You’ve been tasked with writing an RFP for employee recognition software, and you've never done this before. Now what? At WorkTango, we see dozens of RFPs a month, both as a vendor and as a buyer.  The best ones share a few traits: clarity, alignment, and smart evaluation. This guide will help you nail all three.

No problem. This guide breaks down the entire process from understanding what an RFP actually is to sending it to vendors and evaluating their responses. Let's dive in.

What is an RFP (Request for Proposal)?

If you've never written a Request for Proposal (RFP) before, the terminology alone can feel intimidating. But the concept is pretty simple.
Think of it like planning a wedding and choosing a caterer. You could call five different caterers, get verbal quotes over the phone, and try to remember which one said what. Alternatively, you could write down your guest count, budget, and event date once, then send it to all five caterers asking for written proposals. This way, you save time and get responses you can actually compare side by side. 
That’s basically what an RFP is. For your case, it'll be a document that outlines what you need and asks software vendors to explain in writing how they'd solve your problem and what it would cost. The main benefit? You get everything in writing instead of trying to piece together details from multiple sales calls. 

Why employee recognition buyers use RFPs

You're already planning to write an RFP, which means you're taking this decision seriously. Good call. Writing an RFP takes effort, but it's effort that pays off. Here's what you're setting yourself up for: 

  • It gets you better pricing. Vendors offer competitive rates when they know you're comparing proposals side-by-side.
  • It eliminates buyer's remorse. When you evaluate vendors systematically through an RFP, it gives you the confidence to know you chose the best employee recognition software.
  • It speeds up implementation. Clarifying requirements before purchase means faster onboarding and fewer surprises.
  • It backs up your decision with data. When leadership asks "why is this the best employee recognition software?" you have documented justification.

Ready to get started? Let's walk through exactly how to create an RFP that helps you find the best employee recognition software for your company.

How to use an RFP to find the best employee recognition software: step-by-step

Now that you know what an RFP is and why it matters, let's walk through exactly how to write one. Here are the five steps that will take you from blank page to sending your first RFP:IMG-Article-How to write an RFP-Inline-1

1. Get clear on your goals

Before writing anything, answer these questions:

  • What's broken about employee recognition right now?
  • What does success look like in 12 months?
  • Which behaviors do you want to encourage?
  • How will you measure success for your recognition program?

Example: “Right now, recognition is inconsistent and only happens manager-to-employee. Success in 12 months means employees receive recognition at least twice per month, with 50% coming from peers. We want to encourage collaboration and alignment with our core values. We'll measure success by tracking recognition frequency, peer-to-peer participation rates, and improvements in our engagement survey scores.”

2. Gather input from stakeholders

Talk to the people who will use this and approve it:

  • HR: What features and reporting do you need? How will this fit into your broader employee experience strategy?

Example: "We need dashboards showing recognition frequency by department and the ability to tie recognition to our five core values."

  • IT: What integrations and security requirements matter? Does this need to connect with your HRIS, Slack, or Teams?

Example: "Must integrate with Rippling and Slack, support SSO through Okta, and be SOC 2 certified."

  • Finance: What's the budget and approval process? How should we think about ROI for employee recognition?

Example: "Budget is $50K annually. We need to see impact on retention rates and engagement scores within six months."

  • Leadership: How does this support company culture and engagement goals? What does meaningful recognition look like for our organization?

Example: "This needs to make recognition visible and frequent, reinforcing our culture of collaboration and innovation."

  • Employees: What would make recognition feel genuine and valuable? What kinds of recognition and rewards actually matter to them? What would encourage daily use?

Example: "We want peer recognition that feels authentic, not forced. Rewards should be something we choose and feel meaningful for each individual team member."

3. Do your research

Spend a few hours understanding what's out there:

  • Research available employee recognition software options
  • Ask peers what they use and like
  • Note common features (peer recognition, values alignment, AI capabilities, rewards, integrations, mobile apps, analytics)

4. Write your RFP

Your RFP should include:

  • Company Overview - Brief intro: who you are, how many employees, current recognition approach
  • Your goals - What you're trying to accomplish, success metrics, timeline
  • Scope of work - What you expect: implementation support, training, ongoing customer success
  • Technical requirements - Integrations needed, security certifications, SSO, mobile requirements
  • Vendor Questions - Organize by category:
    • Platform features and customization
    • Rewards and budget management
    • Integrations and technical specs
    • Implementation process and timeline
    • Training and ongoing support
    • Reporting and analytics
    • Company background and references
    • Pricing and contract terms
  • Evaluation criteria - How you'll score proposals (features 40%, pricing 25%, support 20%, etc.)
  • Timeline - Key dates from RFP release to final decision
  • Submission instructions - How and when to submit proposals

5. Send to 3-5 vendors

Based on your research from Step 3, shortlist 3-5 vendors that have the features you identified  and work well for companies with your size, industry, and workforce type. Send your RFP to these finalists and give them 2-3 weeks to respond. Two weeks is typical, but three weeks works if your requirements are complex or you're sending the RFP during a holiday period.

You've done the hard work of defining what you need, gathering input, and writing clear questions. Now the ball is in the vendors' court. But your work isn't quite done yet. Once those proposals start coming in, you'll need to know how to evaluate them, run demos, and ultimately make your decision. Let's walk through what happens next.

What happens after you send an RFP

You hit send on your RFP to five vendors. Now you're wondering: what happens next? How long does this take? What should you be doing while you wait? Here's a typical timeline and what to expect at each stage. Keep in mind, your timeline may be shorter or longer depending on your RFP complexity, number of vendors, and evaluation criteria.

Vendors will ask questions (within a few days)

Answer them and share responses with all vendors to keep things fair. Set a question deadline about one week before proposals are due.

Proposals arrive (2-3 weeks after sending)

Confirm receipt with each vendor. Wait until you have all proposals before reviewing them. Block dedicated time to review and score them systematically.

Score proposals (1-2 weeks)

Create a spreadsheet with your evaluation criteria from Step 4 of  the RFP writing process. A common way to score proposals is to list vendors across the top and your weighted criteria down the left side: platform features 40%, pricing 25%, support 20%, etc.). Score each vendor on a 1-10 scale for each category, then multiply by the weight to get a total score.

Look for specific answers (not vague marketing), clear pricing, and vendors who actually addressed your goals from Step 1. Use your scoring system to identify your top 3-4 finalists.

Schedule demos (1-2 weeks)

Send vendors a script showing exactly what you want to see. Schedule all demos within the same week so you can compare while they're fresh. Invite key stakeholders. Take notes. Ask about anything unclear from their proposal. Request trial access. Update your scoring after each demo.

Call references (1 week)

Call at least two references for each finalist. Ask how implementation went, what employees like and dislike, how responsive support is, and if they'd buy again. Listen for hesitation.

Make your final decision (1 week)

Present your recommendation to leadership with scoring results, why you chose this vendor, and expected outcomes.

Negotiate the contract (1-2 weeks)

Pick your vendor. Negotiate beyond price: implementation guarantees, training commitments, support SLAs, contract terms. Get everything in writing before signing.

Implementation begins (4-12 weeks)

Work with the vendor on technical setup, configuration, training, and launch planning.

Launch and measure

Track adoption rates, recognition frequency, manager participation, and business impact in the first 90 days. Check in regularly with your customer success manager to optimize the program.

Total timeline from RFP to launch: Typically 3-5 months, though your timeline may be shorter or longer depending on your RFP complexity, number of vendors, and how quickly stakeholders can make decisions. It might feel long, but remember you're making a decision that will impact your company culture for years. A few extra weeks of diligence now prevents years of regret later.

The key is staying organized throughout. Keep all proposals in one place. Maintain your scoring spreadsheet. Take notes during every demo and reference call. When it comes time to present your recommendation to leadership, you'll have everything documented and ready.

Start writing your employee recognition software RFP 

The diligence you put into this process now shapes the quality of your recognition program for years. You'll make a better decision because you asked the right questions. You'll secure better pricing because vendors know you're doing real evaluation. You'll have complete stakeholder buy-in because everyone's concerns were addressed upfront. And ultimately, you'll choose a tool that shapes how thousands of people experience appreciation and recognition at work every single day.

That matters. Taking a few extra weeks to do this right matters.

So take a deep breath. Open that blank document. Start with Step 1: write down what problem you're actually trying to solve. Everything else will flow from there.

You've got this.

Ready to see what great recognition software looks like?

WorkTango's employee recognition platform is built for companies that want meaningful, measurable recognition programs tied to real business outcomes.

Already written your RFP? Send it to us and we'll respond within 48 hours. Or if you'd like to see how we'd answer these questions before you start, request a demo and we'll walk you through our approach.

Contact us.