Creating a Launch Communication Strategy

 Stakeholder Communication Strategy

The stakeholder communication strategy for launching a new employee recognition program should focus on effectively communicating the goals, benefits, program details, and implementation plan of the program to all relevant stakeholders. The key stakeholders to consider include employees, managers, human resources, and senior leadership. There may also be secondary stakeholders to consider. If you're not sure who should be included, take a look at our Identifying Stakeholders exercise. The below sample communication plan can be shortened or lengthened depending on your company's needs, but includes multiple email templates for you to use in your communications as needed.

 

Sample Communication Plan for Rollout

Month 1 (Onboarding & Implementation Phase):

  • Week 1: Senior Leadership Briefing - Conduct meetings or webinars with Senior Leadership to provide an overview of the program, including how it will be implemented, their role in supporting it, and establish alignment on program goals.
  • Week 2: Manager Briefing - Conduct meetings or webinars with managers to provide detailed information about the program, including how and when it will be launched, their role in supporting it, and the expected impact on their teams.
  • Week 3: All Staff Announcement Email - Send a company-wide email introducing the new employee recognition program, highlighting its purpose, benefits, and expected launch date.
  • Week 4: Program Updates/Teaser - Send email update to all stakeholders, sharing progress on the program's development, any adjustments made, and important milestones for implementation and launch, along with the expected launch date. This is a great opportunity to get everyone excited and start to elaborate on what to expect.

Month 2 (Training & Launch Phase):

  • Week 5: Training for Managers - Recognize offers a training webinar for managers to learn about Recognize's Manager Portal and how to support the employee recognition program within their teams. The webinar also offers guidance on how to recognize employees, as well as trains managers on approval processes. Send out an email to invite Managers to join the training, and you can even offer an incentive for completing it! We've included some templates with links for managers to sign up below.
  • Week 6: Employee Training & Information Sessions - Recognize offers a training webinar for employees to learn the basics of the Recognize platform and how to use it. Send out an email to invite employees to join a training session, and you can even offer an incentive for completing it! We've included some templates with links for employees to sign up below. Additionally, it might be a good idea to host lunch and learn style sessions in-house for employees to learn more about your specific program, ask questions, and provide feedback. 
  • Week 7: Program Launch Announcement - Send a company-wide email announcing the official launch date of the employee recognition program. Clearly outline the process for nominations, selection criteria, and rewards.
  • Week 8: Post-Launch Check-in - Send an update to stakeholders one week after launch to share preliminary adoption rates, highlight some fun recognitions, and invite users to partake in the eNPS survey to gather initial feedback and establish a baseline.
    • Post-Launch Email Template 
      • Adoption rates so far/reminder for others to log in
      • Highlight some recent recognitions
      • Call out top senders and recipients so far
      • Link to eNPS to get baseline

Month 3 & Beyond (Evaluation and Feedback Phase):

  • 3-6 months After Launch: Post-Launch Check-in - Send another adoption rate update to stakeholders, and consider highlighting success stories, best practices, and any program enhancements since your last communication. Continue to encourage feedback and suggestions for improvement by inviting users to take the eNPS again.
  • 6-9 months After Launch: Insights & Continuous Improvement - Conduct additional surveys or feedback sessions to gather insights on the effectiveness and impact of the program, if desired. Share the results from initial survey and outline any planned adjustments based on the feedback received.
  • Ongoing Communication - Continue sending regular updates to stakeholders highlighting success stories, best practices, and any program enhancements. Encourage feedback and suggestions for improvement, and share engagement metrics regularly. Keep the recognition program top of mind and integrated into the day-to-day by having senior leaders highlight stories and encourage participation in regular communication channels. Make sure to share new campaigns and recognition initiatives using the Announcements feature.
  • Adding New Focus - Announce next phase plan for your programs to keep up the momentum and engagement.

 

By following this communication plan or an adapted version of it, you will be able to bring your leaders and staff along the recognition journey, keeping them in the loop, and providing the context needed for them to feel prepared for this big change. Ultimately, thoughtful communication will ensure that all stakeholders are informed, engaged, and ready to support your new employee recognition program, leading to better adoption rates and overall program success.

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