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Employee Recognition & Rewards RFP Guide

The right employee recognition
platform is out there.

Here's how to find it.

Wherever you are in the evaluation process, there's something
here for you. Free, honest, and built by people who talk to
HR teams about this every day.

How far along is your search for recognition software?

Pick the one that fits and we'll point you to the right resource.

Option 01

Just starting to look around.

You know something isn't working. You're not sure what to look for yet.

Take me to Stage 1
Option 2

Actively evaluating vendors.

You're in it. You just need a better framework to get to a decision.

Take me to Stage 2
Option 3

Ready to send an RFP.

You know what you want. You just need the right template to send it.

Take me to Stage 3
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Start where you are. Move at your pace.

Each resource is built for a different stage of the process. Start with the one that fits where you are today.

Just starting to look around
Not sure where to begin? Start here
Start here if you're early in the process. These resources will help you figure out what you need before you talk to a single vendor.
2 resources · Free
Recognition & Rewards Software Buyer's Checklist
Five steps to scope your needs, build internal buy-in, and ask the right questions before you commit.
Get the checklist
or
How to Write an RFP for Employee Recognition Software
New to vendor evaluations? This covers the whole process in plain language.
Learn the process
Actively evaluating vendors
Ready to run a real evaluation? Start here.
This gives you a proven process to follow from your first vendor conversation to a final decision.
PDF Guide · Free
The Complete Guide to Writing an RFP for Employee Recognition Software
  • How to scope requirements before writing a single question
  • A stakeholder alignment checklist
  • The 6 RFP categories every recognition evaluation needs to cover
  • How to structure vendor scoring so the final decision is defensible
Build your framework
Ready to send an RFP
Know what you want? Here's your template.
Skip the blank page. This template is built specifically for recognition software evaluations with the right questions and criteria already written in.
Downloadable Template · Ready to customize
Employee Recognition Software RFP Template
  • Pre-written RFP questions across every key evaluation category
  • Scoring and weighting guidance built in
  • Sections for integrations, support, reporting, and program strategy
  • A vendor response format that makes comparison straightforward
Write your RFP

From vendor evaluation to real results. 

Organizations like yours that did their research, made the call, and built recognition programs that drive measurable results.

Read their story
Arrowhead Credit Union
Wellabe
American Eagle Financial Credit Union
Schoox
Alarm.com
Perform[cb]
Arrowhead Credit Union
Wellabe
American Eagle Financial Credit Union
Schoox
Alarm.com
Perform[cb]

Your RFP is welcome here.

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Choose employee recognition that earns recognition.

Teams that chose WorkTango stand behind it. Award winning employee recognition recognized consistently across the industry's most trusted review sites.

Frequently asked questions about employee recognition vendor evaluation

An employee recognition software RFP should cover six categories:

  1. Recognition capabilities

  2. Rewards catalog quality and economics  

  3. Incentives and behavior-driving programs

  4. Reporting and leader dashboards, integrations (HRIS, Slack, Teams, SSO)

  5. Implementation and ongoing support.

The most commonly missed category is rewards economics. Ask every vendor whether they charge on point issuance or redemption, and what markup percentage applies to the rewards catalog. Some platforms consume 20 to 40 percent of a rewards budget in fees before an employee redeems a single reward. WorkTango charges zero markup and bills on redemption rather than issuance.

Ask three questions during any vendor evaluation:

  1. Do you charge on point issuance or redemption?
  2. What is your markup percentage on the rewards catalog?
  3. Are there service fees beyond the software license?

On a $200,000 annual rewards budget, a 30 percent markup model means approximately $60,000 that never reaches employees. WorkTango charges zero markup on rewards, bills on redemption rather than issuance, and includes all features in the base license.

Confirm these are included before signing: peer-to-peer and manager recognition, automated milestone celebrations, an incentives portal, a global rewards catalog, leadership dashboards and analytics, custom roles and permissioning, Slack and Teams integrations, and dedicated customer support. Also ask every vendor how they are actively investing in AI, specifically whether AI features are live in the product today or still on the roadmap, and whether those features actually reduce work for HR or just add more noise. These are the features most commonly gated behind higher tiers or sold as add-ons. WorkTango includes all of them in the base license.

Compare vendors across three axes: rewards economics (markup rates, billing model, service fees), feature depth at the base license level (not what the demo shows but what the base price includes), and platform scope (whether surveys and insights are available in the same contract or require a separate vendor). WorkTango holds a 4.9-star rating on Capterra across 158 reviews, scoring higher than the category average on both Features and Value for Money.

Ask every vendor these questions before making a decision:

  1. What is your markup on the rewards catalog, and do you charge on issuance or redemption?
  2. What do reward options look like for employees? Are there meaningful options for every individual regardless of location? Is on-demand, custom company swag offered in the reward catalog?
  3. Which features are included in the base license versus gated at higher tiers?
  4. How does your platform support leader accountability, not just employee participation?
  5. What HRIS platforms do you integrate with, and how long does integration take?
  6. What does your implementation timeline look like week by week?
  7. What does customer success include after go-live?
  8. Do you offer an integrated employee survey solution, or is that a separate contract?

ROI for recognition programs is typically measured across three areas:

  1. Retention savings. Reduced voluntary turnover and lower recruiting and onboarding costs
  2. Productivity gains. Higher engagement scores correlated with performance and manager accountability
  3. Program efficiency. How much of the rewards budget actually reaches employees versus going to vendor fees

A standard model assumes a 10 percent reduction in voluntary turnover and a replacement cost of 50 to 75 percent of annual salary as the baseline. American Eagle Financial Credit Union saw a 12-point increase in employee engagement, from 69 to 81, within 12 months of deploying WorkTango, with 78 percent of managers completing Action Plans based on employee survey feedback.