Want your peer-to-peer recognition program to actually run itself, without chasing people or relying on memory? This is for anyone using Motivosity who’s tired of manual reminders, missed shout-outs, or just wants to make recognition part of the everyday flow—no guilt trips or busywork required.
I’ll walk you through how to automate peer-to-peer recognition workflows in Motivosity. You’ll see where the built-in tools shine, where they fall short, and some practical hacks to fill the gaps. The idea: set it and (mostly) forget it—so recognition actually happens, and people don’t roll their eyes at another “mandatory fun” program.
Why Automate Recognition Workflows?
Let’s be honest: most recognition programs flop because people forget, lose interest, or just don’t see the point. Automating reminders and processes helps:
- Make recognition a habit, not a chore
- Reduce the admin overhead (no more spreadsheet wrangling)
- Spot when engagement drops (and catch it early)
- Get more honest, timely feedback (not just “great job!” at review time)
If you’re looking for magic that “drives culture transformation overnight,” you’re in the wrong place. Automating this stuff makes it easier—not effortless or perfect.
Step 1: Map Out Your Recognition Workflow
Before you touch any tools, take ten minutes to sketch out what “good” looks like for your team.
- Who gives recognition? Is it anyone, or just within teams?
- How often should people get recognized? Weekly? Monthly? Whenever?
- Is there a budget or points system? (Motivosity has this baked in, but it’s optional)
- Does it need manager approval? Some orgs want oversight, others don’t care.
- What happens after recognition? Public shout-out? Private note? Rewards?
Pro tip: If you can’t explain your recognition process on a sticky note, it’s too complicated.
Step 2: Set Up Motivosity’s Core Peer-to-Peer Recognition Features
Motivosity is built for peer-to-peer recognition. Here’s how to get the basics running:
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Enable Peer Recognition:
In the admin dashboard, go to “Settings” > “Recognition.” Flip on peer-to-peer recognition. You can rename it (“High Fives,” “Shout Outs,” etc.) but don’t overthink this. -
Customize Recognition Options:
- Points/Budget: Assign a monthly/quarterly budget for each user if you want people to give points with recognition.
- Visibility: Decide if recognition is public (shows on the feed) or private.
- Categories/Values: You can tie recognition to company values, but don’t force it unless it feels natural.
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Approvals: If you need manager sign-off for big rewards, set thresholds here. For pure recognition, skip approvals to keep it frictionless.
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Test the Workflow:
Send a test recognition to yourself or a fake user. Check how it appears in the feed, what notifications go out, and if the process makes sense.
What works:
Motivosity’s default tools cover 80% of what most teams need. Peer recognitions, points, and a feed are all included.
What doesn’t:
The built-in automations are limited. If you want more than simple reminders or scheduled “nudges,” you’ll need workarounds. Also, overloading with categories or approval steps kills momentum.
Step 3: Automate Reminders and Nudges
People are forgetful. Motivosity has a few options to keep recognition top of mind:
Built-in Reminders
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Automatic Nudges:
Under “Settings” > “Notifications,” you can enable weekly or monthly reminders for users to give recognition. These come as emails or in-app notifications. -
Manager Reports:
Managers can get a regular summary showing who’s being recognized (and who’s not). Useful for nudging teams that go radio silent.
Custom Reminders (When Built-in Isn’t Enough)
If your team ignores emails, or if you want more control:
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Calendar Invites:
Set up a recurring calendar reminder (“Give someone a shout-out in Motivosity!”). Old-school, but works. -
Slack/Teams Integration:
Motivosity connects to Slack and Teams. Configure it to post a reminder in the recognition channel every week. -
Zapier or Make.com:
If you want to automate reminders based on specific triggers (like work anniversaries or project completions), use Zapier or Make to connect Motivosity with Google Calendar, email, or chat tools.
What works:
Simple, regular nudges work better than guilt trips from HR. If you automate reminders, keep the tone light.
What doesn’t:
Don’t try to force people to recognize each other with quotas or public shaming. It just leads to fake praise or resentment.
Step 4: Automate Special Events and Milestones
Recognition isn’t just about day-to-day praise. You can automate shout-outs for:
- Work Anniversaries
- Birthdays
- Project completions
- Company value “hall of fame” moments
Using Motivosity’s Tools
- Anniversaries & Birthdays:
Motivosity can automatically highlight these in the feed if you have employee data loaded. No extra setup needed—just make sure profiles are complete.
For Everything Else
If Motivosity doesn’t natively support your event (like “project launch”), you’ll need a workaround:
- Zapier Automation Example:
- Trigger: Project completion in your project tool (Asana, Jira, etc.)
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Action: Send a Slack message or email prompting the PM or team lead to give recognition in Motivosity.
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Manual Uploads:
For quarterly “values” awards, you can use a CSV upload or just block time on your calendar to do a recognition blitz.
What works:
Automate what you can, but don’t sweat the rest. If it’s more work to automate than just to do it, skip the automation.
Step 5: Reporting and Feedback Loops
Automation is pointless if you’re not checking what’s working.
- Motivosity Reports:
Use built-in dashboards to see who’s giving and receiving recognition. Set a monthly reminder to review this. - Look for Drop-Offs:
If recognition drops or only a few people are using the system, don’t just send more reminders—ask what’s up. - Iterate:
If people ignore the automated reminders, try something else. Sometimes, a quick call-out in an all-hands works better than another email.
Pro tip:
Don’t obsess over fancy dashboards. The main thing is to spot patterns (like someone being left out or a team going quiet).
Step 6: Don’t Automate the Human Out of It
Not everything should be automated. Some things need a human touch:
- Genuine recognition beats automated “Congrats!” every time
- Don’t automate praise for the sake of it—people notice when it’s phony
- Leave space for ad hoc, spontaneous shout-outs
Automation should make recognition easier, not robotic.
What to Ignore (or Save for Later)
- Complex approval chains:
Unless you’re giving out cash bonuses, skip the extra steps. - Over-customizing with too many categories or values:
People get paralyzed by too many options. - Gamifying everything:
Leaderboards and badges can be fun, but they can also backfire. If people start gaming the system, dial it back.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple, Keep It Real
Automating peer-to-peer recognition in Motivosity is mostly about removing friction, not adding features. Set up the basics, automate reminders, and use integrations only if they actually save you time. Don’t chase perfection—just make it a little easier for people to say “thanks” when it matters.
Start simple, check in now and then, and tweak as you go. That’s how you build a recognition program people actually use—not one they just click through.