This article helps you automate Service Awards, a valuable feature in the Awardco platform. Automating service awards eliminates the need to maintain complex lists of employee anniversaries or manage reminders for upcoming awards. By configuring the automation in your Awardco platform, you can streamline your celebratory administration.
- Creating a Service Awards Recognition Program
- Accessing Service Awards Automation
- Default Settings
- Adding/Editing Rules
- Launching Service Awards Automation
- Upload CSV
Creating a Service Awards Recognition Program
Before you begin, create a "placeholder" recognition program. This ensures accurate reporting that reflects recognitions sent through service awards automation. To set up a Service Awards recognition program:
- Select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
- From the left navigation menu, select “Recognition,” "Programs," then "Recognition Programs.”
- Select "Create Automated Program" on the Recognition Program settings page.
- Enter the program name (e.g., "Service Awards"), program type ("Service Awards"), and Award Network (the network of redemption options available for points earned through service awards).
- Click "Create Program."
You are now ready to set up the service awards automation.
Accessing Service Awards Automation
To access Service Awards Automation settings:
- Select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
- From the left navigation menu, select “Recognition,” "Programs," then "Service Awards.”
Default Settings
Before adding new rules, adjust the default settings. To configure default settings, click the "Default Settings" button. These settings apply to all service award rules unless overridden by the CSV upload feature.
General
- From: Select the user from which the recognition will come (usually a general recognition account) or check the "From Supervisor" option to have the recognition come from each award recipient's direct supervisor.
- Note: Enter a message to be displayed with the recognition in the recognition feed. Depending on your email template configuration, this note may be sent directly to the employee's inbox. While notes are typically short, you can include a longer message (up to 1000 characters). Add "{Year}" to dynamically insert the anniversary year number (e.g., "Congrats on your {Year} anniversary!").
- Visibility: Choose whether the recognition is visible on the social feed or private using this dropdown menu. We recommend making recognitions public so all anniversaries can be acknowledged.
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Program Name: Designate the program under which the award is submitted using this dropdown menu. Selecting a program is optional but provides consistent reporting and can restrict awards to specific award networks. To create an automated recognition program:
- Go to Recognition Program Settings.
- Click "Add Automated Program."
- Name the program, select the program type and Award Network, and click "Submit."
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Budget: Select the budget from which points will be drawn using the dropdown menu.
Click "Save."
Notifications
- Send Notification Time: Select the time the service award notification is sent to the recipient. The timezone for each employee is based on their associated country code in the user file. Refer to the country code spreadsheet to determine the appropriate timezone. Check the box if you want notifications sent on Saturdays and Sundays. If selected and the anniversary falls on a weekend, the notification will be sent on the preceding Friday.
- Send Employee Notification: Enable this option to send a notification to the service award recipient. Then, select the email template used to notify the recipient from the dropdown menu. Verify the desired email template by selecting the "Manage Email Templates" option.
- Send Manager Notification: Enable this option to send a notification to the service award recipient's manager. Then, select the email template used to notify the manager from the dropdown menu. Verify the desired email template by selecting the "Manage Email Templates" option. Next, set the notification timing for the manager using the "Notification Timing" field. Entering "0" sends the manager notification email on the recipient's anniversary.
Click "Save."
Exclusions
Enable the "Exclusions" setting to make specific groups or individuals ineligible to receive service awards. Then, enter the individuals or metadata values to exclude.
Click "Save."
Adding Rules
To add a service year rule, click the "Add Rule" button. Enter the service year and the corresponding award amount. If applicable, enter a metadata value in the "Eligible Metadata" field to specify who is eligible for the service award. Click "Save."
The saved rule appears on the Service Awards automation page. Click the pencil icon to edit the rule. Click the pages icon to copy the rule; any setting overrides tied to the copied rule will also apply to the new rule. Click the trash can icon to delete the rule. Deleting a rule removes existing rules in the queue that match (unless tied to a MemoryBook); deactivating a program allows awards to remain in the queue.
Launching Service Awards Automation
To launch the Service Awards automation, click the "Launch Now" button. To schedule the launch for a future date, click the "Schedule Launch" link and select a start date.
To deactivate the Service Awards automation, click "Show Advanced Settings" on the Service Awards automation page and select "Deactivate Service Awards."
Note: If a service award has a MemoryBook tied to it, it can only be removed from the queue manually (Admin > Recognition > Programs > MemoryBook Settings).
Upload CSV
Service Award automation can be configured using a CSV file. To do this, click "Upload CSV" and download the provided template. Refer to this support article for guidance of completing the file.
Configuring Service Award automation with a CSV file is helpful when you need Default Settings to vary by recognition year. For example, you can assign different senders for specific years, customize messages, adjust visibility, and set unique budgets.
If you have any questions, please contact Awardco Admin Support.