Employee Incentive Deep Dive: Guusto Review

With a free plan, a unique platform, and rewards that target frontline workers, Guusto stands out as a valuable employee incentive tool in the workplace.

The five pillars of strategic recognition show that this act is most effective when it is fulfilling, authentic, personalized, equitable, and embedded in company culture.

Wrapping all five into one platform, Guusto emerges as a preferred solution for companies looking to acknowledge their employees and make recognition a part of their culture.

As part of our Guusto review, we investigate this employee incentive provider, exploring its most important features, advantages and disadvantages, pricing structure, alternatives, and success stories.

Guusto’s Role in Building a Successful Company Culture

Although sometimes overlooked, company culture has proven to be a driving force behind engagement, performance, and talent retention.

Research shows that 74% of employees globally describe it as ‘important,’ while only 10% disagree. Another 58% would take a job from a competitor if it had a better culture, while 48% would put in 60 hours per week rather than work for an employer who doesn’t value company culture.

Considering these findings, investing in a positive and rewarding work environment becomes paramount for companies that value growth.

This is where Guusto comes into play.

Employee incentive programs are a valuable aspect of building a company culture.

In fact, statistics demonstrate that with the right one, employees are seven times more likely to engage. Yet, only 54% of workers agree their overall total incentives satisfy their or their family’s needs.

Providing organizations with the resources to reduce this gap, Guusto plays a significant role in promoting an environment where employees feel acknowledged and appreciated.

In this Guusto review, we explore the depth of its impact.

Guusto

Founded in 2013, Guusto is an employee recognition and reward software provider designed to empower HR leaders in creating impactful incentive programs.

A year after launching, they partnered with the One Drop Foundation, committing to social impact by donating one day of clean water with every gift. With this, the company made it their core mission to create purpose, which is now integrated into its solution.

As for the product itself, Guusto deviates from the traditional approach, making it more convenient and accessible for businesses to recognize and reward both office and frontline workers.

Product Overview

Unlike many of its competitors, Guusto doesn’t have the traditional points-based system. It also doesn’t require a separate account for each employee.

Instead, a free single-user account is often enough to get companies started.

Once set up, companies can use this account to send rewards to anyone, including frontline workers, contractors, volunteers, etc. Since it offers many delivery channels beyond email, such as print options, the incentives are also easily accessible to individuals who may not be as tech-savvy.

Moreover, with flexible rewards ranging from gift cards to donations, Guusto ensures all recipients receive or choose something meaningful. At the same time, the “Claim Period” feature gives businesses a full refund on unclaimed rewards.

Users also have the option to add the “Nomination Box” feature for peer-to-peer recognition, activating the non-monetary recognition tool.

Product Features

Beyond peer-to-peer recognition and an extensive customizable rewards catalog, Guusto offers many features, some for free and others behind a paid subscription.

For example, their free plan comes with:

Real-time gift program with flexible redemption options
Over 100 merchants
Mobile app for easy access
In-app support and help desk

Other paid features include:

Milestones and anniversaries
Scheduled and automated rewards
Non-monetary shoutouts
Detailed or advanced reporting features
Custom branding
HRIS integrations
Microsoft Teams integrations
Dedicated account representative 
Global rewards, and more.

Guusto’s platform focuses primarily on rewards through gift cards or non-monetary shoutouts. It doesn’t, however, extend to other types of incentives such as perks and benefits, discounts, career development, etc.

Pros & Cons

Pros of Guusto	Cons of Guusto
Customizable gifts & flexible redemption options	Limited free plan, with lack of features and integrations
Free plan	Advanced features are locked behind a paid plan
Easy-to-use platform	Limited selection of incentives
Commitment to social impact

Free Trial & Pricing

This provider is one of the few that offer a free subscription.

On top of that, the company is very transparent with its pricing.

With the free plan, the platform is entirely free to use, with unlimited recipients and no spending minimums. However, it’s a single-user account with fewer features.

For more comprehensive functionalities, there are three paid plans: Lite, Essential, and Premium.

Another significant advantage of its pricing structure is Guusto’s 60-day money-back guarantee on subscription fees, which provides companies with more flexibility and peace of mind as they explore and implement the platform within their organizational framework.

Alternatives

While Guusto has many advantages, there are alternatives in the market with different features and pricing structures, so it’s essential to evaluate them based on your company’s specific needs and budget.

For example, if you’re looking for traditional points-based providers with extensive rewards catalogs and Amazon products, Awardco and Nectar can be suitable replacements.

Moreover, providers like WorkProud and WorkTango are great for companies looking for intuitive platforms that prioritize user experience and seamless integration.

Overall, as you explore all options, seek the one that aligns with your company’s needs, budget, and values.

Guusto Success Stories & Case Studies

Its free subscription, accessibility, and easy-to-use platform make Guusto one of the leaders in the market.

But how are the numbers reflecting this?

Case studies and success stories by Guusto’s clients show promising results in terms of retention, engagement, and company culture.

For example, Compass One Healthcare saw double the increase in retention of award winners or employees who best reflect the program’s values. The results also show a significant ROI due to reduced turnover and increased engagement.

Another case study shows that the multinational food company Pilgrims saved 20% of administrative time and had an increase of 40% in core values alignment and consistency of recognition.

At the same time, employee absenteeism was down by 7%.

These examples and many more, ranging from small businesses to large corporations, showcase this provider’s transformative impact on organizations and their employees.

Conclusion

By helping businesses recognize and reward office and frontline workers, this provider plays a role in creating a culture where employees feel appreciated.

Between this, its convenient features, and the commitment to social impact, Guusto stands out as a valuable tool for strengthening employee retention, boosting engagement, and ultimately driving organizational success.

Disclosure: Some of the products featured in this blog post may come from our partners who compensate us. This might influence the selection of products we feature and their placement and presentation on the page. However, it does not impact our evaluations; our opinions are our own. The information provided in this post is for general informational purposes only.

Written by Tamara Jovanovska

Content Writer at Shortlister

Sources

Employee Incentive Programs

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