By Vicky Sidler | Published 12 May 2025 at 18:00 GMT

Imagine if every time you said “great job,” it added 50 cents to your profit column instead of disappearing into the air. Workhuman claims it can show that math—and two independent rankings back them up. 

Business Wire reports the company has just been crowned #1 in G2’s Spring 2025 Enterprise Grid for Employee Recognition and named the only “Star Performer” in Everest Group’s Rewards & Recognition Matrix.

G2’s list relies on 1,600 verified customer reviews. Everest Group’s analysts, meanwhile, put 30‑plus platforms under the microscope and singled out Workhuman for three traits: AI‑powered bias checks, real‑time analytics, and an ROI‑based pricing model that essentially dares finance teams to test the value of kindness.

What makes Workhuman different from a digital gold‑star sticker?

The platform includes three standout modules, each aimed at turning warm fuzzies into data you can present at a budget meeting.

1. Inclusion Advisor:

A real‑time language coach that nudges employees to avoid unconscious bias in recognition messages. Over time it rewires culture, one micro‑note at a time.

2. Workhuman iQ:

An analytics dashboard that converts everyday praise into heat‑maps of engagement. Managers see flight‑risk hotspots before they erupt into resignations.

3. The Workhuman Store:

A global marketplace of tailored rewards that employees actually redeem. No more dusty catalogues of branded pens.

Why recognition pays actual dividends:

Research collected by Workhuman shows companies with robust recognition programs report 37% higher retention and 44% greater engagement scores compared to peers who plan employee appreciation week once a year and call it done. Less turnover means lower hiring costs and deeper customer relationships—plenty of reason for even a five‑person shop to get serious about kudos.

How small businesses can start without a Fortune‑500 budget:

As a StoryBrand Certified Guide and a strategic Duct Tape Marketing Consultant—translation: I obsess over clear messaging and practical marketing strategy—I recommend a three‑step pilot you can run in a single quarter:

1. Calculate your “exit tax.” Pull the last resignation’s cost—job ads, onboarding hours, lost productivity. This number becomes the benchmark to beat.

2. Run a 30‑day micro‑pilot. Pick one team (say, customer support). Encourage peer‑to‑peer recognition on Slack or Teams with one rule: each shout‑out must name the behavior and the impact. Tally recognitions weekly.

3. Measure what matters. After a month, compare ticket‑resolution speed and sentiment‑survey scores with the previous period. If metrics rise, you’ve earned the green light to invest in a platform like Workhuman—or to formalize an in‑house system.

This cycle follows the Lean Marketing philosophy of testing small, measuring clearly, and doubling down on what works, while StoryBrand keeps every message crisp so employees understand the why behind each recognition.

Linking recognition to brand story:

Employees are your first market. When staff feel valued, they deliver clearer, warmer experiences to customers. The tone in your internal kudos should match the clarity in your external copy. Otherwise, you ask employees to live one story but sell another—and customers sniff out the mismatch.

Ready to weave recognition into a repeatable system?

The tactical side of praise still needs a framework. My StoryBrand Marketing Mastery Course gives you templates, checklists, and live coaching to align internal recognition with external messaging—so the story employees live is the story customers buy. Join here and start turning “thank‑you” into measurable revenue.