Employee Onboarding Recognition That Builds Engagement

Create lasting first impressions

Welcome new employees with personalized recognitions, swag, and messages from their team—all automated to set the stage for long-term engagement.

Return on recognition

Why celebrate new hires?

A warm welcome sets the stage for continued success for every employee. Recognition during onboarding helps new hires feel valued, connected, and ready to contribute from day one.

Retention
Smiling professional woman shaking hands during a business meeting
69
%
of employees are more likely to stay if the company has a strong onboarding structure.
69
%
of employees are more likely to stay if the company has a strong onboarding structure.

Quick Quack Car Wash saw a 20% reduction in turnover after implementing Awardco for their employee recognition programs.

Productivity
Diverse business team laughing and collaborating in modern office
50
%
more productivity for new hires if they feel welcomed and supported.
50
%
more productivity for new hires if they feel welcomed and supported.

Effective recognition builds culture and drives performance—and even drives better management approval scores. See how CPS Group saw these results and more.

Engagement
Colleagues high-five and laugh together in an office workspace
54
%
increase in employee engagement with effective onboarding.
54
%
increase in employee engagement with effective onboarding.

Hertz successfully took their recognition programs global to over 24,000 employees and saw increased engagement as a result.

end-to-end flexibility

Kickstart engagement from day one

Give every employee a warm, personalized welcome—fully automated and without extra admin work.

Company-wide visibility

Warm welcomes and first-day shoutouts

Showcase new hire recognitions on rotating screens, Slack, Teams, and more to build a sense of belonging from day one.

testimonials

What customers are saying

PMG
 
 
Companies that invest in recognition are seen as people-centric. When employees feel appreciated for their contributions and are truly engaged, they’re more innovative, more creative, and more willing to think beyond the status quo. This elevates work, fuels stronger business outcomes, and can foster deeper customer relationships.
Monica Gunderson
Talent Management Lead
Dubai Airports
 
 
Receiving a High Flyer award was an amazing experience. Knowing that my efforts were appreciated—especially by senior management—meant a lot to me.
Maha Salem
Senior Manager, Rewards & Recognition, Dubai Airports
Kodiak
 
 
Recognition is a reminder that you are seen. Your work matters. You are appreciated. It feels great and helps you stay motivated, even when things get tough.
Zach Makoutz
Sr. Manager, Category Sales Product
Our team loves that they can spend their points on anything—from company swag (print-on-demand) to Amazon purchases and gift cards from thousands of retailers. That flexibility makes recognition feel truly personal.
Vanessa D.
Sr. Manager, Employee Engagement & CSR
Awardco offers such a clean design, well ahead of its competitors, along with excellent offerings, great analytics, and wonderful customer service.
Anonymous
Designer
4Refuel
 
 
You’re often on the road for your entire shift, and you might not interact with many other colleagues… So, being recognized helps you feel more connected to the team.
Christopher Whilsmith
Certified Refuelling Professional
WOW! mobile boutique
 
 
Awardco actually cost us less than our previous process, and it has had a greater impact on our ROI and employee engagement.
Jay Adhvaryu
Director of Finance and Compliance
Utah Valley University
 
 
I love being able to see the full feed for the entire university… before Awardco, I had no idea what was happening in other departments. Being able to see what’s happening across the university really helps you feel more connected.
Julia Escobar
Executive Assistant, Engagement & Effectiveness
Awardco's implementation team was on the ball, and we were able to get our platform up and running with minimal effort.
Anonymous
Systems Administrator
We recognize that employee choice is important, and our team loves that they can spend their points on anything—from company swag (print-on-demand) to Amazon purchases, gift cards from thousands of merchants, experiences, and more.
Vanessa D.
Sr. Manager, Employee Engagement & CSR
Children's Nebraska
 
 
After one year of using Sunshine, our sense of being recognized has increased by ten percent. I think that is a true testament to how much it means to us. We do have those hard days, and the Sunshine Recognition Hub empowers our nurses and team members. It has given us a platform to recognize those moments of excellence.
Mellisa Renter
Director of Professional Nursing Practice
PMG
 
 
Managers now have visibility into real-time recognition, which makes performance reviews easier and more holistic.
Monica Gunderson
Talent Management Lead
Our organization often requires nuanced flexibility, and Awardco enables that seamlessly with its high level of customization.
Anonymous
Senior Associate, Talent Enablement
Dubai Airports
 
 
I was thrilled to receive my High Flyer award last week. It was a complete surprise, and it really made me feel valued and appreciated.
Soosan Abidali
Office Manager, Strategy & Development, Dubai Airports
Dubai Airports
 
 
The scalability of the Awardco platform makes it the perfect partner for Dubai Airports. It evolves as we evolve—allowing us to introduce new efficiencies and features while keeping recognition simple and user-friendly.
Khulood AlMarzooqi
Director of Total Rewards & Employee Engagement, Dubai Airports

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can new hires use onboarding rewards to choose company swag or other items?
 

Depending on the program configuration, new hires may be able to redeem onboarding points for curated company merchandise, branded swag, gift cards, products, or other available rewards.

Organizations can use a focused catalog for onboarding or provide access to a broader selection of configured reward options. Catalog availability, fulfillment, currency, and shipping vary by country and reward type.

The organization determines which options are appropriate for its onboarding program and policies.

Can onboarding be monetary, non-monetary, or both?
 

Yes. An onboarding program can use a welcome message or recognition without a monetary award, it can include points or another configured reward, or it can combine recognition and rewards across multiple onboarding moments.

Organizations can choose whether a particular onboarding event includes an award and can define the available values and redemption options when rewards are enabled. A non-monetary welcome can still recognize the employee and introduce company values without creating a financial reward.

Reward availability, eligibility, and tax treatment depend on the organization’s policies, program design, and applicable requirements.

Can different employee groups have different onboarding programs?
 

Yes. Organizations can tailor onboarding based on available employee and organizational data, such as location, department, role, employment type, business unit, or other employee groups.

For example, an organization may use different messages, timing, reward options, or onboarding resources for employees in different regions or roles. Central teams can maintain an overall framework while allowing the experience to reflect local or team-specific needs.

Available segmentation depends on the data provided to Awardco and the organization’s program configuration.

Can onboarding communications and awards be triggered automatically from our HRIS?
 

Awardco can use employee data from an HRIS or another supported source to identify new hires and trigger configured onboarding communications or recognition.

Organizations can define timing around events such as an employee’s start date or specific points during their first weeks or months. Depending on the program design, onboarding moments may occur on the employee’s first day, during the first week, or at later checkpoints such as 30, 60, or 90 days.

Automation depends on the employee fields, integration method, data timing, and onboarding rules configured for the organization.

What does Awardco’s onboarding program do?
 

Awardco onboarding programs help organizations welcome new employees with timely communications, recognition, and—when configured—rewards during the early stages of employment.

Organizations can use onboarding to introduce employees to company values, explain how recognition works, share important resources, and create an early connection with managers and peers. Onboarding recognition can be used alongside broader recognition, rewards, and employee-engagement programs. And Awardco empowers all of it.

The content, timing, and reward components are configured to fit the organization’s onboarding approach.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can new hires use onboarding rewards to choose company swag or other items?
 

Depending on the program configuration, new hires may be able to redeem onboarding points for curated company merchandise, branded swag, gift cards, products, or other available rewards.

Organizations can use a focused catalog for onboarding or provide access to a broader selection of configured reward options. Catalog availability, fulfillment, currency, and shipping vary by country and reward type.

The organization determines which options are appropriate for its onboarding program and policies.

Can onboarding be monetary, non-monetary, or both?
 

Yes. An onboarding program can use a welcome message or recognition without a monetary award, it can include points or another configured reward, or it can combine recognition and rewards across multiple onboarding moments.

Organizations can choose whether a particular onboarding event includes an award and can define the available values and redemption options when rewards are enabled. A non-monetary welcome can still recognize the employee and introduce company values without creating a financial reward.

Reward availability, eligibility, and tax treatment depend on the organization’s policies, program design, and applicable requirements.

Can different employee groups have different onboarding programs?
 

Yes. Organizations can tailor onboarding based on available employee and organizational data, such as location, department, role, employment type, business unit, or other employee groups.

For example, an organization may use different messages, timing, reward options, or onboarding resources for employees in different regions or roles. Central teams can maintain an overall framework while allowing the experience to reflect local or team-specific needs.

Available segmentation depends on the data provided to Awardco and the organization’s program configuration.

Can onboarding communications and awards be triggered automatically from our HRIS?
 

Awardco can use employee data from an HRIS or another supported source to identify new hires and trigger configured onboarding communications or recognition.

Organizations can define timing around events such as an employee’s start date or specific points during their first weeks or months. Depending on the program design, onboarding moments may occur on the employee’s first day, during the first week, or at later checkpoints such as 30, 60, or 90 days.

Automation depends on the employee fields, integration method, data timing, and onboarding rules configured for the organization.

What does Awardco’s onboarding program do?
 

Awardco onboarding programs help organizations welcome new employees with timely communications, recognition, and—when configured—rewards during the early stages of employment.

Organizations can use onboarding to introduce employees to company values, explain how recognition works, share important resources, and create an early connection with managers and peers. Onboarding recognition can be used alongside broader recognition, rewards, and employee-engagement programs. And Awardco empowers all of it.

The content, timing, and reward components are configured to fit the organization’s onboarding approach.

Day one, done right

Show appreciation and intention with meaningful onboarding recognition that makes an immediate impact.