The platform is configured. The programs are set. What happens next determines whether recognition becomes part of your culture or becomes a tool people forget to use.
The organizations that get this right do not treat launch as a one-day event. They treat it as a communication campaign — with a clear sequence, the right people activated at the right moments, and messages that give employees a real reason to participate. This guide gives you that campaign, ready to run.
💡 Your HiThrive team will help you finalize timing and customize these templates during implementation. Nothing here needs to be sent before your kickoff call.
The launch communication sequence
Timing | Communication | Audience |
|---|---|---|
3–4 weeks before launch | Initial teaser | All employees |
2–3 weeks before launch | Culture champion recruitment | Volunteer subset |
1 week before launch | Manager briefing | All people managers |
1–3 days before launch | Leadership message | All employees |
Launch day | All-company announcement | All employees |
Week 2 | Manager follow-up nudge | All people managers |
Day 30 | Participation review | HR / program owners |
Quarterly | Program refresh | HR / program owners |
Step 1: Initial teaser (3–4 weeks before launch)
The goal of the teaser is anticipation, not explanation. Keep it short. Do not try to explain the full program. Give people just enough to be curious.
When to send: 3 to 4 weeks before go-live Who sends it: HR lead or People Ops Audience: All employees
Template
Subject: HiThrive — something new is coming for our team
Hi team,
We have been thinking carefully about how we recognize the contributions that make [Company Name] what it is — and we are making a change.
In [timeframe], we are launching HiThrive, a recognition platform that gives everyone a voice in celebrating what makes this team great. Peer shoutouts, milestone celebrations, manager awards, rewards — all in one place, inside [Slack / Teams / your existing tools].
More details coming soon. In the meantime, think about a colleague who has made your work better recently. You will have a way to tell them soon.
[Name]
Step 2: Culture champion recruitment (2–3 weeks before launch)
Culture champions are the most underutilized launch asset in recognition programs. When they work, they transform a corporate rollout into something that feels like it came from the team itself.
What champions do:
Receive early platform access and a bonus points allocation at launch
Send the first recognitions — the ones that model the behavior for everyone else
Answer peer questions so HR is not the only point of contact
Provide feedback to the program team after launch
Over time, become advocates for the program in their departments and regions
How to identify champions: Look for employees who are already informal culture carriers — the ones colleagues turn to, who show up in multiple departments, who are excited about what the company is building. This is not a performance award. It is a trust signal.
For large, distributed organizations: recruit champions by business unit, region, or studio — not just by seniority. A champion in each location gives the program local credibility from day one.
💡 We recommend 5 to 10 champions per 200 employees. For a 1,000-person organization, 25 to 40 champions is the right range. For multi-site enterprise organizations, aim for at least one champion per major location or business unit.
What to give champions:
Early access (24 to 48 hours before company-wide launch)
A bonus points allocation ($25 to $50 equivalent) to use at launch
A 20-minute orientation with your HiThrive team
A shared brief on what a great first recognition looks like
Recognize the champions publicly. On launch day, acknowledge your culture champions in your recognition space. Name them. Thank them by name. It models the behavior you want and signals to the rest of the organization that participation is valued.
Template
Subject: HiThrive — be one of the first (culture champions wanted)
Hi team,
We are launching HiThrive on [date] and we are looking for a small group of culture champions to help kick it off right.
As a champion, you will get early access to the platform, a bonus points allocation to use at launch, and a brief orientation with our HiThrive team. Your job is simple: send the first recognitions, model what great looks like, and help colleagues who have questions.
This is for people who care about making [Company Name] a great place to work and want to be part of making that visible.
Interested? Reply by [date]. We will confirm the group and share next steps.
[Name]
Step 3: Manager briefing (1 week before launch)
Managers are the highest-leverage audience for your launch. Brief them before the company-wide announcement — they should never hear about a new program for the first time from their direct reports.
⚠️ Send the manager briefing before the all-company announcement goes out. This is not optional for enterprise organizations. Managers who are surprised by a program announcement lose credibility with their teams immediately.
For full manager briefing guidance, talking points, and templates: The Manager Briefing Guide
Step 4: Leadership message (1–3 days before launch)
A message from your CEO, CHRO, or a senior People leader does something an HR announcement cannot: it signals that recognition is a leadership priority. Employees take their cues from the top.
For full guidance and ready-to-use templates: The Leadership Launch Message Guide
Step 5: What makes a great recognition
Before the launch announcement goes out, make sure your champions and managers understand what great recognition looks like. The quality of the first recognitions sent publicly sets the standard for everything that follows.
The formula: Name what they did. Name why it mattered. Name the impact.
Too generic: "Thanks for all your hard work on the project. Really appreciated it."
Specific and memorable: "The way you held the team together during the final week of the [project] launch — when the scope kept shifting and the timeline did not — was the difference between delivering and not. That kind of calm under pressure is exactly what we want this team to be known for."
Too generic: "Always so helpful. Thanks for everything."
Specific and memorable: "You spent two hours last week walking [colleague] through a process you have done a hundred times, and you did it with real patience. That is what a team that actually supports each other looks like."
The formula is consistent regardless of level, role, or location: what they did + why it mattered + what impact it had. Specific, timely, genuine. That is all it takes.
💡 For distributed and global teams: specificity matters even more for remote and cross-regional employees, whose contributions are less visible by default. Encourage your champions and managers to look beyond their immediate teams for the first recognitions they send.
Step 6: Launch day announcement
Send on go-live day, once the platform is confirmed live. Choose the version that fits your culture.
When to send: Launch day, after platform is live Who sends it: HR lead or People Ops Audience: All employees
Thorough version
Subject: HiThrive is live — here's everything you need to know
Hi team,
Today we are launching HiThrive, our new recognition platform. Here is what it means for you.
Where to find it HiThrive lives in [Slack / Microsoft Teams / your browser at app.hithrive.com]. [Slack: type /hithrive in any channel. Teams: find HiThrive in your apps. Web: visit app.hithrive.com.]
What you can do
Send a peer shoutout. When a colleague does something worth recognizing — a great attitude, extra effort, a contribution that made a difference — tell them. You have [$X] in points each [month/quarter] to include with your recognitions.
How to send a shoutout:
Teams: help.hithrive.com/help/sending-shoutouts-in-microsoft-teams
Web: help.hithrive.com/help/sending-shoutouts-in-hithrives-web-application
Celebrate milestones. HiThrive will automatically celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and new team members — no coordination needed.
Earn rewards. Points you receive from colleagues and managers never expire. Redeem them for gift cards, premium brand rewards (Therabody, YETI, Away, Sonos, Tata Harper, Levain Bakery, Melissa's Cupcakes, La Colombe, and 500+ others), charitable donations, company swag, and more at app.hithrive.com/rewards.
How points work 100 points = $1.00. Your [monthly/quarterly] allowance of [X] points resets each period — use them to recognize colleagues. Points you receive never expire.
What is worth a shoutout? The contribution that often goes unnoticed. The colleague who stepped up without being asked. The moment that made the work better for everyone around them. A few examples to get you started:
"In the face of a tight deadline, your calm and focus brought the whole team with you. The client noticed. We all noticed."
"You turned a complicated problem into something everyone could understand. That is a skill not enough people have — and you used it to make us all better."
Start with someone who helped you recently. That is the whole idea.
[Name]
Concise version
Subject: HiThrive is live — send your first shoutout today
Hi team,
HiThrive is live. Find it in [Slack / Teams / at app.hithrive.com].
When a colleague does something worth recognizing, tell them. You have [$X] in points each [month/quarter] to include with your recognitions. Points you earn never expire — redeem them for real rewards at app.hithrive.com/rewards.
Think of someone who helped you recently. Send them a shoutout today.
[Name]
Step 7: Manager follow-up nudge (Week 2)
The week two nudge to managers is the highest-leverage action you can take after launch day. Participation typically dips in week two — this message addresses it directly.
When to send: 7 to 10 days after launch Who sends it: HR lead or People Ops Audience: All people managers
Template
Subject: HiThrive — a quick note for managers
Hi [name / team],
One week in. A quick check-in.
Your spot award wallet has [$X] available. If you have not sent your first recognition yet, this is a good week to do it. It does not need to be a major moment — recognizing consistent effort, a contribution that often goes unnoticed, or a team member who has been holding things together quietly is exactly what the program is designed for.
A few ideas if you are not sure where to start:
Someone who went out of their way for a colleague or a client
A team member who handled something difficult without making it a production
A person who rarely gets public recognition but consistently shows up
Questions? Visit help.hithrive.com or reach out to [HR contact].
[Name]
Step 8: Sustaining the program
Launch momentum is real, and it fades. The organizations that build lasting recognition cultures treat the program as a living thing — refreshed regularly, measured honestly, and visibly supported by leadership beyond the first week.
Monthly: Review participation rates in the HiThrive analytics dashboard. Flag any manager wallets at zero utilization. Note any departments or regions that are consistently under-represented in recognition activity.
Quarterly: Run a new challenge to re-energize the program. Rotate the theme — most recognized per value, first-time recognizers from newer employees, cross-functional recognitions. Share a brief participation summary with your leadership team. Consider a quarterly nomination campaign if not already running one.
Twice a year: Run a brief manager re-engagement session — 20 minutes, focused on what great recognition looks like and how the data is reading. Managers who are active in recognition programs at month six are almost always active at year two. The ones who lapsed in month two rarely recover without direct re-engagement.
Annually: Review your program design against your original goals. Have your allowance amounts kept pace with your recognition culture? Are there new programs worth activating? Share the year's participation data with leadership to renew commitment and budget for the next cycle.
💡 Your HiThrive team will schedule check-ins at Day 30, Day 90, and annually. Bring your analytics dashboard to these conversations. The data tells you where the program is thriving and exactly where it needs attention.
Watch for recognition gaps
The most common failure mode in recognition programs — especially in large, distributed organizations — is not low participation overall. It is concentrated participation: recognition clustering around visible roles, co-located teams, or employees who are already vocal.
The employees most likely to be under-recognized: remote workers, employees in operational or support functions, employees in regions outside headquarters, newer employees who have not yet built strong internal networks.
What to do about it:
At Day 30, pull recognition activity by department, region, and employment type
Share the data with your champions and ask them to look for behind-the- scenes contributors
Brief your managers specifically on recognizing distributed and remote team members — for remote employees, specificity matters more, not less, because their contributions are less visible by default
If values-tagging is enabled, review which values are being recognized and which are absent — a gap here often reflects a real cultural gap worth surfacing to leadership