Lear how to clearly set out your program's scope, including budget, initiatives, and objectives.
In the first part of this section, we talked about setting your program goals. The second element of running a great recognition program is Defining (or Redefining) Program Parameters. This is key on the admin side as well as for program participants.
From an admin perspective, it's important to revisit exactly what your recognition budget is, how it's spent, and the types of programs you invest in – from milestones to spot awards to peer-to-peer recognition, there are several initiatives you can run to align with greater business objectives.
Once you have a better grasp on which programs or initiatives you want to prioritize this year, you can allocate your budget accordingly. For example, if you're looking to boost peer-to-peer program participation, maybe you allocate more funds to incentivize Shoutouts campaigns.
After that, it's important to communicate (or re-communicate) exactly what your recognition program means to folks internally. What are the program parameters? What are the expectations for how often they're expected to send recognition? Do they know how their budget (if they have one) is allocated?
Answers to these questions can help encourage employees into using the platform and ensure they see the value behind the tool as well. Here are some more suggestions for putting together a communications plan for your team.