---
title: "Guusto on Dayforce Build: Your Data Now Rewards Your People"
description: Guusto Recognition led the Marketplace demo at the Dayforce Build keynote. See how your Dayforce data will spot great work and reward every employee.
---

[Guusto Blog - Building Culture](https://blog.guusto.com)

# [Guusto on Dayforce Build: Your Data Now Rewards Your People](https://blog.guusto.com/dayforce-build-guusto-recognition)

 Written by [Joe Facciolo](https://blog.guusto.com/author/joe-facciolo) | Nov 3, 2026

Recognition just got a whole lot easier for every team that runs on Dayforce. On October 27 at Dayforce Discover 2026, Dayforce introduced **Dayforce Build**, a new way for customers and partners to create apps and bots inside Dayforce just by describing what they need. When the Innovation Keynote opened the new Dayforce Marketplace, the first app on screen was Guusto’s recognition and rewards app. For HR, people ops and total rewards teams, it means recognizing every employee, frontline included, without adding another tool, another login or another task to a manager's day.

Quick answer

What is Dayforce Build?

Dayforce Build lets Dayforce customers and partners create apps, bots and documents on the Dayforce platform by describing what they need in plain language. Everything runs inside Dayforce's permissions and governance and is shared through the new Dayforce Marketplace. Dayforce says Build and Marketplace will be available in 2027, and Guusto is one of the partners already building on it.

The announcement

## What did Dayforce announce at Dayforce Discover 2026?

Discover was Dayforce's biggest stage of the year, and the headline was the [agentic HCM platform](https://www.dayforce.com/who-we-are/newsroom/dayforce-unveils-the-agentic-hcm-platform). Dayforce Build is the piece that opens it up. According to [Dayforce](https://www.dayforce.com/who-we-are/newsroom/introducing-dayforce-build-the-hcm-platform-you-trust-extended-to-everything-you-can-imagine), you describe what your business needs and Build produces a Dayforce-native app, bot or document. It's model agnostic, it publishes instantly once approved, and it runs in an isolated sandbox that only touches data through Dayforce's existing permission model.

Dayforce Build on the main stage at Dayforce Discover 2026, Wynn Las Vegas.

“If you can describe what your business needs, you can build it. That's Dayforce Build.”

David Ossip · Founder and CEO, Dayforce

Here’s what’s in the box, straight from the announcement. For the full tour, see Dayforce’s [Dayforce Build page](https://www.dayforce.com/how-we-help/dayforce/leverage-ai-for-efficiency/dayforce-build).

Inside Dayforce Build

Apps from a prompt

Describe the need and Build creates an experience that looks and feels like Dayforce.

Dayforce Bots

Bots run on a schedule or respond to events, keep memory, and work within defined permissions and approvals.

Dayforce Marketplace

One place to find, preview, install and manage apps and bots from Dayforce, partners and customers.

Built-in governance

Admins review what an app reads and writes before granting access, and assign it to specific roles or teams.

Works where you work

Build bots will be available in Microsoft Copilot and Teams, per Dayforce's [Microsoft announcement](https://www.dayforce.com/who-we-are/newsroom/dayforce-expands-ai-collaboration-with-microsoft-across-hr-finance-and-operations).

Build Academy

Training and certification for customers and partners who want to publish to the Marketplace.

Dayforce's official first look at Dayforce Build. [Watch on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dayforce_meet-dayforce-build-create-custom-workforce-activity-7520938217357950976-9y_8)

On the main stage

## How was Guusto featured in the Dayforce Build keynote?

Dayforce named seven partners already building on Dayforce Build: Aflac, Checkr, Deloitte, Emburse, Guusto, PwC and WorkBright. **Guusto is the only recognition and rewards partner on that list.**

Then came the moment our whole team will remember. When the keynote opened the Dayforce Marketplace, the Featured row led with Guusto, tagged App of the month and described as a way to recognize and reward your team, frontline workers included.

The Dayforce Marketplace, as shown in the Innovation Keynote. Guusto leads the Featured row.

The demo went a step further with the Recognize with Guusto bot. On screen, the bot noticed that an employee had just finished a Dayforce Learning module with a 96% score and hadn't been recognized yet. It drafted a $25 reward with a personal message, showed the manager how much budget they'd have left, and sent it as soon as the manager said yes.

The Recognize with Guusto bot, live in the keynote demo.

“

Guusto's created a recognition bot that continually looks at your workforce. It rewards perfect attendance. It recognizes people on their anniversaries and on their birthdays, and so it makes it much more personal.

[David Ossip](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dossip/)

Innovation Keynote, Dayforce Discover 2026

The Guusto moment from the Dayforce Discover 2026 Innovation Keynote (captions on).

Easier for managers

## How does Guusto make recognition easier for managers in Dayforce?

Ask a frontline manager why recognition slips and you'll usually hear the same thing: there's no time. Guusto on Dayforce Build puts an AI recognition assistant right where managers already work, so **noticing great work and rewarding it takes a sentence instead of a spare half hour.** Here's what that looks like.

### 1Ask who stepped up this week

Managers ask in plain language and get a clear answer with the reasons behind it, like who picked up extra shifts to cover the front desk or who worked well past their scheduled hours. Nobody has to dig through a schedule to find the people holding things together.

### 2Send a personal reward in one reply

The assistant drafts the reward and a thank-you that names exactly what the person did. The manager can send it as is or tweak the amount and wording, and the reward is on its way in seconds.

### 3See who's fallen off the radar

One question shows everyone who hasn't been recognized in a while, how long it’s been and why they stand out, including people who've never been recognized at all. That matters, because the [American Psychological Association](https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2026) found **the share of US workers who feel valued at work fell from 84% to 80%** in a single year.

Set it once

## How do Guusto recognition bots work inside Dayforce?

For the moments that happen every week, you don't even need to ask. Ask the Reward Assistant what you could automate, add the bots you want, and **your Dayforce data does the remembering from then on.**

Once a bot is on, here's what happens the moment an employee hits a milestone:

Your Dayforce data triggers the reward, and everyone's in the loop.

Point bots at the programs you already run

Learning

Reward course and certification completions, like a safety certification or a customer service module.

Attendance

Celebrate perfect-attendance streaks, which matter most in shift-based teams where every gap gets felt.

Engagement

Thank people for taking part in pulse and engagement surveys, so more of your workforce keeps answering.

Performance

Recognize goals hit in Dayforce or your CRM, so wins get noticed the day they happen.

Because these are Build apps, they **look like Dayforce, respect your access rights, and work on mobile and the web.**

\+

Running Dayforce?  
Let’s map your first Guusto bots

In a quick chat, we’ll look at the moments you already track in Dayforce, which ones are worth rewarding, and how recognition can reach every employee, frontline included.

[Talk to our team](https://guusto.com/demo?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=dayforce-build-2026&utm_content=dayforce-build-guusto-recognition)

Why it matters

## Why does recognition matter so much for frontline employee engagement?

The people who keep stores open, patients cared for and lines running are the ones most likely to be missed. Gallup's [State of the Global Workplace 2026](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/697904/state-of-the-global-workplace-2026.aspx) found that on-site employees who can't work remotely are the least engaged group of all, and a [Forrester Consulting study for Staffbase](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/27/3389072/0/en/staffbase-commissioned-study-finds-only-23-of-us-frontline-workers-feel-fully-supported.html) found **only 23% of US frontline workers feel fully supported.**

Engagement by work location

Exclusively remote30%

 

Hybrid25%

 

On-site, remote-capable24%

 

On-site, can't work remotely17%

 

Share of employees engaged worldwide. The frontline sits at the bottom.

 Source: [Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2026 (2025 data)](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/697904/state-of-the-global-workplace-2026.aspx)

Recognition is one of the fastest ways to close that gap, and the payoff is measurable. A meta-analysis of 72 studies in [Personnel Psychology](https://goal-lab.psych.umn.edu/orgpsych/readings/5.%20Motivation/Stajkovic%20%26%20Luthans%20(2003).pdf) found **social recognition on its own improved performance by 17%.** In a [study by The Manufacturing Institute and the American Psychological Association](https://themanufacturinginstitute.org/press-releases/new-study-offers-insights-on-retaining-high-potential-skilled-workers/), manufacturing employees who feel valued were more than four times as likely to be highly engaged. The cost of getting engagement wrong is huge, too. [Gallup estimates](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/712433/employee-engagement-remains-flat-adoption-accelerates.aspx) that employees who aren’t engaged cost the US economy about **$2 trillion a year** in lost productivity.

What recognition is worth

17%

performance lift from social recognition alone

4x

as likely to be highly engaged when manufacturing employees feel valued

$2trillion

a year lost to employees who aren’t engaged, across the US economy

 Sources: [Stajkovic & Luthans, Personnel Psychology, 2003](https://goal-lab.psych.umn.edu/orgpsych/readings/5.%20Motivation/Stajkovic%20%26%20Luthans%20(2003).pdf) · [The Manufacturing Institute and APA, 2021](https://themanufacturinginstitute.org/press-releases/new-study-offers-insights-on-retaining-high-potential-skilled-workers/) · [Gallup, 2026](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/712433/employee-engagement-remains-flat-adoption-accelerates.aspx)

“Research shows recognition alone lifts task performance by almost 17%. This is AI that's built to drive more human connection.”

Breakout session · Dayforce Discover 2026

### Rewards that reach every shift

None of this works if the reward never reaches the person. Guusto was built for people who don't sit at a desk, so **no company email, app or login is required.** Rewards go out by SMS, push, QR code or print, or a manager can hand one over in person with a quick scan, and they're redeemable at over 1,000 merchants.

That reach is why Guusto customers see recognition stick. [Fortis Solutions Group](https://guusto.com/customer-stories/fortis-solutions-group), a packaging manufacturer with 1,200 employees across 21 sites, aimed for 40% manager adoption in its first 90 days and hit 85%, while gift redemption climbed from about 40% with its previous vendor to 75%. At [Compass One Healthcare](https://guusto.com/customer-stories/compass-one-healthcare), which has about 68,000 employees across 45 states, award winners are twice as likely to stay.

Guusto customer results

85%

manager adoption at Fortis (goal was 40% in 90 days)

75%

gift redemption at Fortis (about 40% before)

2x

as likely to stay after a Gem Award at Compass One Healthcare

 Sources: [Fortis Solutions Group](https://guusto.com/customer-stories/fortis-solutions-group) · [Compass One Healthcare](https://guusto.com/customer-stories/compass-one-healthcare) customer stories

“Twice as many people stay that have received our Gem Award.”

Andy Maus · SVP of Human Resources, Compass One Healthcare

For your team

## What does Dayforce Build mean for HR, people ops and total rewards leaders?

HR teams have wanted fewer tools and fewer logins for years. Dayforce Build delivers that by bringing best-in-class partners into Dayforce, where they look and behave like the rest of the platform. With Guusto, **your recognition program finally lives in the same place as your people data,** with a recognition score, people to recognize and upcoming celebrations all in one dashboard.

HR and people ops

Launch programs faster with no new tool to roll out, and see who's being recognized and who's being missed.

Operations leaders

Bots keep recognition going across every site and shift, even on the busiest weeks, and managers get notified in the moment.

Total rewards

Programs, budgets and approvals run on rules you set once, and every reward is one employees get to pick for themselves.

Dayforce admins

Every app runs inside Dayforce's permission model, with clear review of what it reads and writes before anyone gets access.

A quick breakdown of Dayforce Build and why the Guusto demo stood out. [Watch on LinkedIn](https://lnkd.in/p/gQ5dP3hn)

What's next

## When can Dayforce customers use Guusto on Dayforce Build?

Dayforce says Build and the Marketplace will be available in 2027, and Guusto will be in the Marketplace when it opens. **You don’t have to wait to get started.** Guusto already syncs with Dayforce today to automate employee record updates, birthdays, anniversaries, milestones and budget allocation. Teams that start now will have their programs, budgets and habits in place the day the bots arrive.

Get Dayforce Build ready

1List the moments you already track in Dayforce that deserve a reward: certifications, attendance streaks, survey participation and goals.

2Decide a reward amount and a budget owner for each program.

3Map how frontline and deskless employees will receive rewards, whether that's SMS, QR code, print or a manager hand-off.

4Loop in your Dayforce admin early on roles, permissions and approvals.

5[Talk to Guusto](https://guusto.com/demo?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=checklist&utm_campaign=dayforce-build-2026&utm_content=dayforce-build-guusto-recognition) and see how your Dayforce data can start rewarding people today.

Spread the word

### Know a Dayforce team that should see this?

Share it with your HR, people ops or total rewards peers, or with your Dayforce partner contacts. Here’s a post you can copy:

Dayforce just introduced Dayforce Build at Dayforce Discover 2026, and recognition was front and center. Guusto led the Marketplace demo in the keynote. Managers can ask who stepped up, send a personal reward in one reply, and let bots reward learning, attendance, engagement and performance automatically, right inside Dayforce. Worth a look if your teams run on Dayforce: https://blog.guusto.com/dayforce-build-guusto-recognition

[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.guusto.com%2Fdayforce-build-guusto-recognition)[Email it to a colleague](mailto:?subject=Guusto%20on%20Dayforce%20Build&body=Recognition%20is%20coming%20to%20Dayforce%20Build.%20Worth%20a%20read%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.guusto.com%2Fdayforce-build-guusto-recognition)

 

FAQ

## Dayforce Build and Guusto: frequently asked questions

### What is Dayforce Build?

Dayforce Build lets Dayforce customers and partners create apps, bots and documents on the Dayforce platform by describing what they need in plain language. Solutions run inside Dayforce's permission model, audit trails and approval workflows, and they're shared through the Dayforce Marketplace.

### When will Dayforce Build be available?

Dayforce says Dayforce Build and Dayforce Marketplace will be available in 2027. Partners that want to publish to the Marketplace get certified through Dayforce Build Academy.

### Is Guusto building on Dayforce Build?

Yes. Dayforce named Guusto as one of the partners already building on Dayforce Build, alongside Aflac, Checkr, Deloitte, Emburse, PwC and WorkBright. Guusto’s recognition app and the Recognize with Guusto bot were shown in the Innovation Keynote at Dayforce Discover 2026.

### What can Guusto do inside Dayforce?

Managers can ask Guusto's AI recognition assistant who stepped up or who hasn't been recognized lately, then send a personal reward in one reply. Guusto bots can also reward learning, attendance, engagement and performance milestones automatically, based on what's already happening in Dayforce.

### Does Guusto integrate with Dayforce today?

Yes. Guusto already syncs with Dayforce to automate employee record updates, birthdays, work anniversaries, milestones and budget allocation, so you can start recognizing every employee now and add Build-powered bots as they become available.

### How do frontline employees receive Guusto rewards?

Frontline and deskless employees don't need a company email, an app or a login. Guusto rewards can go out by SMS, push notification, QR code or print, or a manager can hand them over in person, and gifts can be redeemed at over 1,000 merchants.

### Do employee recognition programs work?

The research says yes. A meta-analysis of 72 studies found social recognition alone improved performance by 17%, and a Manufacturing Institute and APA study found employees who feel valued were more than four times as likely to be highly engaged.

### How do you create a scalable employee recognition program?

Tie recognition to moments you already track, set clear rules and budgets once, and make rewards easy for every employee to receive. Inside Dayforce, Guusto bots do this by turning completions, attendance streaks, survey participation and goals into rewards automatically.

## Sources

1. Dayforce, “Introducing Dayforce Build: The HCM Platform You Trust, Extended to Everything You Can Imagine,” October 27, 2026. [Link](https://www.dayforce.com/who-we-are/newsroom/introducing-dayforce-build-the-hcm-platform-you-trust-extended-to-everything-you-can-imagine)
2. Dayforce, “Dayforce Build: Build workforce apps that work your way,” product page. [Link](https://www.dayforce.com/how-we-help/dayforce/leverage-ai-for-efficiency/dayforce-build)
3. Dayforce, “Dayforce Unveils the Agentic HCM Platform,” October 2026. [Link](https://www.dayforce.com/who-we-are/newsroom/dayforce-unveils-the-agentic-hcm-platform)
4. Dayforce, “Dayforce Expands AI Collaboration with Microsoft Across HR, Finance, and Operations,” October 27, 2026. [Link](https://www.dayforce.com/who-we-are/newsroom/dayforce-expands-ai-collaboration-with-microsoft-across-hr-finance-and-operations)
5. Stajkovic, A. D. and Luthans, F., Personnel Psychology, “Behavioral Management and Task Performance in Organizations: Conceptual Background, Meta-Analysis, and Test of Alternative Models,” 2003. [Link](https://goal-lab.psych.umn.edu/orgpsych/readings/5.%20Motivation/Stajkovic%20%26%20Luthans%20(2003).pdf)
6. The Manufacturing Institute and American Psychological Association, “Manufacturing Engagement and Retention Study,” July 2021. [Link](https://themanufacturinginstitute.org/press-releases/new-study-offers-insights-on-retaining-high-potential-skilled-workers/)
7. American Psychological Association, “2026 Work in America Survey,” 2026. [Link](https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2026)
8. Gallup, “State of the Global Workplace 2026,” April 2026. [Link](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/697904/state-of-the-global-workplace-2026.aspx)
9. Gallup, “Employee Engagement Remains Flat as AI Adoption Accelerates,” July 2026. [Link](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/712433/employee-engagement-remains-flat-adoption-accelerates.aspx)
10. Forrester Consulting for Staffbase via GlobeNewswire, “Staffbase-Commissioned Study Finds Only 23% of US Frontline Workers Feel Fully Supported,” October 27, 2026. [Link](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/27/3389072/0/en/staffbase-commissioned-study-finds-only-23-of-us-frontline-workers-feel-fully-supported.html)
11. Guusto, “Fortis Solutions Group customer story,” [Link](https://guusto.com/customer-stories/fortis-solutions-group)
12. Guusto, “Compass One Healthcare customer story,” [Link](https://guusto.com/customer-stories/compass-one-healthcare)

[View full post](https://blog.guusto.com/dayforce-build-guusto-recognition)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Joe Facciolo"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-11-03T15:12:20.377Z",
  "datePublished" : "2026-11-03T15:06:56Z",
  "headline" : "Guusto on Dayforce Build: Your Data Now Rewards Your People",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 1823,
    "url" : "https://1872127.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/1872127/Frame%201000008988%20%284%29.png",
    "width" : 3299
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://blog.guusto.com/dayforce-build-guusto-recognition",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Blog"
  }
}
```