp custom ~$5-8/mo, 15Five Perform $10/mo, Lattice Performance $11/mo
15Five Total Platform $16/mo, Lattice full suite $17+/mo
Top Picks
Based on features, user feedback, and value for money.
Companies with 200+ employees serious about data-driven people decisions
Companies wanting engagement surveys integrated with performance reviews and goals
Teams prioritizing ongoing manager-employee feedback over annual surveys
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Surveying without closing the loop — The #1 cause of survey fatigue is asking for feedback then doing nothing visible. After every survey, share results and 2-3 specific actions within 2 weeks
- ×
Over-surveying without purpose — Weekly pulses are too much for most organizations. Quarterly 5-10 question pulses with annual deep-dives is the sweet spot. Each survey should have a clear 'what will we do with this data?' answer
- ×
Breaking anonymity trust — Showing results for teams with fewer than 5 respondents or pressuring teams with low response rates destroys trust. Set anonymity thresholds at 5+ and never investigate who said what
- ×
Making HR solely own engagement — Engagement is driven by direct managers, not HR programs. Equip managers with team-level data and action tools—Culture Amp and Lattice both enable this
- ×
Benchmark obsession over trend tracking — Scoring 72% when industry average is 68% means little. A consistent 3-point improvement quarter over quarter matters more than absolute scores
Expert Tips
- →
Close the loop within 14 days — Share survey results with the whole company, then have each team discuss their specific results. Culture Amp's research shows companies that close the loop see 10+ point engagement increases
- →
Focus on 2-3 improvement areas max — Don't try to fix everything. Pick the 2-3 drivers with the biggest gap between importance and satisfaction. Both Culture Amp and Lattice surface these automatically
- →
Train managers to discuss results, not defend them — Most managers take low scores personally. Train them to say 'thanks for the feedback, let's discuss' instead of explaining why scores are wrong
- →
Measure manager effectiveness — Gallup research shows managers account for 70% of variance in engagement scores. Track engagement by team and coach managers whose teams consistently score low
- →
Connect engagement to business metrics — Track the correlation between engagement scores and retention, productivity, and customer satisfaction. This data keeps executive sponsorship alive and justifies the investment
Red Flags to Watch For
- !No minimum anonymity threshold or configurable threshold below 5 respondents—employees won't give honest feedback in small teams
- !Results only visible to HR, not managers—engagement improves when managers own team results and take action directly
- !No action planning tools beyond raw data—showing managers a score without guidance on what to do creates frustration, not improvement
- !Locked into annual survey cadence with no pulse option—annual surveys miss trends and deliver stale data
The Bottom Line
Culture Amp (from ~$5/employee/month) leads for sophisticated engagement analytics with 6,000+ company benchmarks. Lattice ($11+/person/month) makes sense when you want engagement integrated with performance management in one platform. 15Five ($4/user/month) offers the best value for continuous feedback-focused approaches. Officevibe ($3.50/person/month) is simplest for small teams wanting basic pulse surveys. The tool matters far less than commitment to acting on what surveys reveal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should we survey employees?
Most effective: quarterly pulse surveys (5-10 questions) with annual deep-dives. Weekly is too much for most organizations. The key is surveying at a frequency where you can actually act on results before asking again.
What's a good engagement score?
Industry averages hover around 65-70%. Above 75% is strong. But your trend matters more—consistent improvement is better than a high static number. Focus on action, not hitting an arbitrary benchmark.
Can employees really be anonymous?
Good platforms have minimum response thresholds (usually 5+) before showing team results, preventing individual identification. But employees may still worry, especially in small teams. Build trust through consistent, non-punitive response to feedback.
Related Guides
Ready to Choose?
Compare features, read reviews, and find the right tool.