Staff Award and Social Recognition Programs
Staff Award Programs
At Carnegie Mellon University, we understand that valued employees are engaged employees. That's why we actively support recognition programs throughout the workplace. By acknowledging strong individual and team performance, we cultivate a sense of accomplishment, morale and overall satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to a more productive and dedicated workforce.
The Office of Human Resources provides guidance to help departments develop and implement 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 acknowledge employees 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 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
The Office of Human Resources encourages departments to use CMU=You to capture nominations and manage their award programs. CMU=You also works with social recognition through customizable eCards that can be designed 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:
Social Recognition Program Implementation
In addition to award programs, CMU=You can be used for social recognition in the form of eCards and the Pipe Up! social recognition wall. Although campus-wide PLAID+ eCards are available, you can also create designs for department-specific professional recognition.
CMU=You Frequently Asked Questions
Award Programs
How do I incorporate my college/division staff award program into CMU=You?
Contact your HR business partner to initiate the process. From build to implementation, the process can take up to 12 weeks. Check out the Award Program Implementation Checklist [pdf] for timelines, roles and responsibilities.
I am trying to submit a nomination, but the person I want to nominate is not appearing in the drop-down.
Please review the award category description eligibility to ensure the person you are trying to nominate meets the eligibility for the award. Some categories may have specific requirements. If you still believe the person is eligible, contact your college or division award program administrator.
Social Recognition Wall
Can the Social Recognition Wall (aka Pipe Up!) be customized? Can our department have its own wall?
The Social Recognition Wall is designed to be used campus-wide. The default filter for the wall can be customized to show only your college/division or department.
Who can see eCards posted on the wall?
Public eCards are visible to faculty and staff. Private eCards are only visible to the sender and recipient. When employees receive an eCard, email notifications are sent to managers.
What if I receive an eCard and do not want it on the wall?
Any eCard recipient may delete it from the wall. The sender may also delete the eCard.
How do I report concerning posts or comments on the Social Recognition Wall?
Please contact the Learning & Development Team if you have concerns about a post or comment on the Social Recognition Wall.
Is there a way to post freeform text/recognition directly to the Social Recognition Wall without using an eCard?
The Social Recognition Wall supports CMU's values and drives behavior aligned with our core competencies. Recognition posted to the Pipe Up wall should reflect professional achievements using the provided eCards.
Can the text at the top of the Social Recognition Wall be updated?
The text cannot be updated.
eCards
If my college/division wants to create custom eCards, is there a cost?
Additional eCards can be purchased at a one-time setup cost of approximately $50 per card. There may be discounts available for purchasing eCards in bulk.
Can my college/division create eCards that are only available to staff within our unit?
There may be an opportunity to "segment" eCards so that they are only available to staff within your college/division. The Finance Division piloted this functionality by creating custom eCards to recognize achievements related to their DEIB strategic plan objectives. Please note: While "segmented" eCards may only be available to be sent/received by staff within your college/division, these eCards will be visible on the CMU-wide Social Recognition Wall.
Test Data
After testing is complete, will the test data be immediately purged from CMU=You?
- Publicly shared eCards can be deleted by the CMU=You administrator, sender or recipient. eCards that were sent privately can be deleted by the sender or recipient.
- The CMU=You administrator or department award program lead can reject award nominations in Reward Manager. At the end of a testing cycle, notify Reward Gateway to permanently purge the test nominations from the system (ETA ~4–6 weeks). Rejected nominations are still viewable in the test recipient's award history.