Recognize is proud to be one of the most deeply integrated platforms with Viva Engage (formerly Yammer). This integration operates through Viva Engage Impersonation, enabling Recognize to post recognitions on behalf of users without requiring them to sign in directly to Viva Engage.
Learn More:
Viva Engage Integration
To set up Recognize’s Viva Engage integration using impersonation:
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Click Menu in the top-right corner of your screen.
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Select Company Admin from the dropdown.
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Click Settings in the left-hand menu.
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Navigate to Viva Engage in the right-hand settings pane.
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Toggle Allow posting recognition events to Viva Engage wall to ON.
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If you haven't authenticated with Viva Engage, an Authenticate with Viva Engage button will appear.
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Once authenticated, you may optionally select a Viva Engage community for all recognitions to be posted. If not selected, users can choose from communities they have permission to post in.
Setting Up Impersonation
Impersonation enables users to post their recognitions to Viva Engage without having to directly sign and authenticate with Viva Engage. If you do not configure impersonation, users must individually authenticate with Viva Engage to post to there.
To enable impersonation:
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Enter the name of a Recognize user linked to a Viva Engage admin account. This account must be authenticated with Viva Engage and have admin rights.
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Enter an email address of any user in your Viva Engage network to test the impersonation.
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Click Check to validate the setup.
✅ A popup will confirm if the impersonation is configured correctly.
Alternatively, you can allow users to individually authenticate by toggling Allow users to connect to Viva Engage to ON.
You may also toggle Allow managers to be private messaged on Viva Engage upon recognition to notify managers when their direct reports are recognized.
Once impersonation is active:
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Users will see a Post to Viva Engage checkbox in the recognition form (checked by default).
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If enabled, users can select from available Viva Engage communities; otherwise, recognitions will automatically post to the designated default community.
Using Viva Engage and Other Integrations Securely
Recognize uses OAuth, the industry standard for secure application authentication. Viva Engage allows Recognize to securely identify users, enabling:
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Secure user syncing from Viva Engage to Recognize
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Recognition posting (with user authorization)
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Enforced login via Viva Engage to reduce password usage and enhance security
🔐 Learn more: Recognize Security Overview (PDF)
Disabling the Viva Engage Integration
To disable the Viva Engage integration:
- Click Menu in the top-right corner of your screen.
- Select Company Admin from the dropdown.
- Click Settings in the left-hand menu.
- Navigate to Viva Engage in the right-hand settings pane.
- Toggle Allow users to connect to Viva Engage to OFF.
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Toggle Allow posting recognition events to Viva Engage wall to OFF.
Integration will be disabled immediately.
Best Practices for Promoting Recognitions in Viva Engage
To increase visibility and engagement, create a dedicated Viva Engage community for Recognitions. Here’s how to optimize it:
Sample Community Setup
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Community Name Example: Recognitions and Shoutouts 🎉
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Description Example: “Celebrate our people! View and share employee recognitions here.”
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Encourage employees to 'Favorite' the community
Ways to Make Recognize Easy to Access
✅ Option 1: Pin a Post with the Recognize Link
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How: Create a post like “🎉 Want to send recognition? Click here to open Recognize: [your Recognize URL]” and pin it.
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Result: Stays at the top of the feed in the community.
✅ Option 2: Add a Link to the Community Info Section: “This community highlights the achievements of our team. Visit [your Recognize URL] to send recognition or redeem your rewards.”
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How: Edit the community settings and add: “Use [your Recognize URL] to send a recognition.”
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Result: Appears on the right-hand side of the community view.
✅ Option 3: Add a Link to Recognize via SharePoint or Teams
If your teams are also using Microsoft Teams and/or SharePoint as part of your digital workspace, you can boost visibility of the Recognize platform by integrating access directly within those tools.
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How:
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In Teams, add a tab to a relevant channel that links directly to Recognize. This makes it easy for employees to send recognitions without leaving Teams. Learn more HERE
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In SharePoint, use a web part to embed the Recognize platform or provide a clickable link on an intranet homepage or team site. Learn more HERE
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Result: Recognition stays front and center across the platforms where employees already spend their time. This ensures seamless access to recognition tools and increases the likelihood that employees will actively send and engage with recognitions.