Metadata adds extra details about employees beyond the basic data in your Awardco platform. It helps customize recognition programs and engagement surveys to fit your organization's needs. While Awardco requires core employee data in your user file, metadata enhances it by defining program settings, budget access, and survey lists. If your HRIS lacks needed metadata, the Metadata Generator can help.
Located within the Admin settings, this tool enables you to generate new metadata based on the information already present in your user file. Although the concept might initially seem abstract, this article will provide a clear breakdown. We will explain the benefits of this tool, the fundamental process of generating metadata using the Metadata Generator, and illustrate its practical applications with real-world examples.
- Metadata Generator Value
- General Tool Settings
- Metadata Value & Rules
- Value Configuration
- Saving & Applying Rules
- Example
Metadata Generator Value
Uploading comprehensive employee data is crucial for the smooth operation of your Awardco platform. The data in your user file empowers employees and enables accurate configuration and analysis across both Recognition and Engage products. While we specify required and recommended fields for your user file, metadata, or additional information, can be incorporated to refine program eligibility, budget allocation, and survey participant lists.
When existing HRIS data in your user file doesn't include the necessary metadata to define your desired parameters, the Metadata Generator bridges this gap by allowing you to create the missing metadata.
Recognition
The Metadata Generator allows you to create precise, targeted rules for your recognition programs. By establishing rules and conditions based on existing data (e.g., Country Code, #Job Group), you can tailor your platform to:
- Define Eligibility: Create a #Program Eligibility metadata tag that ensures only specific groups (e.g., "Full-Time, U.S. Engineers") can nominate or receive awards for a certain program.
- Allocate Budgets: Precisely assign recognition budgets to teams that do not share a common direct manager or department in your existing HR data.
- Streamline Reporting: Create consolidated metadata fields that group employees in a way that aligns with your internal reporting structure, reducing administrative workload.
Engage
For clients using Awardco Engage, the Metadata Generator is essential for setting up and analyzing your employee engagement surveys. This tool allows you to:
- Target Participation: Create highly specific metadata tags (e.g., #Q4 Survey Group) to ensure surveys are sent only to the intended audience, such as a specific business unit or employees with a certain tenure.
- Segment Results: Generate metadata to categorize employees in ways not present in your HRIS, allowing you to filter and drill down into survey results (e.g., analyzing sentiment by #Tier 1 vs. #Tier 2 location).
General Tool Settings
To access the Metadata Generator:
- On the homepage, select the Admin button at the bottom of the left navigation menu.
- Select “Users,” then “Metadata Generator” from the left navigation menu.
The initial view of the Metadata Generator tool displays a list of all previously created metadata rulesets, the corresponding values generated in the metadata column, and the status of each ruleset. An active status indicates that the metadata is available for use within the platform for features like budgets and program eligibility. Once a metadata ruleset is generated, you can access and modify it at any time by clicking the “...” icon to the right of the metadata status and selecting “Edit” from the dropdown menu. The dropdown also provides options to “Duplicate” or “Delete” the ruleset. Deleting a ruleset permanently removes it and all associated metadata values. Duplicating a ruleset can be advantageous when creating multiple rulesets with similar configurations.
Selecting “Add Ruleset” will open a modal window prompting you to name your ruleset. After saving, you will be directed to the configuration page where you can begin defining rules to generate metadata values. Let's examine each setting:
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Metadata Name: This name will serve as the metadata column header in reports and will be visible throughout the platform, similar to metadata headers imported via your user file. The platform will automatically prefix this metadata name with a “#”. You do not need to manually include the “#” when entering the name; it will appear once you run tests.
- Recommendation: Avoid updating the metadata name after it has been applied to users. Changing the name is akin to creating a new metadata column. Data values recorded upon creation (e.g., recognitions, orders) will retain the original metadata name and value for reporting purposes.
- Status: This field indicates whether the metadata ruleset is Inactive or Active. To activate a ruleset, you must configure Values and Rules and then click the Save button in the bottom right corner.
- Preview Results: Before saving and applying changes to your ruleset, you can verify that values are correctly assigned to users by selecting 'Preview Results.' Clicking “Preview Results” will download a .csv file named after the Metadata Name. This file will include a sample of your users alongside the metadata ruleset you are previewing. The metadata ruleset column header will be enclosed in double asterisks (e.g., Eligible). This feature allows for unlimited testing to ensure accurate attribution before saving.
- Saving Rulesets: Once you confirm that your ruleset functions as intended and you want the metadata to be immediately available, click the Save button in the bottom right corner of your screen.
Metadata Values & Rules
To assign metadata values using the Metadata Generator, you need to establish rules and logic based on existing information in your user file. If you are familiar with Excel formulas, these rules function similarly to if-then statements. You can base rules on Employee ID, Country Code, and any other metadata present in your user file. Note: You cannot create rules based on metadata generated within the Metadata Generator itself.
Each individual value and its corresponding rule conditions are organized into tiles. When multiple values exist, the Metadata Generator prioritizes them and their rule conditions in descending order. The following explains the function of each icon on a value tile:
- Drag Icon: This icon allows you to reposition the tile by dragging it up or down, which is useful for ordering values and rules since the Metadata Generator applies them from top to bottom.
- Ellipses (Top Right): Clicking these ellipses provides options to Remove or Duplicate the value and its associated rule conditions.
- Caret Arrow: Located to the right of “Hide [Number] Rule(s),” this arrow collapses all linked rules and rule groups, displaying only the new value name.
- Ellipses (Rule Condition): The ellipses to the right of the first rule condition offer options to Remove or Duplicate the rule. Additionally, you can transform the rule into a “Rule Group,” a concept explained later in this article.
- Add Links: These links allow you to add a new rule or a rule group.
Each value tile will show you the number of “attributed users” or the number of users the value will apply to. This number won’t be generated until you apply the rule and click “Save Changes.”
Value Configuration
Selecting “Add Value” will open a form where you can configure the rules. The value entered in the field next to “If Match found:” is the value that will populate the newly created metadata column for an employee. For instance, if you are determining eligibility for a recognition program, you might want this value to be “Eligible.”
Our initial rule condition features two dropdown menus. The first allows you to select from Employee Id, Country Code, and any other existing metadata value in your user file.
Note: Metadata generated in one ruleset cannot be used in another ruleset.
The second dropdown offers the following conditional operators:
- Is
- Is not
- Is empty
- Is not empty
- Contains
- Does not contain
The field to the right of these dropdown menus is where you enter your existing data (Employee ID, Country Code, or metadata value). Understanding the meaning of these rule components enables you to construct effective rule conditions. Let's explore an example of each conditional option to illustrate practical use cases.
Is & Is not
To identify employees in France for a recognition program, you would create a condition like “Where Country Code is FR.” This rule would assign the specified value (e.g., “Eligible”) to all employees with “FR” in their Country Code field.
Conversely, if you need to exclude a specific group, such as “Part-time” employees, the “Is not” logic is useful. The condition could be set as “Where Job Group is not Part-time.”
Note: The “Is” and “Is not” options are case-sensitive. Ensure that the data value you enter exactly matches the capitalization in your user file. Also, these conditions do not need to be used together.
Is empty & Is not empty
Companies with large workforces or seasonal employees often have incomplete metadata for all users. To tag seasonal workers, you can create a new Value Name like “Seasonal” and set the condition to “Where Department is empty.” This condition doesn't require specifying any existing data.
Similarly, to identify full-time workers, you could create a Value Name of “Full-time” and the condition “Where Department is not empty.” This condition also doesn't require specifying existing data.
Contains & Does not contain
Creating a Manager to Peer recognition program is a great application of Awardco. Determining eligibility can be simplified by creating metadata based on an existing #Title metadata column. For example, you could create a new value called “Eligible” with a rule condition stating “Where Title contains Manager.” This would identify any title including the word “Manager” and apply the “Eligible” value to that employee's data.
The “Does not contain” logic is also valuable for specifying program eligibility. For instance, to restrict a program to employees who are not in upper-level management, you could use the condition “Where Job title does not contain Vice President.”
Selecting this option makes the rule condition case-insensitive, which is helpful if there are variations in capitalization within your HRIS data.
Rule Grouping
Creating a rule group allows you to combine multiple conditions within a single rule. This is beneficial when a metadata value needs to meet several criteria that involve different combinations of “and”/“or” logic. To illustrate rule grouping, consider an example of generating metadata for employees who have direct reports.
In the example above, there are two rule groups: one requiring the employee's job title to contain “manager” and the job level to not be “1,” and another requiring the job title to contain either “supervisor” or “team lead.” This setup means the value “True” will be entered in an employee's data if they are a manager and not at job level 1, or if their title is Supervisor or Team Lead.
When you create multiple rules and rule groups, dropdown menus labeled “and” and “or” appear to the left. Selecting “and” means all conditions within that grouping must be met, while “or” means at least one condition must be met. This flexibility accommodates potential complexities in your organization’s employee data or recognition programs.
If No Match
To account for all users who do not meet any of the defined rule conditions, you can utilize the “If No Match” toggle. If none of the preceding conditions are satisfied, all remaining users will be assigned the value specified below the toggle.
Saving & Applying Rules
Once you have finished configuring your values and rules, you can preview the results in a draft state by clicking “Preview Results.” This action downloads a sample .csv file showing how the created rules would appear upon a live user file import. Review the .csv to ensure all rules are configured correctly. The sample metadata column header will be enclosed in double asterisks on each side of the title. If you identify any errors, adjust the rules, save the changes, and run the test again. When the rules function to your satisfaction, click “Save Changes,” followed by “Save & Apply Changes.”
Important: Clicking “Save & Apply Changes” will affect all users associated with this metadata. Here’s what will occur:
- Existing attributions will be archived (deleted).
- Any existing configurations that rely on the original values may be affected.
With your metadata now active, it can be used throughout the platform in recognition, earn, and automated programs. Please exercise caution when modifying or deleting rules after implementing created metadata. Deleting a ruleset will immediately remove the associated metadata. Setting a rule to “Inactive” status will delete the associated metadata the next time an import is run or the ruleset is executed. Both scenarios can potentially disrupt your platform. We strongly recommend consulting with your Awardco point of contact before making any alterations.
Examples
Let's walk through practical examples of metadata creation using the Metadata Generator. The first example will cover field creation, condition setup, and rule execution, illustrating how the resulting metadata can be used to set up a recognition program. The second example will show how that same metadata can be used to set up an employee engagement survey.
Recognition
A company is developing a monetary recognition program specifically for full-time employees in the United States. They want to leverage their existing employee data (Country Code and #Job Group) to define program eligibility within the recognition program settings.
- After selecting “Add Ruleset” on the Metadata Generator page, they name the ruleset, which will also be the metadata header, as “Eligibility for Monetary Programs.”
- Next, they add a value: “True.” For this “True” value, they establish two conditions: “Where Job Group is Full-time and Country Code is US.”
- They then toggle the “If no match” option and enter the value “False.”
After clicking “Preview Results”, the downloaded .csv file confirms that the rules correctly identify the intended employees.
Finally, they click “Save Changes” and then “Save & Apply Changes.” Now, when configuring the Nominator and Recipient eligibility for the monetary program, the newly created “Eligibility for Monetary Programs” metadata is available, allowing them to restrict program access to full-time employees in the US.
Engage
The same company now wants to launch an employee engagement survey, but only to the full-time employees in the United States. Instead of creating a new ruleset, they can reuse the metadata created in the previous example: “Eligibility for Monetary Programs.”
Since the metadata ruleset already exists and is active, they can proceed directly to the survey settings.
- When configuring the Participants for the new survey in Awardco Engage, the administrators select the “Eligibility for Monetary Programs” metadata field.
- They specify that only users where the value "is True" should receive the survey invitation.
This demonstrates how a single, powerful metadata field generated by the tool can be applied instantly to multiple areas of the Awardco platform, efficiently controlling both recognition program access and survey distribution.
If you have any questions, please contact Awardco Admin Support.