📝 End-of-Year Recognition Program Checklist

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.

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