If you manage people or run HR in a company using Motivosity, you know it’s supposed to make recognition and culture simpler. But when it comes to setting up user groups—teams, departments, locations, whatever you call them—the options can be a bit confusing. This guide is for anyone who needs to get those groups working without wasting hours clicking around or reading vague help docs.
Let’s make sense of Motivosity’s group features, figure out what actually helps, and get you back to work.
Why bother with user groups in Motivosity?
Before you start, understand what user groups can (and can’t) do for you.
User groups are good for:
- Organizing people by team, location, or whatever makes sense for your org chart.
- Targeting announcements, rewards, or surveys to the right folks.
- Making reports less of a headache (filter by group, not by individual).
What they won’t fix:
- Bad org structure or unclear management lines. Motivosity can’t untangle messy reporting.
- Permissions beyond the basics. Groups don’t give you fine-grained controls like some HRIS tools.
- Real engagement issues. No group can force people to care.
If you just need to group people for recognition and reporting, Motivosity gets the job done. If you’re expecting a full-blown org management system, temper your expectations.
Step 1: Know your “group” options in Motivosity
Motivosity talks about “groups,” but under the hood, you’ll see a few different flavors:
- Departments: Usually tied to your company’s structure—think Engineering, Sales, HR.
- Locations: For companies with multiple offices or remote hubs.
- Teams or Custom Groups: For cross-functional projects or interest groups.
- Manager Hierarchy: Not a group, but worth mentioning because it affects visibility.
Pro Tip: Start simple. If you’re new, don’t try to replicate every Slack channel or project team as a group. Stick to what you’ll actually use.
Step 2: Plan before you click
Don’t just start creating groups at random. Take ten minutes to sketch out what you really need.
Ask yourself: - What do I need groups for? (Reporting, targeting rewards, announcements?) - What’s the fewest number of groups that covers my needs? - Who should manage or be able to edit these groups?
Avoid: - Overlapping groups that confuse reporting. - Groups with unclear purpose (e.g., “Fun Committee” that never gets used). - Making a group for every possible scenario. It’ll get messy.
Step 3: Set up user groups—The easy way
Now, let’s actually do it.
3.1 Create Departments or Locations
Most companies start here. Here’s how:
- Go to Admin Settings: You’ll need admin privileges. If you don’t have them, find someone who does.
- Find “Organization Structure” or “Departments/Locations”: The menu names change sometimes, but look for anything that says “Departments” or “Locations.”
- Add New Department or Location:
- Click “Add Department” or “Add Location.”
- Name it clearly (“Engineering,” “Austin Office,” “Customer Support”).
- Save.
What works: Department and Location groups are the most straightforward and integrate with reporting.
What doesn’t: Naming things vaguely (“Team 2,” “HQ”) will confuse everyone later.
3.2 Assign Users to Groups
Now you need to put people in the right spots.
- Manual assignment: Click into a department/location, add users one by one.
- Bulk upload: If you’ve got a lot of users, upload a CSV file. Make sure your columns match what Motivosity expects (double-check their template).
- Sync from HR system: If you use an HRIS like BambooHR, you can sync groups automatically. But be ready for some “gotchas” (see below).
Pro Tip: Double-check after a bulk upload. It’s easy to mess up columns and end up with people in the wrong group.
3.3 Create Custom or Ad Hoc Groups
For project teams, interest clubs, or anything that doesn’t fit the company structure:
- Look for “Custom Groups” or “Teams”: This may be under “User Management” or “Groups.”
- Create Group: Name it and add a description if you want.
- Add Members: Assign users manually or via bulk upload.
Use these sparingly. The more ad hoc groups you create, the harder it gets to keep track. Only make these if you’ll actually use them for communication or recognition.
Step 4: Manage and update groups (without losing your mind)
Setting up is the easy part. Keeping things tidy is where most admins trip up.
4.1 Regularly review group memberships
- Monthly check: Set a calendar reminder to review groups once a month.
- Automate if you can: If you have an HRIS integration, keep an eye on sync errors.
- Remove ex-employees: People who’ve left the company tend to linger in groups—remove them to avoid awkward shout-outs.
4.2 Update group names and structures as needed
Companies change. So should your groups.
- If a department merges or splits, update the groups right away.
- Rename groups if the org changes terminology (“Support” to “Customer Success,” for example).
What works: Small, regular updates keep things clean. What doesn’t: Waiting until you have a mess—then you’ll spend hours untangling it.
4.3 Who should manage groups?
Don’t make yourself the bottleneck.
- Delegate: Let department heads or office managers update their own groups if possible.
- Train: Show them how. It takes 10 minutes and saves you headaches.
Step 5: Use groups for what matters (and skip the rest)
Groups aren’t just for organization. Here’s where they actually help:
- Recognition: Send targeted appreciation to a team or location.
- Reporting: Filter activity or engagement by group—makes exec updates much easier.
- Announcements: Share news with just one department or office.
- Surveys: Poll just the folks you need to hear from.
What doesn’t work: Using groups for granular permissions or as a catch-all for every possible use case. Motivosity isn’t a full HRIS; keep it simple.
Common pitfalls (and how to dodge them)
- Too many groups: If you have more groups than employees, you’ve gone too far.
- Confusing names: Be specific. “Sales West” is clearer than “Team A.”
- Overlapping membership: If people are in multiple groups, double-check that reporting works how you expect.
- Ignoring integrations: If you sync with an HRIS, know that changes in the HR system will overwrite manual edits in Motivosity. Sometimes this is helpful, sometimes it’s a mess.
Honest take: Motivosity’s group features are solid for most needs, but they’re not as flexible as a full HRIS. Don’t expect miracles, but do expect less manual work once you’re set up.
Pro tips to keep groups manageable
- Document your setup: Just a Google Doc with group names and who manages them. Future-you will thank you.
- Test before going live: Create a test group and see how it shows up in reports or recognition feeds.
- Lean on support if stuck: Motivosity’s help desk is hit or miss, but sometimes you’ll get a straight answer. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Keep it simple, adjust as you go
Don’t overthink this. Start with the basics—departments and locations. Add custom groups only if you actually need them. Check in once a month, delegate updates when you can, and don’t try to make Motivosity do more than it’s built for. If your groups are clean and clear, you’ll get most of the value without any of the headaches. And if it starts to get messy, don’t be afraid to prune.
Keep it simple, keep it tidy, and tweak as you learn what actually helps your team.