From executive sign-off to 70% sustained adoption. Every checklist, the Gantt timeline, role responsibilities, launch emails, and adoption tracker — ready to fill in.
Document baseline, secure exec sponsor, define categories, run vendor RFP, complete sign-off.
30-day team pilot, fix friction, full org launch with comms cascade and peer champions activated.
Manager dashboards, leaderboard campaigns, eNPS pulse, and CFO ROI report for Year 2 budget.
| Part | Section | What it contains | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Program Setup | Fill-in fields for program name, sponsor, budget, baseline adoption, launch date, pilot team | 3 |
| 2 | Visual Gantt Chart | 5 swim-lane timeline: Strategy, IT/Integration, Manager Enablement, Employee Champions, Comms | 4 |
| 3 | Monthly Checklists | 6 months of MUST/NICE prioritised tasks, each with a pitfall warning from the rollout guide | 5–6 |
| 4 | Role Responsibility Matrix | 5 roles × 6 months, what each role owns at every phase, escalation path table | 7 |
| 5 | Launch Email Templates | 3 pre-written emails with personalisation fields highlighted | 8–9 |
| 6 | Adoption Rate Tracker | Formula, monthly tracking table with benchmarks, secondary metrics, CFO summary table | 10 |
| Role | Primary responsibility in this template |
|---|---|
| HR Program Lead | Primary owner of all 6 parts. Coordinates sign-offs, monitors adoption rate weekly, builds Month 6 report. |
| CHRO / Exec Sponsor | Approves Month 1 budget and goals. Records Month 4 launch video. Presents Month 6 CFO report. |
| Line Manager | Attends Month 3 training, recognises publicly in Month 4 Week 1, uses team dashboard in Month 5. |
| Employee Champions | Recruited in Month 2, trained in Month 3, activated in Month 4 to seed the feed and answer peer questions. |
| IT / SSO Owner | Reviews integration requirements in Month 2, executes SSO go-live in Month 4, monitors uptime in Months 5–6. |
| Priority | Task | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUST | Run current-state recognition audit using the AIRe Framework diagnostic | ||
| MUST | Document all existing recognition touchpoints (shoutouts, annual awards, peer tools) | ||
| MUST | Define 3–5 program goals tied to retention, engagement, or eNPS | ||
| MUST | Identify and confirm named executive sponsor (CHRO or C-suite — not VP of HR) | ||
| MUST | Secure calendar commitment from sponsor for Month 4 launch video recording | ||
| MUST | Allocate program budget (benchmark: 1–2% of payroll; confirm with CFO or CHRO) | ||
| MUST | Record baseline adoption rate (even if 0% — this is your Month 6 ROI anchor) | ||
| NICE | Document go/no-go criteria for proceeding to Month 2 design phase | ||
| NICE | Survey a sample of employees on current recognition awareness and satisfaction |
| Priority | Task | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUST | Define 3 recognition categories: peer, manager-nominated, and milestone | ||
| MUST | Write values-tag taxonomy (max 5 tags — more creates decision fatigue at launch) | ||
| MUST | Evaluate minimum 3 vendors; score on Slack/Teams integration, SCIM, catalog, analytics | ||
| MUST | Secure IT buy-in for SSO configuration — confirm SSO timeline in writing | ||
| MUST | Identify pilot team (50–200 employees; choose a representative team, not the friendliest) | ||
| MUST | Set pilot success criteria: 40% of pilot team gives or receives recognition in 30 days | ||
| MUST | Get design sign-off from HR Lead and CHRO before procurement | ||
| NICE | Start rewards catalog (target: 15–20 SKUs for pilot; expand after Month 4) | ||
| NICE | Recruit employee champion candidates (1 per 25 employees; train in Month 3) |
| Priority | Task | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUST | Launch pilot with announcement from the pilot team's senior leader — not from HR | ||
| MUST | Run 1-hour manager training: platform use, dashboards, coaching direct reports | ||
| MUST | Confirm SSO and mobile app access for every pilot participant before Day 1 | ||
| MUST | Track daily adoption rate against 40% target; flag if below 15% at Day 15 | ||
| MUST | Document and fix UX/access issues within 48 hours of surfacing | ||
| MUST | Run Day 30 debrief: what worked, what didn't, what to change before org-wide launch | ||
| MUST | Make formal go/no-go decision for Month 4 org-wide launch (document it in writing) | ||
| NICE | Run weekly 5-minute pulse check to log friction points from pilot participants |
| Priority | Task | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUST | Week 1: Record and distribute CEO + CHRO joint announcement video (2–3 min) | ||
| MUST | Week 1: Run all-hands kickoff session with live platform demo | ||
| MUST | Week 1: IT executes SSO go-live and HRIS data sync for all employees | ||
| MUST | Week 2: Run department-level manager enablement workshops (2 hours each session) | ||
| MUST | Week 2: Activate peer champion network (1 champion per 25 employees) | ||
| MUST | Week 2: Champions send first recognitions within 48 hrs to seed the feed | ||
| MUST | Week 4: Pull first org adoption-rate report; share Week 1 vs Week 4 trajectory with CHRO | ||
| NICE | Week 3: Publish training video library (3–5 short videos) and FAQ document |
| Priority | Task | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUST | Publish team-level adoption dashboards to all line managers (visible to managers, not teams) | ||
| MUST | Share each manager's team adoption rate vs org average in a direct 1:1 update | ||
| MUST | Launch 4-week recognition campaign with per-team leaderboards (recognition count, not spend) | ||
| MUST | Identify bottom 20% of teams; HR Lead schedules 15-min check-in calls with those managers | ||
| MUST | Send Day 7, Day 14, Day 21 nudges (platform-automated reminders to managers) | ||
| NICE | Launch "Spotlight Stories" series (2–3 employee spotlights per week) | ||
| NICE | Send anti-burnout messaging: frame the campaign as a sprint, not a new permanent baseline |
| Priority | Task | Owner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUST | Compute final Month 6 adoption rate vs 70% target; compare to Month 1 baseline | ||
| MUST | Run eNPS pulse survey and compare to Month 1 baseline | ||
| MUST | Build and deliver CHRO + CFO presentation: adoption delta, eNPS delta, turnover data | ||
| MUST | Schedule Year 1 refresh checkpoint for Month 9 (skipping causes adoption to decay to 40%) | ||
| MUST | Define Year 2 adoption goals and budget ask before the CFO meeting ends | ||
| NICE | Build recognition coverage vs eNPS lift correlation table for the CFO deck | ||
| NICE | Calculate voluntary turnover delta vs Month 1 baseline (include in CFO deck if measurable) | ||
| NICE | Publish full-year recognition impact report to the whole organisation |
| Role | Month 1Audit | Month 2Design | Month 3Pilot | Month 4Launch | Month 5Drive | Month 6Measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HR Program Lead | Owns audit + baseline. Secures CHRO sign-off on goals. | Owns design. Runs vendor RFP. Coordinates IT. | Owns pilot. Monitors daily. Iterates on friction. | Owns comms cascade. Coordinates training. | Owns dashboards. Runs adoption drive campaign. | Owns report. Builds CFO deck. |
| CHRO / Exec Sponsor | Approves budget + goals. Signs sponsor commitment. | Reviews design. Approves platform selection. | Reviews pilot results. Green-lights Month 4 launch. | Records launch video. Presents at all-hands. | Reviews adoption vs target monthly. | Presents to CFO. Approves Year 2 plan. |
| Line Manager | Completes audit survey. | Attends design input session. | Attends training. Runs platform with team. | Attends workshop. Recognises publicly in Week 1. | Uses team dashboard. Joins campaign. | Reviews team Year 2 goals. |
| Employee Champions | Not yet recruited. | Identified (1 per 25 employees). | Trained as pilot champions. First recognitions sent. | Activated. Seeds the feed. Answers peer questions. | Leads spotlight nominations. Sustains momentum. | Reports peer feedback to HR Lead. |
| IT / SSO Owner | Provides HRIS data specification. | Reviews SSO + SCIM requirements. Confirms timeline. | Confirms staging environment for pilot. | Executes SSO go-live + HRIS sync. | Monitors integration uptime. | Confirms data retention and compliance. |
| Issue | First Contact | Escalation Owner | Resolve By |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO not live by Month 4 Week 1 | IT / SSO Owner | HR Program Lead + CHRO | 48 hours |
| Pilot adoption below 20% at Day 15 | HR Program Lead | CHRO | 72 hours |
| Exec sponsor unavailable for Month 4 launch video | HR Program Lead | CHRO to reassign | Month 3 Week 4 |
| Manager team at 0% adoption in Month 5 Week 2 | HR Program Lead | HRBP for that department | 48 hours |
| CFO report not approved by Month 6 Week 3 | CHRO | HR Program Lead to revise | 5 business days |
Hi everyone,
Today we're launching [Program Name] — our company-wide recognition program — and I want to tell you why this matters to me personally.
Over the past [X months], our HR team has audited how we recognise great work across [Company Name]. The honest answer: we haven't been doing it consistently. Great work gets noticed by some managers but not others. That isn't good enough.
[Program Name] is how we change that. Starting today, every employee can recognise a colleague's contribution — tied to our values, visible to the whole company, and backed by real rewards. It takes 60 seconds.
Here's what I'm asking you to do today: Log in at [platform URL], find one colleague who deserves recognition this week, and send it. I will be the first recognition sent. Watch the feed.
Your manager has been briefed. Your team champion [Champion Name] is your go-to peer resource for any questions.
[CEO / CHRO Name]
[Title]
Hi [Manager First Name],
One week in. Your team's Week 1 adoption rate: [X%]. Company average: [X%]. Your team dashboard is at [dashboard URL] and updates daily.
Three actions that move the number this week:
1. Send a recognition. Your direct reports watch what you do more than what you say. One recognition from you is worth ten from HR.
2. Mention it in your next 1:1. Ask if they've logged in. Ask what was unclear. Two minutes per person moves adoption.
3. Call on your champion. [Champion Name] has been trained to help colleagues who are stuck.
Your enablement workshop is on [date/time]. Attendance is expected — this 2-hour session prevents far more conversations later. Our Month 4 target is 30% org adoption. Leadership reviews your team's number at [Week 4 date].
[HR Lead Name], HR Program Lead
Hi [Champion First Name],
You were selected as a peer recognition champion for [Program Name] because you're someone people trust. That is the entire job description.
What you're asked to do today: Send at least 2 recognitions to colleagues in your team. Be specific — name the behaviour, name the value it connects to. Your recognitions will be the first thing most colleagues see on the recognition feed. Make them a good example of what recognition looks like here.
Over the next 4 weeks: When a colleague is confused, help them. When someone asks "what should I say?" — give them an example from real work you've both seen. You are the fastest path between a confused employee and their first recognition sent.
Your resources:
Platform guide: [link] · Recognition examples doc: [link]
Champion Slack channel: #recognition-champions · Direct line: [HR Lead email]
Champions who send 3+ recognitions in Month 4 see their team reach 40%+ adoption at roughly 2× the rate of teams without an active champion. You matter more than you think.
[HR Lead Name], HR Program Lead
| Month | Phase | Benchmark Target | Actual Rate (%) | vs Target | Notes / Key Drivers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Audit & Scope | Baseline documented | |||
| Month 2 | Design & Platform | Design signed off | |||
| Month 3 | Pilot | 40% (pilot team) | |||
| Month 4 | Org-Wide Launch | 30% (org) | |||
| Month 5 | Drive & Enable | 60% (org) | |||
| Month 6 | Measure & Report | 70%+ (org) | |||
| Month 9 | Year 1 Refresh | 80%+ steady state |
| Secondary Metric | Formula | Month 6 Benchmark | M3 | M6 | M9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Total recognitions ÷ Unique active recognizers | 2+ per month | |||
| Coverage | Teams with ≥1 active recognizer ÷ Total teams | 85%+ | |||
| Redemption | Points redeemed in 60 days ÷ Points awarded | 70%+ |
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