Building Hype Around R&R Launch

Building excitement across the business for the launch of your Recognition and Rewards program is key to ensuring its long-term success. WorkTango’s data shows that employees who actively use WorkTango’s Recognition & Rewards platform stay at their company 2.8 years longer on average than inactive employees. Encouraging this activity is extremely important during launch, as 66% of employees who fail to receive Recognition within 30 days of a WorkTango launch end up rarely active or not active in the platform, and when managers are not active in the platform, 91% of their direct reports are also rarely active or inactive. 

This guide has been carefully crafted to help administrators create enthusiasm around your program launch. By following these strategies you can foster a culture of recognition and experience the benefits of engagement early and often.

Emails from HR & Leadership

Building a communication plan that makes employees aware about the Recognition & Rewards program at least 4-5 weeks prior to launch can go a long way in fostering future engagement. Please refer to our Communication Checklist to access email templates you can leverage while building your email campaign.

Video from CEO/Leadership

Communication from your CEO/leadership in the form of a short video about the soon to be launched Recognition & Rewards program can help create excitement and buy-in amongst employees, in a format that is easy to understand and quick to view. Make sure to call out the importance of peer-to-peer recognition and the rewards program tied to it.

Introducing WorkTango in Town Halls and All Hands

Another great way to socialize the program company-wide before launch is introducing WorkTango during Town Halls and All Hands. It’s a unique opportunity where everyone in the organization is attentive and listening at the same time. Leverage our video to introduce WorkTango and use talking points outlined in the Communication Checklist to create some buzz around the program.

Incentives for First Recognition Sent

Motivate your employees to log into the platform on launch day by incentivizing them with points to send their first recognition. This builds good recognition habits from the beginning, and gives employees a sense of accomplishment by earning points for a desired action for the first time. 

Contests/Raffles 

Raffles or contests are a great way to drive participation in the early days of launch. Gamify employee participation by organizing an event that encourages employees to use the platform for a chance at a prize. 

Example: The first 100 people to send a recognition get entered into a draw to win a large prize, such as a new coffee machine or a bulk of reward points so they can choose their own reward through our global catalog. 

Encourage managers to talk about the R&R program in individual team meetings

Managers play a significant role in driving platform adoption and engagement. Advise managers and people leaders to introduce and screenshare the WorkTango platform in team meetings, and encourage them to send recognitions if any action items have been completed following the meeting. Go one step first further and set activation goals for managers for their individual team to ensure your program gets off to, and stays on the right track. 

Other ideas to keep your Recognition & Rewards program front and center:

• Posters with QR code linking to WorkTango Mobile App (Android and iOS)
• Put up posters in popular places (elevator, lunch room) reminding employees to celebrate every win and recognize their colleagues 
• Print QR codes linking to the WorkTango platform and add them around the office. We’ve seen customers use stickers, posters, even candy to encourage employees to log in
• Socialize the program via pre-launch teasers in internal communication systems (Teams, Slack, Skype)
• Include R&R program information in internal email sign offs from HR, leaders and executives
• Zoom backgrounds
• Reminders on intranets & internal systems 
• Take 5 mins to highlight great recognitions in your team meetings and remind employees about the anatomy of an effective recognition (this can also be posted as a “Recognition of the Week” to the company with the winner receiving a small set of points) 
• Provide training and resources to ensure employees are well-equipped and confident in using the platform 
• Seek regular feedback and suggestions for improvement to demonstrate that the organization is committed to enhancing the platform based on employee input 
• Talk to your Customer Success Manager or WorkTango Account Representative, WorkTango is your partner in this and can help to create custom plans and ideas that work for your specific organization