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?

Yes. Awardco can use employee data from an HRIS or another supported employee-data 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 selected points during the first weeks or months of employment. 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.

Trusted by 3,000+ organizations worldwide

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.

Custom Welcome Messages

Create a welcoming experience by automating day-one shoutouts, intro resources, and even point distributions to build immediate belonging.

Personalized, Quality Swag

Kick off the employee journey with points for hand-picked swag. New hires choose what they love and it’s delivered straight to their door.

Build Belonging Early

Help break the ice with welcome recognitions, peer profiles, and specific programs designed to spark meaningful conversations.

Far-Reaching Recognition

Remote, hybrid, or on-site, it's easy to celebrate new hires wherever they are with flexible programs that make every employee feel included.

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

The myKudos [Awardco] platform is easy to use and highly beneficial. I truly appreciate the ability to both give and receive kudos, and the rewards offered are incredibly generous. It’s a well-rounded, thoughtful initiative by PMG that really prioritizes employee appreciation.

Melodie Cottingham

Convergent Video/Audio Director

Our goal was to make it easy to recognize employees and make sure everyone had access to that recognition in the most simplistic format.

Brenda Neuhoff

Director of Total Rewards

Beyond birthdays and anniversaries, Awardco gives us a meaningful way to recognize our values, which is honestly my favorite part of the program. Every company has values and a mission statement, but they can be easy to forget in the day-to-day. Awardco helps keep our values top of mind by tying them directly to recognition.

Shannon Martell

Employee Experience Specialist

Awardco helps employees share meaningful recognition and reduces the silos that occur with so many employees being remote.

Melissa I

Education Consultant

Companies that invest in recognition are seen as people-centric. When people 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.

Smiling woman with blonde hair wearing a black blazer and gold necklace against a white background.

Monica Gunderson

Talent Management Lead

We don’t have to pull together spreadsheets anymore… we can see the whole ecosystem. Awardco helps magnify the efforts we’re already doing and make them more visible.

Maddie Bagley

Appreciation Specialist, People & Culture

If you want a feel-good moment, just log in and scroll through the recognition feed.

Smiling woman with long wavy blonde hair wearing a red blazer, black top, and a silver cross necklace against a blue-gray background.

Mary Eaves

Senior VP of Operations (Assisted Living Division)

I absolutely love the platform—it's easy for anyone to recognize someone else in a meaningful way, and the points exchange system is great, too, and an awesome way to reward good work.

Anonymous

HR Coordinator

We had more participation from our first survey with Engage than we did from the two previous biannual surveys that we did combined. The Engage platform is beneficial over Microsoft Forms and some of those other things because it is all in one platform.

Frank Eschberger

Human Resource Business Partner

What I appreciate most is how Awardco takes the effort out of recognizing staff. Built-in programs automatically reward employees for years of service and anniversaries, making sure no milestone goes unnoticed.

Anonymous

Senior Director of Customer Service and Support

The ability to customize the platform and call it 'MyKudos' made it feel like a true extension of our brand and culture.

Smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a red cardigan, black top, and beaded necklace against a white background.

Pam Buyers

Head of Culture at PMG

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

Awardco checked all the boxes for us, from onboarding all the way up to senior leadership.

Smiling middle-aged woman with brown hair wearing a red cardigan, black top, and multicolored beaded necklace against a white background.

Pam Buyers

Head of Culture

I always wanted recognition in Attaboy whenever I was working. I had managers that didn't give that to me. I was eager to have somebody on my team that was willing to recognize me for the efforts that I was putting out for the company.

Rafael Becerra

Manager, Automation Operations

We did our first cycling project on the runway. It was a crazy and challenging idea, but the team did an amazing job—and receiving a High Flyer for it felt incredible.

Smiling man with dark hair and beard wearing a black shirt against a gray background.

Barkin Ozdemir

Content Development Manager, Brand & Communications, Dubai Airports

RCGNZ Summit 2026

Employee Onboarding Recognition That Builds Engagement

Create lasting first impressions

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.

end-to-end flexibility

Kickstart engagement from day one

Company-Wide visibility

Warm welcomes and first-day shoutouts

testimonials

What customers are saying

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Thought Leadership & Resources

Resources for additional research

Employee Turnover Rates by Industry: Trends and Solutions

AI and the Future of Employee Engagement

HR Leaders Playbook: 6 Best Practices for Building an Effective Employee Recognition Program

Building a Culture That Thrives on Change

Return on Recognition™: Measuring the ROI of Employee Recognition Programs

Day one, done right

Platform

Solutions

Why Awardco

Resources

Guides

Customers

Company

Thanks for your message!

RCGNZ Summit 2026

Employee Onboarding Recognition That Builds Engagement

Create lasting first impressions

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.

end-to-end flexibility

Kickstart engagement from day one

Company-Wide visibility

Warm welcomes and first-day shoutouts

testimonials

What customers are saying

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Thought Leadership & Resources

Resources for additional research

Employee Turnover Rates by Industry: Trends and Solutions

AI and the Future of Employee Engagement

HR Leaders Playbook: 6 Best Practices for Building an Effective Employee Recognition Program

Building a Culture That Thrives on Change

Return on Recognition™: Measuring the ROI of Employee Recognition Programs

Day one, done right

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