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Holiday Recognition Programs

Updated

This guide is designed to help you prepare for a successful holiday season of employee recognition and rewards.
 

The holiday season is a great opportunity to show appreciation for your employees through your recognition platform. We recommend starting your holiday award preparations early, ideally three months in advance, to ensure a smooth process and create meaningful recognitions. All program elements (funding, setup, and bulk recognition files) must be finalized no later than 30 days prior to the intended award date; any shorter timeline cannot be accommodated. Your thoughtful preparation will make this festive season one filled with appreciation.
 

To help you feel confident and ready to lead this effort, we’ve outlined key steps and best practices for preparing your holiday recognition programs!

 

Download our Holiday Playbook as a PDF.

 

  1. Key Preparations
  2. Notes & Best practices
  3. Example
  4. Contact Information

 

Key Preparations

Adding a Holiday Recognition Program

Set up a holiday recognition program in recognition program settings for accurate reporting. Here’s how:

  1. Select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
  2. From the left navigation menu, select “Recognition,” "Programs," then "Recognition Programs.”
  3. Click “Create Program.”
  4. Name the program and click “Create Program.”
  5. In the General tab select “Holiday Program” from the Program Category dropdown menu. 
  6. Click “Save Changes.” 
     

 

No further adjustments are needed for this program.

 

Prefunding Your Account

Before starting this process, please inform your dedicated Client Success Manager (CSM) or Technical Client Manager (TCM) of the planned funding amount and date. This ensures the award points are released smoothly and on time for your recognition event.

 

Ensure your account is adequately funded to handle holiday recognition awards.

  1. On the Billing Page, click Request an Invoice to pre-fund awards.
  2. Enter the requested invoice amount, click Continue, and specify if the invoice is for pre-funding a program. If yes, select the appropriate program or budget.
  3. Fill in any additional details like email address, PO, or notes.
  4. Review the payment breakdown, then click Submit Request.

 

Note: Prefund the full holiday award amount. If your redemption account balance reaches $0, orders will stop. Credit card payments are instant (with a fee), while ACH payments take 3-5 business days without a fee. You can expect your invoice within 24-48 business hours.

* Also, to prevent potential double billing in the following month, please ensure the payment is made no later than the same month the awards are distributed.

Once processed, funds will appear in the “Deposits” line of the Funding Summary. To deposit the points you will award for the holiday recognition:

  1. Click Add Points on the Billing Page.
  2. Enter the desired amount of points (equal to the funds deposited).
  3. Enter a note and click Add Points.
  4. Select Confirm. 

 

Deposited points show under “Company Account” in the Points Summary. For clearer reporting, create a separate holiday budget. See the Managing Budgets article for detailed budget and point allocation instructions.

 

 

Crafting Email Templates

Use the Email Template Easy Editor to create custom holiday recognition emails.

  • Select holiday-themed images in the Holiday Email Template support article.
  • Include warm holiday wishes and redemption instructions.
  • Test your email templates by sending a recognition to yourself using the Bulk Recognition Builder to ensure everything looks perfect.

 

Planning Bulk Recognition

Use the Bulk Recognition Builder to distribute holiday awards.

  • We recommend having the recognition come from either the general recognition account or the head of your organization.
  • Before sending, double-check that sufficient points are allocated in the correct budget.
  • Attach the appropriate email template and program to your bulk recognition.
  • Set the visibility to “private” if needed.

 

 

Notes & Best Practices

  • Plan ahead! We recommend starting three months in advance to ensure all steps are completed. Your complete holiday program must be finalized (including funding and file preparation) no later than 30 days prior to the intended award date. A shorter timeline cannot be accommodated.
  • No extra license fees: Holiday programs are free to implement and do not count toward additional license fees.
  • Wider redemption options: Allow employees to redeem holiday points on all available redemption options. This flexibility lets them combine points from the holiday program with their existing balances.
  • Avoid implementing catalogs: This could extend the setup process. If necessary, custom catalogs start at $300 per year, with additional costs for further customization.
  • Points are preferred over physical awards: Points give employees more choices and allow them to pair holiday awards with existing points in their wallets.
  • Consider the Award Amount: While a simple message or nominal points (around 10 points) shows appreciation, larger awards can have a greater impact.
  • Use tools like Recognition Details and Points Redeemed to track your holiday recognition program's success.

 

 

Example

Here’s an example of an email template created in the Email Template Easy Editor for a holiday program:
 

 



 

 

Here’s an example of a bulk recognition created in the Bulk Recognition Builder for a holiday program:
 

 

Contact Information

For help, contact the Technical CSM Team.

This holiday season, use Awardco to show your employees appreciation. We're here to support you.

Happy Holidays!

 

 

If you have any questions, please contact Awardco Admin Support.

 

 

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