Staff Award and Social Recognition Programs
Staff Award Programs
Employees who feel valued, inspired and fulfilled at work tend to contribute at their highest level and stay with their organization. Recognition is a critical component of ensuring that these needs are met. Carnegie Mellon University supports recognition programs in the workplace because programs that acknowledge instances of strong individual or team performance contribute to increased employee engagement, morale, sense of value, and, in turn, overall performance and retention.
The Office of Human Resources has developed guidance to assist Carnegie Mellon University departments in developing and implementing staff award programs. In addition to the resources provided by the university, it is the responsibility of departmental leadership to determine if and how they wish to devote resources to such programs.
Social Recognition Programs
Social recognition programs consist of mechanisms by which employees are acknowledged for their strong performance and contributions to the university. Employee recognition applauds an employee’s achievements and can be public or private, informal or formal. The intent behind recognition is to appreciate and recognize positive work behaviors, job-based competencies and/or strong job performance.
Getting Started
Does your department already have an award program in place? Would you like to implement an award program for your department or an informal way to recognize team members? Before moving forward, review CMU's guidance on award programs, recognition and retention:
Award Programs: Guidance for Departments [pdf]
Staff Retention and Recognition Guidance [pdf]
Once you have decided on the type of award or recognition program that makes the most sense for your team, review the resources below to see how to integrate and streamline with the CMU=You platform.
Award Program Implementation
To support and facilitate these efforts, the Office of Human Resources encourages departments to utilize CMU=You to capture nominations and manage their award programs. CMU=You is also a tool that works with social recognition through customizable eCards that can be designed expressly for your department. Your HR business partner will be the liaison between you and CMU=You to shepherd the launch of your desired program.
See the following for roles, expectations and timelines as you start the process:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about award or social recognition program implementation using CMU=You? Check out the CMU=You FAQ for answers.
If you cannot find an answer to your questions, reach out to your HR business partner for more information!
Social Recognition Program Implementation
In addition to award programs, CMU=You may be implemented for social recognition in the form of eCards and the Pipe Up! social recognition wall. Although campus-wide PLAID+ eCards are available, your department can create specific designs for department-specific professional recognition.
Social Recognition Program Implementation Checklist [pdf]