📝 End-of-Year Recognition Program Checklist

Use this checklist to evaluate your employee recognition program’s performance, celebrate successes, and prepare for the upcoming year.

1️⃣ Program Performance Review

Review overall participation metrics: number of recognitions sent, nominations submitted, and challenges completed.
Analyze engagement trends across departments and teams.
Identify top-performing employees, managers, and teams in the program.
Compare this year’s data to previous periods to identify growth areas or declines.

2️⃣ Employee Feedback & Sentiment

Gather feedback from employees via surveys or focus groups about the program.
Assess satisfaction with available recognition types, badges, and rewards.
Identify barriers preventing participation (e.g., lack of awareness, program complexity).
Review comments or suggestions submitted throughout the year.

3️⃣ Program Features & Content

Review current badges, campaigns, and challenge offerings.
Identify underutilized features or recognition types.
Ensure all company values are adequately represented in recognition options.
Audit reward catalog to confirm items are relevant and appealing.

4️⃣ Manager & Leadership Engagement

Review manager participation in sending recognitions or nominations.
Assess leadership visibility and support in recognizing top performers.
Identify teams or managers who may need additional guidance or training.
Plan targeted campaigns to increase manager and executive involvement.

5️⃣ Communications & Awareness

Review program communications: newsletters, announcements, and internal campaigns.
Evaluate effectiveness of campaigns, contests, and themed recognition weeks.
Identify gaps in awareness and plan messaging strategies for the new year.

6️⃣ Budget & Rewards

Review total points awarded versus points redeemed to assess program usage.
Track unredeemed points and plan communications to encourage redemption before year-end.
Analyze spending on rewards versus allocated budget to identify savings or overages.
Prepare budget for the upcoming year, accounting for expected growth in participation and new reward offerings.
Plan for potential new reward items, campaigns, or challenges that may require budget allocation.

7️⃣ Planning for the New Year

Set goals for recognition program participation and engagement for the upcoming year.
Refresh campaigns, challenges, and badges to align with company goals and values.
Schedule regular check-ins and reporting cadence for program monitoring.
Plan manager and leadership training to increase adoption and recognition quality.
Introduce new initiatives or recognition categories based on employee feedback.

8️⃣ Celebration & Acknowledgment

Highlight top contributors and program champions in year-end communications.
Consider end-of-year awards or special recognition events.
Share success stories and metrics to demonstrate the impact of the program.

✅ Tip: Keep a running document with this checklist to track completed actions and lessons learned. It will make program management smoother and help start the new year with a clear plan.