Employee Recognition App
Creating an app that empowers managers to celebrate employee achievements, fostering recognition and boosting morale across the organization
Client
Retail company
Project Type
Web App
Timeline
2023
Role
Project owner & designer
overview
The client sought to implement an internal tool that would celebrate individual employee achievements while simultaneously helping team members stay aligned with store goals to drive overall performance.
The company, with a workforce of over 50,000 employees, needed an efficient way to foster a culture of recognition and performance accountability. The CEO envisioned a platform where each employee could receive personalized recognition for their contributions, akin to a "baseball card" showcasing their individual achievements. However, balancing recognition with goal tracking posed a challenge, as the system needed to empower employees without feeling like micromanagement.
The Opportunity
The client recognized that, despite their large and diverse workforce, there was a lack of efficient recognition for employees' contributions. Without an easy way to measure individual performance and its impact on the store’s success, employees often missed opportunities to improve and grow within the company. Additionally, store managers and district managers lacked a clear view of how each employee and store was performing relative to goals, hindering their ability to take proactive actions to celebrate achievements or address performance gaps.
The GOAL
The aim of this project was to create an employee recognition app that not only fosters motivation and a sense of accomplishment but also aligns individual performance with broader company goals. The app needed to balance the celebration of achievements with clear, accessible goal tracking to enhance productivity without increasing the risk of micromanagement.
Research
Competitive research
Given the unique nature of the employee recognition app, there were no exact 1:1 comparisons to draw from, but I conducted extensive research into similar experiences. I explored goal-tracking apps, such as Finch, fitness apps for tracking performance, and game apps for their leaderboard structures. The goal was to understand how these apps presented large amounts of data in a digestible, non-overwhelming way.
key findings
Data display: Fitness and goal-tracking apps effectively displayed performance data without overwhelming the user, utilizing clean interfaces and clear visual progress indicators.
Motivational language: Many apps failed to fully leverage motivational elements to encourage user engagement. I found that language could significantly impact the user experience, so I made sure to incorporate positive, goal-oriented messaging throughout the app.
Leaderboard Inspiration: Game apps offered a great model for presenting performance rankings, providing a sense of competition and community that I adapted for the leaderboard features of the app.
Stakeholder input
In addition to external research, I maintained frequent communication with stakeholders to align on business objectives and refine the app’s features based on feedback from potential users and managers. This ensured the final design would not only meet business goals but also provide a clear and motivating experience for employees at all levels.
Strategy
approach
One of the central challenges in designing an employee recognition app for a workforce of over 50,000 was ensuring performance metrics motivated employees rather than overwhelming them. To address this, I focused on fostering a sense of collaboration and personal growth. By aligning individual performance with broader organizational goals, the app emphasized teamwork while empowering employees to track and improve their personal bests.
Motivational language and recognition moments were thoughtfully incorporated to create a supportive, approachable tone, counteracting the potential for the app to feel overly critical. Although gamification was not part of the initial feature set, the design accounted for future enhancements, such as a milestone-based points system, to further engage users. At launch, the app prioritized individual progress, mirroring the dynamics of a team sport where personal achievements contribute to collective success.
design solution
The app was designed with three core views: one for employees, one for store managers, and one for district managers.
Employee view: Employees can track their goals, compare their performance with store targets, and see how their efforts contribute to overall store success. This view empowers employees by providing transparency and clarity on their progress, while encouraging them to step up when necessary.
Store manager view: Store managers have access to team rosters, performance leaderboards, and detailed profiles for each employee. This view allows managers to celebrate individual achievements during team meetings and identify areas for improvement.
Store manager view: District managers can see how multiple stores within their district are performing against their goals and drill down to individual store or employee levels to support managers and celebrate district-wide achievements.
IMPACT
The app was successfully launched across eight stores as of February 2024, with plans for nationwide implementation (2,200+ stores in 49 states) in the coming year. While the app is still in the early stages of its rollout, the design was crafted with several key outcomes in mind. We expect the app to:
Increase employee engagement: By providing visibility into personal contributions and store performance, employees are expected to feel more recognized, which could lead to higher motivation and job satisfaction.
Improve performance tracking: With clear, goal-oriented tracking for both individual employees and managers, the app is anticipated to help identify areas of improvement and align individual efforts with overall store goals, fostering a more performance-driven culture.
Support manager feedback: The app’s leaderboard and goal progress features are designed to help managers more effectively track team performance, provide targeted feedback, and celebrate achievements in real time during team meetings.
Scalability potential: With plans for future expansion across more stores, the app’s modular design ensures that it can easily grow in scope and capabilities, with the potential to support wider organizational goals.
