This article provides a step-by-step guide to downloading and using the Connect+ app. 

What is the Connect+ app?

Connect+ is an app that puts the power of real-time employee recognition and communications in the hands of our clients' employees, no matter where they are. The app is available for download on Apple and Android devices, and means that our clients and their people never have to wait to say "You Nailed It," "High Five" or "Thank You"!

The app also provides real-time notifications when there is company news, when recognition has been received or when someone interacts with relevant moments. 

Downloading the Connect+ app

The Connect+ app is available for clients who have the Social Recognition Wall enabled on their platform. If clients do not yet have this functionality, they can speak to their Client Success Manager or their Account Manager to find out more. 

Clients do not need to have the Blogs feature for employee communications enabled in order to start using the app, but if they do, their company blogs will be fully integrated within the social feed. 

Likewise, clients do not need to have Employee Profiles enabled in order to start using the app.

All employees can download Connect+ from the app store on their Apple or Android device. Employees must be registered on their employee engagement program first, so they can log in to the app.

Step-by-step download guide 

The app can be downloaded by following these steps:

1. In the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, search for "Connect+" or use these direct links to access the app on Android and iOS.

2. Employees simply download the app and log in using the same email address they registered with (if preload is used on the program, it is the same email address preloaded for them).

3. To keep things easy, employees then receive a Magic Code via email to verify that they are who they say they are! The Magic Code is a six-digit code; if it is not received, the user can request for the code to be resent. 

4. In order to keep your employees' rewards secure, they’ll be asked to input a 4-digit pin when they first log in. They will then use this to log in going forward.

5. Once logged into the app, employees will be proactively kept in the loop of news and recognition moments relevant to them. They can also browse and interact with company news and recognize their colleagues on the go!  

What can be done on the Connect+ app?

• Employees can read company news, as well as view eCards and awards that have been sent directly to them and/or shared on the social feed.
• They can also react and comment on activity on the social recognition wall through the app.
• eCards, Nominations and Instant Awards can be sent and received on the app.
• Monetary awards can be redeemed directly on the app for an eGift Card / Instant Voucher of their choice.

The social feed

The opening screen of the app is the social feed. The social feed is a chronological feed displaying moments of recognition and communication updates happening across the organization in real time. 

Recognition moments are made up of eCards, instant awards, and nominations. Communication updates are posts published to keep everyone up-to-date with company news. 

Employees can scroll through these moments, react to them with emojis and comment on them. The reaction toolbar contains five different reactions – great for celebrating moments of recognition or responding to blog posts. Interaction makes people feel part of the bigger picture, to be involved and feel more connected. Comments are another great way to interact with feedback. 

The videos below show the journey of a user commenting on a feed item and adding a reaction.

Android

iOS

Sending an eCard 

To send an eCard through the app, follow the steps below.

1. Tap the "Recognize" button at the bottom of the page.

2. Select an eCard programme from the Pick Recognition dropdown
3. Select an eCard design to send. Users will only see eCards that they have permission to send
   • If a sender is not seeing an eCard they expect, it may be for one or more of these reasons, which the Client Support team can help check and address:
     • The eCard is currently inactive (i.e. the employer has chosen to hide it from senders)
     • The user has been left out by mistake from the segment that defines senders for the eCard programme
     • The segment that defines senders for the eCard programme needs updating
   • If a sender is seeing an eCard they shouldn't, it may be for one or more of these reasons, which the Client Support team can help check and address:
     • An eCard that should be inactive is still visible
     • The user has been included by mistake in the segment that defines senders for the eCard programme
     • The segment that defines senders for the eCard programme needs updating

4. Tap "Next" in the top right-hand corner of the page. 

5. Add the recipient (or recipients) by searching for and then tapping on their name. Users will only be able to find recipients who are eligible to receive the eCard they chose

   • If a recipient name is not appearing in the search, it may be for one or more of these reasons, which the Client Support team can help check and address:
     • The recipient is no longer eligible to access the programme (i.e. has been marked as a leaver)
     • The recipient is eligible to access the programme but has not registered yet (at present,  eligible unregistered users can only be recognised through the website)
     • The recipient's employee data has not yet been added to the programme
     • The user has been left out by mistake from the segment that defines recipients for the eCard programme
     • The segment that defines recipients for the eCard programme needs updating
   • If the search is displaying recipients that should not appear, it may be for one or more of these reasons, which the Client Support team can help check and address:
     • The recipient is no longer eligible to access the programme, but has not yet been marked as a leaver
     • The user has been included by mistake in the segment that defines recipients for the eCard programme
     • The segment that defines recipients for the eCard programme needs updating

6. Tap "Next" in the top right-hand corner of the page. 

7. Add a personal message for the recipient(s). This is an important step, as it informs the recipient(s) and others in the business about why someone received recognition. 

8. Under the text box, there's the option to "Send & Share" or "Send Privately." If "Send & Share" is selected, the recipient receives a notification and the eCard is posted on the social feed for everyone to see. If "Send Privately" is chosen, only the recipient can access and see the eCard.  

Clients who have chosen to make eCards available only to specific groups of senders and / or recipients will see their segmentation reflected on the app. Users will only be able to select eCards they have been allowed to send, and the app will notify them if they select a colleague who cannot receive them.

The videos below show the full eCard sending journey.

Android

iOS 

Nominating a colleague

To make a nomination through the app, follow the steps below.

1. Tap the "Recognize" button at the bottom of the page.

2. Select a Nomination programme from the Pick Recognition dropdown. Nominators will only see nomination programmes that are open for submissions, and that they have access to nominate from
   • If a nominator is not seeing a programme they expect, it may be for one or more of these reasons, which the Client Support team can help check and address:
     • The programme is currently inactive (i.e. the employer is not accepting new nominations)
     • The user has been left out by mistake from the segment that defines nominators for the programme
     • The segment that defines nominators for the programme needs updating
     • The user is not linked correctly to an approver (only for programmes using the Closed nomination method)
   • If a nominator is seeing a programme they shouldn't, it may be for one or more of these reasons, which the Client Support team can help check and address:
     • A programme that should be inactive is still open
     • The user has been included by mistake in the segment that defines nominators for the programme
     • The segment that defines nominators for the programme needs updating
3. Select a recognition type to attach to the nomination

4. Tap "Next" in the top right-hand corner of the page. 

5. Add the recipient (or recipients, if group nominations are enabled) by searching for and then tapping on their name. Nominators will only be able to find nominees who are eligible to be nominated within the specific programme

   • If a nominee name is not appearing in the search, it may be for one or more of these reasons, which the Client Support team can help check and address:
     • The nominee is no longer eligible to access the programme (i.e. has been marked as a leaver)
     • The nominee is eligible to access the programme but has not registered yet (at present,  eligible unregistered users can only be nominated through the website)
     • The nominee's employee data has not yet been added to the programme
     • The user has been left out by mistake from the segment that defines nominees for the programme
     • The segment that defines nominees for the programme needs updating
     • The nominee is not linked correctly to an approver (only for programmes using the Open Nominee nomination method)
   • If the search is displaying users that should not be nominated within the programme, it may be for one or more of these reasons, which the Client Support team can help check and address:
     • The user is no longer eligible to access the programme, but has not yet been marked as a leaver
     • The user has been included by mistake in the segment that defines nominees for the programme
     • The segment that defines nominees for the programme needs updating

6. Tap "Next" in the top right-hand corner of the page. 

7. Fill in the nomination form fields that are specific to the programme, then tap "Next" again
   • If the employer has not added any custom fields to the form (i.e. their form only requires recognition type, recipient name and recognition reason), there will not be a screen with form fields

8. Add a personal message for the recipient(s). This is an important step, as it informs the recipient(s) and others in the business about why someone received recognition. 

9. Under the text box, there's the option to "Send & Share" or "Send Privately." If "Send & Share" is selected, the recipient receives a notification, and, after approval, the nomination is posted on the social feed for everyone to see. If "Send Privately" is chosen, only the recipient can access and see the nomination after it is approved.  

The video below shows the full Nominations sending journey.

How does someone know they have received recognition/reward? 

The recipient is notified with a push notification or an email notification (depending on their alert preferences set up on their account). If they have decided not to receive alerts, the next time they log in (either online or on the app) they will be able to see that there is an alert waiting for them in the top right-hand corner of the site or app. 

Redeeming an award

As soon as an employee receives an award, they will be able to redeem it through the Connect+ app. They can select how they wish to redeem their award in the Reward Marketplace, providing a huge choice from popular retailer eGift Cards / Instant Vouchers and charitable giving to custom awards. 

• Please note: Award redemption with Amazon is currently not available within the Connect+ app, however, this is being developed for future release. 

Filtering for the most relevant content 

Employees using Connect+ can narrow down their feed to the content that is most relevant to them, by using the Filters icon at the top left of the screen.

Examples of filters that may be available are:

1. Content type (e.g. eCards, Instant Awards, Nominations and / or Blogs)
2. My Recognition (sent and / or received by the user viewing the app)
3. Any groups the client has chosen to use as filters as part of their Social Recognition implementation (e.g. Location, Department, etc.)
4. My Groups (e.g. My Location, My Department, and others, based on the configuration at point 3)
5. Any filters the user has saved on the Social Recognition Wall on the website will also be available to reuse on the app

Read more about Social Recognition filters (specifically, using Groups and saving filters) in this article.

Editing profiles 

The image below shows an example of an employee's full profile, on a program that has the Profiles functionality enabled. The app also provides the opportunity to see the employee's reporting line (based on Line Manager information supplied by the client) and, where relevant, recognition stats.

Users cannot edit their profile on the app; this must be done on the website (where users are also able to hide the visibility of their birthday, if they prefer that colleagues don't see it).

Clients do not need to have Profiles enabled in order to use the app. If they don't, visibility will be limited to the employee's name and avatar, to make sure users still have a chance to identify their colleagues.

For more information, please read the article What is the Connect+ app?