Achievers, the world’s most utilized recognition and reward software, kicks off the UNLEASH America 2025 conference with a new AI assistant, recognition toolkit and reward features – purpose-built to address the $438 billion management disengagement crisis.
“Our research shows the foundation of great employee engagement is monthly, meaningful recognition from managers,” said Jordan Ekers, VP of Product Marketing and Commercial Strategy at Achievers. “But with managers increasingly disengaged, their teams are going uncelebrated, and it’s creating a crisis for workplace productivity and culture. It’s critical we solve this, and in order to do so, we must provide managers with the tools they need to be great leaders and recognize behaviors effortlessly.”
Strengthening the Connective Tissue of Teams with an All-in-One Toolkit
The first solution available in Achievers’ enhanced suite is the Manager Toolkit, a one-stop shop for meaningful recognition that is purpose-built for managers and people leaders.
Manager Toolkit provides in-depth insights into team engagement and recognition frequency, providing managers with clear, actionable information. These capabilities are critical – Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI) finds managers who recognize their teams monthly can double employee engagement rates. But with 75% of managers already stretched thin, managers need support in recognition tracking frequency. Manager Toolkit acts as an engagement coach, showing managers where their teams stand and guiding them to meet their goals.
Beyond this data, the toolkit includes tailored, to-do items that nudge managers to take meaningful steps – whether it’s recognizing a team member, signing a celebration card, or boosting morale during a critical time. Each action is reinforced with science-backed guidance to help managers get closer to best practices and lead with greater confidence.
Arming Managers with Purchasing Power to Reward the Moments that Matter
AWI research finds the most effective recognition programs prioritize meaningful, personalized rewards at scale. Yet many managers face a common roadblock: when they go to celebrate a team member’s great work with monetary recognition, all too often, they discover they lack the rewards points needed to do so. Historically, these managers would need to secure the right budget approvals to get more points. Because recognition is most powerful when delivered in the moment, such delays can diminish its impact.
To eliminate this friction, Achievers is introducing Purchase Points, a new feature that allows managers to buy additional recognition points instantly via credit card or invoice. This empowers leaders to recognize on demand, within their own limits, helping organizations sustain a vibrant, rewarding culture without bottlenecks.
Harnessing AI to Power Effortless, High-Impact Recognition Across Teams
The ability to recognize is an essential soft skill for anyone managing a team, yet only 34% of managers believe they’re effective at positive reinforcement, and less than a third of employees say their managers are good at recognizing them. To help close this gap, Achievers is introducing a new AI-powered Recognition Assistant designed to help managers write impactful recognitions based on science-backed best practices. This tool embeds into employees’ daily workflow through popular collaboration platforms, allowing the AI assistant to draw context from meetings, messages, and documents, suggest relevant recognition moments, and offer guidance to make every message count. The AI-driven Recognition Assistant will be available for demo onsite at UNLEASH America 2025, with broader capabilities rolling out over the next year.
“We’re committed to helping organizations build resilient cultures through smarter recognition, and that starts at the manager level,” added Ekers. “That’s why we’re equipping people leaders with new tools that enhance how they recognize their teams, measure what matters, and reinforce positive behaviors with meaningful rewards. These innovations are grounded in workforce science and will work together to make managers more empowered, effective, and trustworthy, at a time when organizations need great leaders the most.”
For more insights about how Achievers’ revamped recognition and rewards platform is building strong managers, visit the Achievers booth #411 at UNLEASH America 2025, book a demo, or attend Ekers’ session on Stage 1 at UNLEASH America 2025, taking place at 12:20 PM PT on May 8.
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