Top 5 Real Time Feedback Software For +15% High Performers

With the right real-time feedback software, your employees will never get helpful advice or performance-boosting praise too late. 

But with so many software providers to choose from, how do you know which one is worth your time…and budget?

As a provider of real-time feedback and performance enablement software ourselves, we’ve spent a lot of time exploring the industry and our competitors. 

Aside from us, the list below is the top providers you should consider on your hunt. For each one, we’ve looked at their pros, cons, pricing and real user reviews to help you make a choice that’s right for you.

Jump Ahead:

1. Analysis: 3 Factors You Should Look For
2. Review: 5 Best Real-Time Feedback Software

Full transparency, we’re kicking this list off with our own product, Mesh. I think we'll impress you, but I also want to make it clear that this article won't dump on our competitors. We can acknowledge their strengths and the situations where they’re a better fit than we are. 

What is Real-Time Feedback?

The Old Way:

Until recently, the vast majority of companies relied on traditional performance management systems. These systems only helped employees improve via annual or semi-annual reviews, where they were sat down and told how they were doing at work.

This periodic system of employee feedback has received significant criticism. For one, feedback is delayed—so an employee could be doing the wrong thing for 6 months—which is incredibly inefficient and frustrating for all involved. 

Other criticisms include bias (who really remembers specific feedback from six months ago?) and relevance (the feedback is probably relevant to a project that is already finished).

The New Way:

Real-time feedback, a key part of the Performance Enablement movement, arose in protest to the old way of doing things. 

A real-time feedback system doesn’t rely on HR teams to organize a periodic performance review. Instead, it uses digital tools to enable, encourage, and engage employees in a more continuous conversation about their performance.

It looks like this:

1. Team members are set clear goals and competencies to develop that align with company goals.
2. After each meeting, conversation, and project milestone, all team members are prompted to give “shoutouts” and “scores” to each other.
3. Continuous praise positively reinforces behaviors.
4. Whereas low scores reveal skill gaps to discuss in regular 1:1s.
5. Manager's become naturally more effective and employees know exactly how to improve.

The real-time approach enables companies to be agile in response to change and quick to grow high-performing employees.

It’s a win-win for all your people.

The 5 Best Real-Time Feedback Software We’ll Review

Here’s a glimpse at the 5 best real-time feedback software we'll review in-depth:

1. ​​Mesh.ai - Best Real-Time Feedback Software for +15% High Performers
2. Engagedly - Best Real-Time Feedback Software with a Reward Focus
3. 15Five - Best Real-Time Feedback Software for Coaching
4. Reflektive  - Best Real-Time Feedback Software for Performance Reviews
5. PerformYard - Best Real-Time Feedback Software for Old School Management

Before we look at each one, I’ll walk you through the factors you need to consider as you make your choice.

What to Look For in a Real-Time Feedback Software - 3 Factors

In our experience, HR leaders must consider three key factors when choosing real-time feedback software:

Factor 1 - It creates a culture of regular feedback, praise, and improvement

For feedback to be real-time, it needs to be delivered continuously. 

Therefore, great real-time feedback software will encourage that behavior by nudging employees and managers to give feedback more often—immediately after interactions, not in a quarterly review.

Nudges (read more about Nudge Theory here) tell employees when it’s time to request or complete feedback. They help make feedback part of your culture.

Factor 2 - Coaches employees to give more meaningful feedback

Giving any old feedback isn’t enough. The feedback should be detailed and actionable to be useful, so your real-time feedback software should encourage that.

For example, AI copilots can coach your team on how to write better feedback, providing suggestions on how it can be improved for more impactful delivery.

Factor 3 - Integrates into your company’s communication software (Slack/Teams)

Everyone has had the experience of downloading or using a new software, and within a week they forget to use it. That shouldn’t be your real-time feedback software. 

It needs to be used continuously to be effective. To avoid forgetting, we recommend looking for software that integrates into tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams to prompt and encourage peer-to-peer feedback. That way it can stay top of mind and embed into your culture.

In this article:

In this article, I’ll show you how Mesh, our performance enablement and real-time feedback software excels in the above areas. 

Then, I’ll explain the pros, cons, and customer reviews of four other real-time feedback softwares to help you make an informed decision.

1. Mesh.AI | Real-Time Feedback Software for +15% High Performers

Mesh’s performance enablement software is proven to improve high-performer density by 15%. 

Our customers using real-time praise and advice see a ~138% boost in feedback throughout the year compared to their typical periodic review cycles.

How? By building continuous feedback into the flow of work. 

Within Mesh, you set goals at the company, team, and individual levels, supported by key skill competencies to develop, and feedback is continuously crowdsourced from peers.

Not only does this mean individuals always have a clear understanding of their progress and improvement points, but all the data is collected and can be used in 1:1s and period reviews to enable managers to help their team improve.

Here are some of the features that make this possible:

• Continuous employee feedback functionality (giving, requesting, tracking both praise and constructive feedback)
• Nudges that remind employees when to complete tasks (including feedback, goal updates, and performance reviews)
• Goal setting and alignment (which can then be linked to feedback)
• Manager-employee check-ins (1:1s where feedback can be discussed in detail)
• Capability tracking (to see how effective the feedback is in driving development)

The tool also has:

• Performance tracking 
• Period reviews
• Engagement and employee sentiment surveys
• Detailed analytics 

Want a tool that facilitates real-time feedback and enables better performance? Get in touch with us for a demo of the product. 

Teams that leverage praise and advice on Mesh see a ~138% boost in feedback inputs throughout the year over traditional periodic review/feedback cycles.

Let’s look at how Mesh meets the three factors we outlined earlier. 

→ Factor 1: How Mesh embeds regular feedback and praise into your company culture

Mesh makes giving and asking for feedback feel like second nature for every employee.

All thanks to its ‘nudges’ feature which lets managers and colleagues know when it’s time to give feedback or praise. 

Employees are encouraged to request feedback on the platform. Those requests are then sent to whoever they’ve requested feedback from. That may be their manager or a colleague they’re working on a project with.

If the person delivering feedback forgets to follow through, the Mesh platform will ‘nudge’ them periodically until they do. That ensures feedback happens and happens often. 

Once feedback is delivered, it gets documented and can be used in 1:1s and at performance reviews. 

HR or People teams can even see what competencies the company has and what is lacking. And employees can see a real-time view of their strengths and weaknesses. 

→ Factor 2: How Mesh coaches employees to give more meaningful feedback

Every Mesh user gets Maven—an AI co-pilot. Maven pops up to make suggestions and to coach employees as they’re giving feedback, completing performance reviews, and writing goals. 

If you’ve ever received feedback and been left confused or hurt then you know why Maven is important. It tells the feedback giver how to word feedback so that it's meaningful, tactful, and impactful. 

Maven also creates note summaries from 1:1s so that managers get an understanding of all that was discussed. They can then use that information in future feedback, praise, or even formal performance reviews. 

With Mesh, feedback is real-time and real impactful on employee development and performance. 

Want to learn more about the Mesh Maven? Check out our product page here. 

→ Factor 3: How Mesh integrates into your company’s communication software (Slack/Teams)

We’ve already mentioned Mesh’s nudge feature. But we know work gets busy and employees forget to check every important tool they use on a daily basis.

So we built Mesh to integrate into the tools they use every day, tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams. 

This way a feedback request never gets missed and managers can give praise from their communication app.

Mesh Pros, Cons, and User Reviews

Pros:

• Ensures feedback is regular, timely, and linked to employees' goals and capabilities
• Puts feedback into employees’ flow of work by integrating it into their workplace communication tools
• Does more than just feedback, enabling performance through additional features like goal setting and performance reviews

Cons:

• Requires a shift from traditional performance management to performance enablement that some organizations might struggle with
• Volume of data, insights, and notifications could become overwhelming
• Unable to download documents and data from the platform

User Reviews:

Want to see more? Head to our G2 profile.

Mesh Pricing

Our pricing is designed to meet and scale to your organization’s feedback and performance needs. 

That’s why there’s more than one package to choose from: Base, Premium, and Enterprise.

• Base: $4 per user, per month
• Premium: $7 per user, per month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing 

You can see what features are included in each:

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2. Engagedly | Best Real-Time Feedback Software with a Reward Focus

Engagedly is a real-time feedback software that also offers organizations the ability to build a reward program. With Engagedly you can take positive feedback and use it to determine employee rewards and recognition.

‍Some of Engagedly’s core features include:

• 360 Feedback
• Social Recognition & Rewards
• Goal Setting & Alignment
• Learning Management System (LMS)
• Gamification (where employees can earn badges)

Engagedly Pros, Cons, and User Reviews

Pros:

• Social recognition and rewards features cultivate a culture of appreciation, improving morale and employee engagement
• Integrated LMS encourages ongoing personal and professional development
• Gamification can make it more fun for employees to engage with the platform 

Review from an Engagedly user:

“Building a better workforce that has the skills that our business need is easy with Engagedly. Talent analytics gives all the data we need about our employees skills and what skills that our business currently needs. We use the learning software integration to close the skills gap between workers. All this process is easy to setup and we had help from the support team.”

Cons:

• Too many features and tools within Engagedly can lead to challenges in adoption and integration
• Smaller organizations or teams might find the comprehensive suite of features more than they need
• Difficulty navigating the tool with a poor UI

Review from an Engagedly user:

“Honestly, the UI reads like someone whose second language is English wrote it. There are areas that are unnecessarily verbose and sometimes finding the "team view" is hard compared to self. The search function could also be improved. Lastly, Marissa (their AI assistant) was largely unhelpful in trying to write reviews.”

Engagedly Pricing

With Engagedly, all plans start at $5,000. 

Beyond that they have a base package offered at $9 per member/month with 4 add-on packages. 

The ‘Reward and Recognition’ and the ‘Growth and Learning’ packages are each an additional $5 per member/month. The ‘Mentoring Suite’ is an additional $2 per member/month.

3. 15Five | Best Real-Time Feedback Software for Coaching

15Five is a real time feedback software with management training and coaching built-in. 

Managers on 15Five can connect with coaches, follow curated learning pathways, and take part in bite-size training modules off the back of receiving feedback that directs them to development areas. 

Of course, their feedback feature isn’t just for managers—it's for the whole organization and can be used to encourage progress and performance. 

Some of 15Five’s core features include:

• Continuous Feedback 
• Coaching
• Engagement surveys
• Weekly Check-Ins
• OKR & Goal Management

15Five Pros, Cons, and User Reviews

Pros:

• Combines goal tracking with feedback, allowing for real-time progress assessments and adjustments
• Offers extensive resources and training for managers and employees to enhance their coaching and feedback skills
• Customizable check-in questions, enabling organizations to tailor conversations and feedback

Review from a 15Five user:

“It's scalable and has some great features that aren't locked behind a higher tier/out of reach of small companies.”

Cons:

• Some users find the full range of features overwhelming at first
• Can be difficult to get in touch with support
• Clunky UX

Review from a 15Five user:

“Sometimes the UX feels a bit clunky, and it can be slow to load on occasion. I feel the OKR tracking mechanism could improve, as sometimes it feels complicated to submit them, edit them, and set them up.”

15Five Pricing

15Five’s pricing starts at $4 per user/per month and is billed annually. 

It comes in three tiers:

• Engage: $4 per user/per month
• Perform: $10 per user/per month
• Total Platform: $16 per user/per month

4. Reflektive | Best Real-Time Feedback Software for Values-Based Recognition

Reflektive is a performance management and analytics platform that emphasizes values-based recognition and real-time feedback. It aims to improve employee engagement and performance by fostering a culture of appreciation aligned with company values.

‍Some of Reflektive’s core features include:

• Real-Time Feedback and Recognition
• Goal Management
• Performance Reviews & Analytics
• Engagement Surveys

Reflektive Pros, Cons, and User Reviews

Pros:

• Contributions are recognized in alignment with organizational values, enhancing motivation and engagement
• Makes it simple for employees to receive acknowledgment alongside constructive feedback
• Users find Reflektive's platform intuitive and easy to navigate

Review from a Reflektive user:

“Using Reflektive to thank a coworker is so much better than just sending them an email because they get recognized by the whole company and can also cash in their points for rewards! This tool empowers every employee to recognize the people that have done stellar work!”

Cons:

• Some features have a steep learning curve, requiring additional training
• Certain users report difficulties in integrating Reflektive with existing HR systems
• Pricing can be a hurdle for smaller organizations or those with limited budgets‍

Review from a Reflektive user:

“I do not like how buttons and actions are hidden. I think these should be in plain sight. I would also like to be able to choose full teams/departments and not have to enter individual names when working through adding folks for quarterly reviews.”

Reflektive Pricing

Reflektive doesn’t list its pricing model publicly. We’ll update this article with that information should they share it in the future.

5. PerformYard | Best Real-Time Feedback Software for Traditional HR Teams

PerformYard is a real time feedback software designed to streamline and enhance the traditional performance review process. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to facilitate real-time feedback.

When an organization isn’t quite ready to embrace continuous performance enablement, software like PerformYard is a great midway point. 

Some of PerformYard’s core features include:

• Continuous Feedback
• Simplified Performance Reviews
• Goal Management and Tracking
• Employee Engagement Tracking
• New Hire Assessments

PerformYard Pros, Cons, and User Reviews

Pros:

• Breathes new life into traditional performance management processes with modern tools for feedback
• Encourages ongoing development and dialogue between manager and employee
• Ensures that individual and team objectives are clearly defined

Review from a PerformYard user:

“It is an easy way for us to check in with our manager. It allowed for feedback in a positive and productive way.”

Cons:

• While PerformYard offers flexibility, setting up and customizing the system to fit specific organizational needs can be complex and time-consuming
• Focus on traditional performance management, even with modern enhancements, might still prioritize structure over the more nuanced aspects of employee performance and development
• Users expressed a desire for more customization around 360 review due dates and reporting

Review from a PerformYard user:

“We wish we could customize the due dates of 360 peer feedback. We would also like to see more customizable reporting for current review cycles (include identifiers like business unit and department).”

PerformYard Pricing

You can access PerformYard for $5-10 per person/month. You also have the option to ‘add on’ their engagement features for an extra $1-3 per person/month.

Frequently Asked Questions on Real-Time Feedback Software

What are the benefits of real time feedback?

The benefits of real-time feedback include:

• Improving work performance: Immediate feedback helps employees correct mistakes on the spot and reinforces positive behaviors as they occur.
• Gaining competitive advantage: A culture of continuous improvement and adaptability can make a company more agile and responsive to market changes.
• Boosting morale and engagement: Timely recognition and constructive feedback make employees feel valued and more engaged in their work.
• Retaining talent: A supportive environment that fosters growth and addresses issues in real time can increase employee satisfaction and loyalty, reducing turnover.

How do you give feedback in real-time?

To give feedback in real-time, ensure it's specific, constructive, and related to observable behavior or work outcomes.

You can use technology platforms that facilitate instant communication and remind you of feedback requests, like real-time feedback software, to deliver your message promptly. 

Check out our real time feedback software Mesh. 

What is the best feedback tool?

The best feedback tool is one that aligns with your organization's goals, culture, and the specific needs of your team.

You want one that makes giving and receiving feedback effortless. It should prompt you on how to deliver feedback so that it’s most effective. And it should help you link feedback to performance and capabilities development. 

You can learn more about our feedback tool Mesh by signing up for a product demo.