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10 Best Employee Evaluation Software of 2023 for Performance Reviews & Recognition

The Best Employee Evaluation Software Shortlist

After carefully evaluating many systems, here’s my list of the best employee evaluation platforms I’ve included in this article, with detailed summaries below:

  1. 1. Trakstar — Best employee evaluation software for goal progression assessments
  2. 2. Connecteam — Best for administering rewards & awards for high performance
  3. 3. Leapsome — Best for closing the loop between performance, engagement, and learning
  4. 4. PerformYard — Best for streamlining performance management processes
  5. 5. Primalogik — Best performance management system with advanced benchmarking and performance comparison tools
  6. 6. ClearCompany — Best employee evaluation software for performance and engagement tracking
  7. 7. Motivosity — Best employee evaluation software for project and goal-based organizations
  8. 8. Trinet — Best performance management from a complete HR platform and service provider
  9. 9. Insperity — Best for employee retention and engagement
  10. 10. iSpring Learn — Best for skill-based competency assessments and detecting knowledge gaps

Evaluating employee performance can be difficult and time-consuming, especially for large teams. But assessing the output of your employees is crucial for your company’s success. That's why you need employee evaluation software. It will help you track employee development over time, and identify top performers. It will also help you create a better company culture by enabling continuous feedback loops and giving your employees a voice too.

This article covers the top employee evaluation software on the market today. I've highlighted the key points of each system and explained why I chose these tools over their competitors. My review also includes a comparison chart below to help you find the best system for your organization.

Overviews of the 10 Best Employee Evaluation Software

Here’s a brief description of each employee evaluation solution to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface.

1

Trakstar

Best employee evaluation software for goal progression assessments

Trakstar is a flexible performance management system that helps you keep your employees on track with goals and continuous feedback. The software gives managers multiple survey options, so they can weigh different aspects of their team’s performance.

You can use Trakstar to set goals for your employees and organization. The goal section has a timeline, so each individual gets a visual representation of how their progress is going.

With Trakstar, sending and receiving reviews is easy. You can tie certain goals to reviews, add and share goal-related notes, and you can set up notifications to complete evaluations. Team managers receive reports on how their team is doing, and they can set up their dashboard to track department and team member goals at a glance.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3 188

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

2

Connecteam

Best for administering rewards & awards for high performance

Connecteam is an employee performance management software that streamlines the process of conducting performance reviews and providing employee recognition.

Managers can set personalized goals for each team member, provide regular feedback and check-ins, and run formal performance reviews on a customizable schedule. The software makes tracking goals and KPIs easy over time.

Employees can use the software’s recognition features to give shoutouts to colleagues who demonstrate strong performance. These messages are visible to the entire organization, fostering a culture of ongoing peer-to-peer recognition and positive reinforcement. Connecteam enables employers to gather critical employee feedback on their overall work experience, job satisfaction levels, and what they want to see in the organization.

Connecteam allows employers to create custom employee evaluation forms tailored to their unique needs. The platform offers pre-designed templates that they can customize to evaluate their employees' performance in different areas of their operations. Organizations can assess the employee's skills, productivity, attendance, and engagement.

Customizable evaluation forms provide valuable insight into how employees perform, making it easier for employers to give feedback and improve their overall performance. Connecteam enables managers to develop custom automated recognition programs that appreciate outstanding employee performance when they reach specific milestones, display desired behavior and work ethic, or achieve KPIs.

Connecteam's performance scorecards enable managers to track employee performance based on pre-defined KPIs. Scorecards provide insight into an employee's daily, weekly, or monthly performance, allowing organizations to monitor trends and take corrective measures in real time.

Employers can also compare employee performance to organizational objectives to identify gaps and take action to improve employee knowledge, skills, and performance. Connecteam's employee evaluation software provides a platform for employees and employers to share feedback on employee performance and growth areas.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.3 34

Free plan available

From $29/month (30 users)

3

Leapsome

Best for closing the loop between performance, engagement, and learning

Leapsome is the all-in-one employee evaluation platform that helps organizations enhance their management processes. Used by companies like Spotify, Northvolt, and Babbel, Leapsome enables a continuous cycle of performance management and personalized learning that powers the growth of your people and business.

Their performance review cycles are fully customizable and easy to set up, and can be scheduled to automatically recur at predetermined timelines (e.g., quarterly, semi-annually or annually, or even for closing off probationary periods).

Other key features include 360-degree feedback (including anonymous feedback), expert question templates, skill frameworks, development paths, automations, and powerful analytics. Leapsome also includes OKR software to help manage goals and objectives at the company, team and individual level too, as well as helpful visuals like goal trees that help you connect the big picture to the tiny details.

To further enhance your set of employee evaluation tools, Leapsome also includes employee engagement surveys that identify drivers and measure your employees’ satisfaction over time. Whether through custom questions or Leapsome’s expert templates, the tool helps you turn company sentiment into action items. Key highlights of this feature include customizable frequency and questions, the ability to segment surveys by department, performance, and more, as well as automated survey analytics.

Lastly, for any employees who have a need for upskilling, Leapsome includes the tools teams need to create highly-customizable learning paths for training, and employee development, built around specific teams, skill sets, or topics.

Leapsome integrates with Active Directory, ADP, BambooHR, GSuite, HiBob, Jira, Microsoft Teams, PayFit, Personio, Rippling, Slack, and others.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.8 1165

14-day free trial

From $8/user/month

4

PerformYard

Best for streamlining performance management processes

PerformYard's employee evaluation software provides flexible features for HR and a simple employee experience. With PerformYard, your HR team will get the tools they need to build out any employee evaluation strategy and employees get a streamlined experience so they can focus on quality feedback and effective performance discussions.

PerformYard focuses on providing a flexible employee evaluation solution. With PerformYard you can customize the software to fit the strategy that's right for your organization: 360s, project-based reviews, rating scales, continuous feedback, and/or cascading goals.

PerformYard provides a simple employee experience that facilitates feedback and quality conversations. It doesn't try to insert itself at every opportunity or replace important conversations. PerformYard provides dedicated customer success managers for every customer. From onboarding, to employee trainings, to ongoing support you'll have someone at your side.

PerformYard integrates with most major HRIS/payroll systems including ADP, BambooHR, Gusto, Rippling, UKG, Paycom, Workday, and Paylocity.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7 638

Free demo available

From $5-$10/user/month

5

Primalogik

Best performance management system with advanced benchmarking and performance comparison tools

Primalogik is an employee evaluation software founded in 2012 that is known for product simplicity and customer-centricity. Primalogik’s employee performance management software includes a wide range of features that foster employee engagement and empower managers and their employees to reach their full potential.

Through a combination of performance review assessments, 360-degree feedback, engagement surveys, employee goals and OKRs, and instant feedback including 1:1 check-ins, Primalogik helps employees gain insight into their individual performance and uncover areas to make improvements.

Primalogik's 360-degree feedback module makes it easy to solicit feedback from multiple sources. Admin users can select their own rating scales for their evaluation questionnaires, and determine the level of anonymity that will be applied to the feedback. Advanced features in this module include the option for managers and admin staff to launch feedback requests about their employees and solicit responses from specific co-workers; automatic reminders to provide feedback by a certain date; and real-time feedback tracking.

Once employee feedback is in the system, Primalogik has several tools to support deep analysis of the data. For example, their system allows managers to compare employees’ self-ratings side-by-side against other respondents’ feedback. This helps identify any blind spots between where an employee believes they are and what their co-workers have suggested. Primalogik's comparison mode allows admin users to benchmark each employee appraisal and compare them across their workforce— a useful way of identifying their overall top performers or spotting potential company-wide skill gaps.

Their performance management software is also available in Spanish or French.

Primalogik integrates with ADP, BambooHR, Google Workspace, Microsoft Azure, and Okta.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 22

30-day free trial

From $159/month for up to 25 users

6

ClearCompany

Best employee evaluation software for performance and engagement tracking

ClearCompany is a end-to-end HR management platform designed to facilitate the creation, management, and optimization of the entire performance review and recognition process by using modern tools, features, and automation. It can be leveraged for periodical performance reviews on existing employees and new hires.

The software is equipped with a 360-degree feedback feature that enables users within the organization to easily and anonymously share their feedback about their peers, superiors, and subordinates. Managers and executives are equipped with comprehensive performance metrics that offer insights on an individual employees’ core strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement. It will also help managers identify the top and underperformers within the company, so they can be recognized or developed.

The user-friendly employee evaluation software allows users to set up performance reviews with different approaches, from free-form responses and weighted sections to custom scoring tables.

In addition to its features and tools for employee performance reviews and recognition, the software can integrate with various solutions for assessment tests, job postings, payroll and benefits management, calendars, as well as background checks. Apart from the 360-degree feedback, other features include performance review automation and customization, data-rich analytics and reporting, as well as goal setting with complete progress tracking capabilities.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 247

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

7

Motivosity

Best employee evaluation software for project and goal-based organizations

Motivosity is a cloud-based employee evaluation software that empowers businesses to recognize their employees with evaluations, performance reviews, and recognition initiatives. It utilizes performance tracking and benchmarking to identify and recognize the top performers within the organization.

The software is designed to help businesses capitalize on employee recognition by connecting with organizational, project, and performance-specific goals. Linking employee recognition with specific organizational or project-based objectives can benefit project-based companies or companies that want to increase productivity through a sustainable reward system.

The cloud-based solution provides users access to staff engagement, P2P recognition, incentives, and rewards within a unified platform. There is an intuitive dashboard that can be customized to track multiple teams' and individuals' performance and progress. With peer-to-peer recognition, the software provides a social platform for employees to recognize each other’s efforts and performance, enabling you to increase employee engagement and satisfaction.

Core features include employee feedback collection, peer-to-peer social recognition, gift card management, and monetary reward management.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.7 960

Free demo available

From $2 to $5/user/month depending on product chosen

8

Trinet

Best performance management from a complete HR platform and service provider

Trinet is an HR software and service provider that can help organizations manage their core HR needs. The software can handle the full scope of the employee experience from applicant tracking through hiring and onboarding, and employee performance and learning management. It can also be used to manage payroll and benefits administration, and provides workforce analytics.

The performance management component of the platform allows managers to set individual goals with employees that correspond to broader company objectives. Real-time feedback can be collected through the software, which can then be referenced during performance reviews. Pre-built templates are available to structure performance evaluations, or users can opt to create their own.

In addition to software, the company also provides HR-related services to help with things like compliance and risk management. For smaller teams, this can be a helpful resource to ensure you're operating according to relevant laws and standards. Even for larger companies, having that backup can be a welcome protection to keep your operations up-to-date.

The software can integrate with your other tools including Assembly, Bob, ChartHop, Compt, Greenhouse, Hyperproof, Lattice, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks, and many others. Pricing is available upon request, and a free demo is available.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

9

Insperity

Best for employee retention and engagement

Insperity is a cloud-based SaaS product that allows businesses to manage their HR, benefits, payroll, and performance evaluations all in one place.

I chose Insperity as one of the best employee evaluation software for performance reviews and recognition because it offers a comprehensive solution for managing employee recognition and skill building. Insperity offers different types of recognition programs, such as spot recognition, service awards, and peer-to-peer recognition, making it a versatile tool to help businesses retain top talent and improve employee engagement.

One of the standout features of Insperity is its 'Skills Assessment' tool, which allows managers to identify areas where their employees need improvement and provide customized training plans to help them achieve their goals. This feature makes it easy for managers to track employee progress and ensure that they are meeting their performance targets.

Another great feature of Insperity is its customizable survey tools that help managers gather employee feedback and insights. This feature enables managers to identify areas where they need to improve and make informed decisions to address employee concerns.

Insperity's integrations with popular HR tools, such as QuickBooks, ADP, and Microsoft Dynamics, make it easy to import employee data and keep it up to date. This feature is especially useful for businesses that already use other HR tools and want to integrate them into their HR management system.

Pricing upon request

10

iSpring Learn

Best for skill-based competency assessments and detecting knowledge gaps

iSpring Learn is a learning management system with integrated tools for employee evaluation, including 360-degree feedback and skill-based assessments. Working in tandem with their deep learning and development features, their software can help you recognize, evaluate, and develop your employees to reach their full potential.

The software helps make the performance review process more accessible, user-friendly, and less time-consuming. You can create custom assessment criteria, assess individual competencies, and collect feedback from other employees confidentially to improve the accuracy of the feedback they provide. If any knowledge gaps are detected, you can use iSpring Learn to implement internal training programs to develop key skill sets as needed. To get started, you can take advantage of their assessment library, including templates for performance goals and competencies which you can adapt for your own business.

iSpring Learn also helps organizations recognize employees' achievements through badges, certificates, and point leaderboards, which are visible to other employees and management. This helps employees feel valued and appreciated, creating a more positive work environment.

Integrations are available with many popular business applications, making it a versatile solution for organizations of any size.

This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.
4.6 47

30-day free trial

From $2.87/user/month (billed annually)

Need Expert Help Selecting The Right Workforce Management Software?

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The 10 Best Employee Evaluation Software Comparison Chart

Here’s a comparison chart that summarizes basic details about each of my top employee evaluation software selections. You can view pricing details and the availability of free trials or demos side-by-side to help you find the best software for your budget and business needs.

Tool Free Option Price
1
Trakstar

Best employee evaluation software for goal progression assessments

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
2
Connecteam

Best for administering rewards & awards for high performance

Free plan available

From $29/month (30 users) Visit Website
3
Leapsome

Best for closing the loop between performance, engagement, and learning

14-day free trial

From $8/user/month Visit Website
4
PerformYard

Best for streamlining performance management processes

Free demo available

From $5-$10/user/month Visit Website
5
Primalogik

Best performance management system with advanced benchmarking and performance comparison tools

30-day free trial

From $159/month for up to 25 users Visit Website
6
ClearCompany

Best employee evaluation software for performance and engagement tracking

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
7
Motivosity

Best employee evaluation software for project and goal-based organizations

Free demo available

From $2 to $5/user/month depending on product chosen Visit Website
8
Trinet

Best performance management from a complete HR platform and service provider

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
9
Insperity

Best for employee retention and engagement

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
10
iSpring Learn

Best for skill-based competency assessments and detecting knowledge gaps

30-day free trial

From $2.87/user/month (billed annually) Visit Website

Other Employee Evaluation Solutions

Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best employee evaluation software list:

  1. Lattice

    Best employee evaluation software for consistent 360-degree feedback

  2. Kudos

    Best points-for-gifts employee recognition system

  3. 15Five

    Best for identifying high-performing individuals and rewarding top employees

  4. Culture Amp

    For honest, anonymous surveys

  5. Cornerstone OnDemand

    For great performance reporting

  6. Workday

    For simple employee strengths assessment

  7. AssessTEAM

    For detailed performance reports

  8. Small Improvements

    For 1:1 mentoring

  9. Workhuman

    For showing your appreciation with real-life rewards

  10. BambooHR

    For easy goal tracking

Selection Criteria for Employee Evaluation Software

Wondering how I selected the best employee evaluation software for this list? I drew on my previous years of personal experience coordinating the internal performance review process for my company. As part of that process, I spent a lot of time manually pulling data from numerous systems to summarize each employee's progress. Way too much time, in fact! That's why I know how valuable these modern, employee evaluation solutions really are.

Core Functionality

For a system to land a place in this top 10 list, it needed to demonstrate the following core features:

  • Automatic notifications to remind employees and managers when check-ins or performance reviews are required, or when items are completed
  • Feedback collection methods, including 1:1 tools, 360-degree feedback, or other forms of continuous feedback
  • Goal management and/or progress tracking tools that make it easy to monitor employee progress
  • Visualization tools! I don't want to stare at a report full of just numbers, I want to see graphs and charts detailing employee progress over time as well

Key Features

In addition to the core features above, here are some other key features I also evaluated to make my top 10 choices:

  • Actionable reports: The software should collect and organize the data in actionable reports so your HR employees can present their findings to the management team.
  • Consistent feedback structure:The employee evaluation tool should help your organization create a consistent feedback structure, making it easy for your employees to leave and receive performance reviews.
  • Advanced goal & OKR tracking: It can be difficult to assess employee performance without tracking team and organization goals, so the software should help you set and track them.

User Interface

I looked for solutions with simple and clean user interfaces (UI) that provide a good experience for all types of users. That means your HR team and your employees should be able to navigate the tool and find the right functionalities with ease.

Usability

I tried my best to select tools that are intuitive and easy to use to make your employee evaluation process smooth. You want your HR professionals to be able to use most of the software’s features with minimal training so you can roll out your employee evaluation process faster.

Software Integrations

I selected solutions that integrate with other human resources software, including HR management systems, and solutions for project management, payroll, time-tracking, and employee communication.

Value for Price

I choose platforms that will help your team achieve multiple goals within one system, giving you a better return on your investment. To save you time, I also noted whether any systems offer free trials or free demos as well. Some systems also offer free plans (also known as freemium plans) which is another way to get a good feel for a system before you commit to a contract.

Improve Your Organization’s Culture With Employee Evaluation Software

Employee evaluations help your employees work better together. According to Sheila Heen, lecturer at Harvard Law School, feedback should communicate three things: “appreciation (I can see you — what you do matters), coaching (helping you get better through advice and mentoring), and evaluation (how you are rated or ranked against a set of standards).”

The software solutions I included on this list help you achieve these goals with ease. They enable you to run surveys, set goals, praise high-performing individuals, and coach team members who can improve different aspects of their work. I hope that, after reading this article, you found a tool that can help you improve your feedback processes so you can make your organization stronger. 

Additional Resources

Interested in other ways you can ramp up your employee performance evaluations? Here are some other resources I also recommend:

If you're looking to address performance management at the enterprise level, we can help with that too. Take a look at our list of the Best Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Software Vendors. Or, for more information on managing project-specific resources, visit our Digital Project Manager site to learn more about the Best Resource Management Software & Tools instead.

Lastly, don't forget to sign up for our People Managing People newsletter. You'll gain insights into how to create a better work environment for your employees and how to improve your employee retention.

For even more help choosing the best HR software, check this out: The 15 Best HR Software Companies of 2023

By Kim Behnke

Kim Behnke is an HR Tool Expert & Writer for People Managing People. She draws on her 9 years of human resources experience and her keen eye for systematic processes to support her analyses of the top HR tools on the market. She is passionate about maximizing efficiencies and streamlining workflows to ensure internal systems run smoothly. Kim's HR experience includes recruitment, onboarding, performance management, training and development, policy development and enforcement, and HR analytics. She also has degrees in psychology, writing, publishing, and technical communication. When away from her desk, she can usually be found outside tending to her ever-expanding garden.