The Top 10 FAQs of Social Recognition

Recognition comes in many forms and fashions, but social recognition seems to be especially buzzworthy for today’s hybrid-work society. While most HR professionals are familiar with the concept of a comprehensive, cloud-based platform, that doesn’t mean questions don’t remain. We’ve compiled a countdown of our ten most commonly asked questions from both prospective and current clients regarding social recognition to appease your curiosity! 

 

10) What is the cost of additional features, such as the inclusion of a company store or custom badges?

The answer to this question pleasantly surprises all who ask – there is no additional cost! MTM Recognition’s Social Recognition Platform has no additional cost for the bells and whistles that are included in the program. For example, adding new categories of badges (like choosing to add on a Wellness program) does not have any additional cost. Our clients simply pay the monthly user fees based on employee count, then pay for either the points issued or the products redeemed. Newsfeed capabilities, custom-branded graphics & badges designed by our award-winning art department, logo’d gear in the company store, seasonal & holiday trivia games, and even dedicated training are all-inclusive. Simple pricing is better, right? 

 

9) Which categories of recognition are the most beneficial?

This question is one of the most difficult for our experts to answer! While every kind of recognition can be meaningful, two categories often see the most benefit. Including a Manager-to-Employee program is incredibly influential in reinforcing positive behaviors & aligning a workforce with the organization’s core values. Receiving recognition from a direct supervisor is powerful for producing an employee who feels they matter and wants to repeat good work! Peer-to-Peer is MTM’s second choice for the most influential category to include in a social recognition platform. Peer-to-Peer programs often produce the best employee engagement and foster a culture of positivity & gratitude. Additionally, we often see the highest platform engagement from clients who have Peer-to-Peer recognition included in their programs. Peer-to-Peer programs also offer a bonus benefit: promoting cross-departmental team building. One of MTM Recognition’s client partners shared their thoughts on this recently:

“Cross-department recognition has encouraged all involved to improve. The access and availability of information relevant to things going on day-to-day have excited everyone who loves following the recognition. It’s had a fantastic impact. The site has become a source for unifying and bettering the business.”

 

8) Can you suggest a budget based on our employee number? 

Absolutely! Not unlike creating a personal budget, recognition budgets vary greatly by organization. When creating a budget, it’s important to first consider factors such as employee count, what recognition programs will be included, and even what long-term engagement goals we are working towards. On average, our clients dedicate about $50 – $70/employee/year to their social recognition platforms in order for them to be successful. While this may include some programs like Peer-to-Peer or Wellness, it doesn’t necessarily contain all possible recognition categories! Regardless of what your budget is, MTM can offer specific recommendations on how to allocate those funds to various programs in order to see the best results. 

 

7) How can you help us meet our KPIs?

KPIs (key performance indicators) vary greatly among our customers, but no matter what you’re measuring, our reporting Dashboard has a report for it! At MTM, we know that employee engagement is not dichotomous. One of the ways in which we measure performance on the site is by digging deeper – looking at the frequency and consistency of when users are recognizing their peers, whether they’re choosing to utilize a variety of different badges reflecting multiple core values, and if they’re being recognized consistently by their supervisor (another great way to predict engagement). 

 

6) Can you integrate with our HRIS system?

MTM Recognition’s SRP can seamlessly accept data from any HRIS system. During the implementation process, one of our Implementation Managers will work with your HRIS & IT teams to guide the process until it is “set it and forget it” easy. 

 

5) Can we add custom products to our catalog or choose what we want employees to see in the catalog?

Absolutely! Our product catalog is customizable for our clients. For example, some customers choose to have a comprehensive catalog featuring a wide variety of products and categories – everything from electronics and home goods to apparel and gift cards. Other clients may choose to include all of the previously mentioned items but exclude gift cards from the offering. And we have many clients who choose to offer an exclusive selection of branded & logo’d apparel, watches, & products. Whatever catalog offering you select, MTM can help make your vision a reality. T.A.G., one of MTM’s client partners, shared these positive words:

“The online catalog is unlimited – not just top 10 or top 15 but includes thousands of items to shop.”

 

4) How can we align physical recognition products with an online program?

Because MTM is a one-stop shop for all recognition needs, many of our clients combine their online social recognition program with physical products such as a service award program or a welcome kit. MTM’s Implementation Team works together to create a recognition program specific and custom to the client and pulls each program together seamlessly on the social recognition site. If a client chooses to include a traditional service award program alongside their social recognition platform, the platform will provide a personalized link, only visible during a set time period when they are eligible to receive a service award. That will direct the user to the appropriate redemption page where they can choose their gift (no login necessary). Easy as pie!

 

3) Does having a social recognition newsfeed visible on the site pose any concerns?

Believe it or not, this question comes up almost every time we show a demo of the platform. It’s a valid concern. That being said, it is rarely an issue for any of our clients. A social recognition program is by definition, social. What is posted on the newsfeed is shown to everyone, along with the initiator’s name, department, profile picture, and date & timestamp.  Additionally, clients can choose to include an approval process for recognitions that come through, providing an extra safeguard!  The numbers say a lot: among the 620,000+ badges issued in the calendar year 2022, there were 0 concerning comments made on the newsfeed. 

 

2) How can we keep our employees engaged on the platform for one year, three years, or even five years down the road?

By maintaining consistent value-adds and offering new & fun experiences, the social recognition platform creates long-term value for our customers and their employees. MTM works with the client’s program administrators to help adjust the site’s functionality,  keeping the recognition badges linked to your core values and behaviors. Next, we are constantly adding fun new features like seasonal trivia and updating brands in the catalog to keep the system feeling fresh & fun. In fact, many of our largest clients continue to see employee engagement growth year over year! One of our long-term client partners, located in Virginia, shared with us one of their favorite features of the program:

“The flexibility of the system allows us to grow as we need.”

 

1) What are other clients doing for their social recognition programs?

This question is one of the most commonly asked that we hear from not only prospective clients but also existing customers! It’s only natural to wonder what others are doing and how you compare. Actually, it’s so common that we’ve compiled an entire blog post about just that! MTM updates the trends each calendar year, but check out what we saw in 2022 by clicking here. 

 

We’re glad to receive such great questions from our client partners. What other questions do you have that weren’t answered here? Feel free to drop us a comment below and we’d be happy to answer them for you!