Starwall vs Viva Engage: A Deep Dive into Employee Engagement Platforms

In today's competitive work environment, fostering a culture of recognition, communication, and engagement is crucial for employee satisfaction and productivity. Two prominent platforms, Starwall and Viva Engage (formerly Yammer), offer solutions to address these needs. But how do they compare?

Communication Features:

Both Starwall and Viva Engage offer core communication features like story posts, newsfeeds, and recognizing others. However, Starwall provides some additional functionalities to enhance user experience:

• Open Q&A: While Viva Engage confines Q&A to a separate, designated section, Starwall breaks down barriers by allowing users to ask and answer questions freely within the main feed, creating a more dynamic and collaborative knowledge-sharing environment.
• Following: "Starwall's 'Following' tab enables employees to stay informed about updates from their leaders, influencers, and even peers, providing a broader scope of visibility and connection across the organization. While Viva Engage's 'Leadership Corner' only allows users to follow designated leaders, Starwall's platform offers a more inclusive and expansive approach to staying updated that matters most.
• Communication Posts: Starwall empowers users to create visually appealing and engaging content through built-in templates, adding videos, pictures, and voice notes to stories. This can significantly increase user engagement compared to Viva Engage's straightforward UI, which lacks visual appeal and advanced features.
• Polls: Starwall's poll feature outshines Viva Engage's by allowing users to add multiple questions and up to 5 answer options simultaneously, making it a more efficient and comprehensive tool for gathering feedback. Additionally, Starwall's user interface is designed with a focus on user experience and visual appeal, providing a more engaging and intuitive experience for users. In contrast, Viva Engage's poll feature is limited to a single question with only 2 answer options, making Starwall the clear winner in terms of functionality and user-friendliness
• Awards: Starwall also offers a comprehensive Awards feature, enabling organizations to run a tailored award program that aligns with their specific needs and goals. With Starwall, awards can be customized to be presented monthly, quarterly, yearly, or as needed, to recognize significant achievements and milestones. This feature allows companies to cater to their employees' desires and needs, while also meeting business objectives. Whether it's a milestone achievement or a notable contribution, Starwall's Awards feature empowers organizations to acknowledge and reward their employees' hard work and?dedication

Recognition and Engagement:

Starwall's comprehensive recognition program surpasses Viva Engage's Praise feature in several ways. Starwall allows users to:

·????? Recognize colleagues at all levels

·????? Customize recognition with company-specific themes and behaviours

·????? Include personalized messages and built-in message

·????? Complete the recognition process in just 30 seconds

·????? Gamify recognition posts with "Giving Stars" (non-monetary) and "Points" (monetary), making recognition more engaging and rewarding

Furthermore, Starwall enables easy sharing of recognition posts on social media platforms like LinkedIn, allowing users to extend their appreciation and celebration beyond the workplace. In contrast, Viva Engage's Praise feature lacks these advanced features and functionality, making Starwall the clear winner in recognition and employee?engagement

Recognition Leaderboard: Starwall showcases top recognizers and most recognized employees, fostering healthy competition.

Additional Features:

• Marketplace: Starwall offers a unique marketplace where employees can redeem recognition points for rewards, enhancing employee satisfaction. Viva Engage currently lacks a similar feature.
• Advanced Analytics: Starwall provides in-depth analytics for both basic and advanced users, helping track engagement and measure the impact of initiatives. Viva Engage might require a premium subscription for advanced analytics.
• Administration: Both platforms offer features like single sign-on, moderation tools, and custom integrations. However, Starwall offers additional functionalities: Pre-boarding: Engage future employees even before their start date, accelerating onboarding. (Viva Engage might have similar functionality) Customizable Email Templates: Tailor communication to your company culture and branding.

Pricing:

Starwall offers a potentially more cost-effective solution, especially for smaller companies. Here's a general comparison of base pricing plans:

• Starwall: Starts at $2.00 per user per month.
• Viva Engage: Starts at $4.00 per user per month (as part of Microsoft 365 E5 plan).

It's important to compare specific pricing plans from both vendors based on your organization's needs and user count. Consider factors like required features, user tiers, contract length, and potential discounts for volume purchases.

Conclusion:

When deciding between Starwall and Viva Engage, consider your organization's unique requirements and budget. Starwall offers a robust, feature-rich platform with advanced capabilities in communication, recognition, and analytics, all carefully crafted to meet the needs of a modern workforce. Additionally, Starwall's seamless integration with Microsoft and other tools provides a cohesive user experience that aligns with the expectations of Gen Z. In contrast, Viva Engage may be a better fit for organizations that prioritize basic communication features and tight integration with Microsoft tools but may not require the advanced features and customization offered?by?Starwall.

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