Recognition App Overview
Build a culture of appreciation and celebrate achievements across your organization with the Recognition App—a comprehensive platform for peer-to-peer recognition, formal awards, milestone celebrations, and rewards management.
What is the Recognition App?
The Recognition App transforms how organizations acknowledge employee contributions. Whether it’s a quick “thank you” between colleagues or a formal award nomination with monetary value, the app provides flexible tools to recognize achievements at every level.
Core Value Proposition:
- 🎯 Drive Engagement — Employees who feel recognized are more engaged and productive
- 🤝 Build Culture — Foster a positive workplace culture through appreciation
- 📊 Measure Impact — Track recognition patterns and identify engagement gaps
- 💰 Manage Rewards — Control budgets and tie recognition to tangible rewards
Key Concepts (how Recognition actually works)
If you only read one section, read this — it explains the model behind the screens.
There are TWO separate point systems
This is the single most important thing to understand. Recognition has two independent pools of points that never mix:
- Peer Giving Allowance (Mango Kudos points) — a per-employee, monthly “points to give” allowance. Every employee gets one (when the feature is on). It resets on the 1st of each month and does not carry over. Spending it credits the recipient’s Company Store balance 1:1. This is what powers Peer-to-Peer recognition. It is configured under Settings → Reward Points (Peer Giving Allowance) — NOT by any recognition program.
- Group / Program Budgets — dollar-denominated annual pools (Company → Department → Manager) that back Award-based programs (Manager-to-Employee, Achievement, Milestone). Managers draw from these when giving awards.
They never cross. A peer give draws only from the per-employee allowance; an award draws only from a group budget. Because of this, attaching an annual group budget to a Peer-to-Peer program does nothing — peer giving is capped by the per-employee allowance, not by a program budget.
Role tiers — and what makes someone “Leadership”
Each employee’s monthly giving allowance is set by their role tier:
- Individual contributor — has no direct reports.
- Manager — has at least one direct report in the org chart. A “manager” is simply anyone with a direct report. There is no distinction between levels: a front-line team lead and a VP are the same tier as long as they have reports.
- Leadership — holds the Admin or Owner (Super-Admin) role in MangoApps. “Leadership” is a permission, not org seniority — that is what makes someone Leadership. So a non-managerial HR or IT admin is “Leadership,” while a director with a large team but no admin role is “Manager.”
Default monthly allowances are 1,000 / 2,000 / 5,000 points for Individual / Manager / Leadership (admins can change the amounts). So if your balance is 5,000 points, it is because you are on the Leadership tier (you hold an admin role).
What a manager sees in the Team tab
By default the Team tab shows your direct reports only — not reports-of-reports. If you manage other managers, use the “All reports” toggle to see your whole org subtree. Admins see everyone.
Programs
A program is exactly one type: Peer-to-Peer, Manager-to-Employee, Achievement-Based, or Milestone. You pick one type per program, and you can run several programs at once (one of each type). The type determines who can give recognition in that program.
Budgets
Group budgets are per-program and hierarchical (Company → Department → Manager). They apply to award-based programs only. To give every manager their own budget at once, use Group Budgets → Budget all managers. A manager’s own budget is used before any department or company pool. A Per-Manager Cap caps how much each manager may spend from a shared (Company/Department) pool — it does not apply to a single-manager budget.
Kicking off a peer program (you don’t have to wait for the 1st)
The moment you turn on Enable Peer Reward Points (and the Company Store is enabled), members can give immediately — balances are created on first use. To make everyone’s balance visible right away, use Settings → Provision points now. Changing a tier amount applies on the 1st automatically, or immediately via Provision points now (which never removes points members have already given).
Visibility for admins
- Giving roster (Settings → Giving roster) — who can give peer points and how much each has left this month.
- Point ledger (Settings → Point ledger) — the history of who gave points to whom, when, and from which program, for investigation.
How It Works
Recognition Flow
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RECOGNITION JOURNEY │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │
│ │ QUICK │ │ QUICK │ │ FORMAL │ │ AUTOMATED │ │
│ │RECOGNITION │ │ AWARD ⚡ │ │ NOMINATION │ │ MILESTONE │ │
│ │ (Posts) │ │ (Managers) │ │ │ │ │ │
│ └─────┬──────┘ └─────┬──────┘ └─────┬──────┘ └─────┬──────┘ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ ▼ │ │
│ │ │ ┌────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ │ APPROVAL │ │ │
│ │ │ │ WORKFLOW │ │ │
│ │ │ └─────┬──────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ AWARD CREATED │ │
│ │ (with optional point value) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌────────────────────┼────────────────────┐ │
│ ▼ ▼ ▼ │
│ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │
│ │ Recognition│ │ Points │ │ EPMS │ │
│ │ Feed │ │ → Store │ │ Integration│ │
│ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ └────────────┘ │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Note: Quick Awards (⚡) bypass the approval workflow entirely—points are credited instantly.
Integration Ecosystem
┌─────────────────┐
│ RECOGNITION │
│ APP │
└────────┬────────┘
│
┌─────────────┬───────────────┼───────────────┬─────────────┐
│ │ │ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│ EPMS │ │ GOALS │ │ TRAINING │ │ COMPANY │ │ ASK AI │
│ │ │ /OKRs │ │ │ │ STORE │ │ (Agent) │
└─────┬─────┘ └─────┬─────┘ └─────┬─────┘ └─────┬─────┘ └─────┬─────┘
│ │ │ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐
│Recognition│ │Auto-award │ │Celebrate │ │ Redeem │ │ Chat │
│feeds into │ │on goal │ │course │ │ points │ │recognition│
│reviews │ │completion │ │completion │ │for rewards│ │via AI │
└───────────┘ └───────────┘ └───────────┘ └───────────┘ └───────────┘
Key Features
🌟 Quick Recognition (Peer-to-Peer)
Enable anyone to recognize anyone, instantly.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Recognition Posts | Share appreciation with personalized messages |
| Tags & Values | Categorize recognition with tags like #teamwork, #innovation, #leadership |
| Image Attachments | Add photos to make recognition more personal and memorable |
| Visibility Options | Control who sees recognition: Public, Department, Team, or Private |
| Anonymous Option | Allow recognition without revealing the sender’s identity |
| Social Engagement | Reactions (👏 🎉 ❤️), comments, and sharing on recognition posts |
| Feed Filtering | Filter recognition feed by All, My Team, My Department, or type |
Use Case: An employee spots a colleague staying late to help a customer. They immediately post a quick recognition celebrating their dedication—visible to the entire company.
🏆 Recognition Programs & Awards
Create structured programs for formal recognition.
Program Types:
| Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Peer-to-Peer | Informal appreciation between colleagues | “Kudos” program for daily recognition |
| Manager-to-Employee | Formal recognition from supervisors | Quarterly “Star Performer” awards |
| Achievement-Based | Triggered by specific accomplishments | Project completion, certifications |
| Milestone | Celebrating career milestones | Work anniversaries (1, 5, 10+ years) |
Award Categories: Each program supports multiple categories (Innovation, Teamwork, Customer Service, Leadership, Excellence) with customizable icons, colors, and value ranges.
⚡ Quick Award (Manager Instant Recognition)
Enable managers to give instant awards without approval workflows.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Instant Awards | Skip the nomination process for immediate recognition |
| Direct Points Credit | Points credited to recipient’s Company Store balance immediately |
| Flexible Recipients | Award any employee (direct reports or company-wide) |
| Configurable Limits | Set maximum award amounts (default: $100 per award) |
| Quick Select Amounts | Pre-set buttons for $10, $25, $50, $100 |
| Optional Program/Category | Associate awards with programs for tracking |
| Public or Private | Control visibility in recognition feed |
Use Case: A manager notices an employee handling a difficult customer situation exceptionally well. They immediately give a $25 Quick Award right from the Manager Dashboard—no nomination form, no waiting for approval. The employee receives points instantly.
Key Differences: Quick Award vs. Nomination
| Aspect | Quick Award | Formal Nomination |
|---|---|---|
| Approval Required | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (if enabled) |
| Points Credited | Instantly | After approval |
| Workflow | Single step | Multi-step |
| Who Can Give | Managers & Admins | Anyone |
| Best For | Spot recognition | Formal programs |
| Maximum Value | Configurable limit | Program-defined |
📝 Nomination Workflow
A structured process for formal award nominations.
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ NOMINATION WORKFLOW │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ SUBMIT │───▶│ PENDING │───▶│ REVIEW │───▶│ DECIDE │ │
│ │Nomination│ │ Review │ │ (Manager) │ │ │ │
│ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────────┘ └──────┬──────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌───────────────────────────┼────────┐ │
│ │ │ │ │
│ ▼ ▼ │ │
│ ┌────────────┐ ┌────────────┐ │ │
│ │ APPROVED │ │ REJECTED │ │ │
│ │ (± adjust │ │ (feedback) │ │ │
│ │ value) │ └────────────┘ │ │
│ └──────┬─────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │
│ ▼ │ │
│ ┌────────────┐ │ │
│ │ AWARD │──▶ Feed + Notifications │ │
│ │ CREATED │──▶ Points → Store │ │
│ └────────────┘──▶ EPMS Integration │ │
│ │ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
Workflow Steps:
- Submit Nomination — Any employee nominates a colleague with justification
- Manager Review — Assigned reviewer evaluates the nomination
- Approval/Adjustment — Approve (with optional value adjustment) or reject with feedback
- Award Creation — Approved nominations become official awards
- Recognition Feed — Award appears in the company recognition feed
Features:
- Multi-level approval workflows (1-5 levels)
- Value adjustment during approval
- Rejection with constructive feedback
- Bulk approval for high-volume periods
- Urgency tracking (overdue nominations highlighted)
💰 Budget Management
Control recognition spending with comprehensive budget tools.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BUDGET HIERARCHY │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ COMPANY BUDGET │ │
│ │ $50,000/month │ │
│ └───────────┬─────────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌───────────────┼───────────────┐ │
│ ▼ ▼ ▼ │
│ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │
│ │Engineering│ │ Sales │ │ HR │ │
│ │ $20,000 │ │ $15,000 │ │ $15,000 │ │
│ └─────┬─────┘ └───────────┘ └───────────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌─────┴─────┐ │
│ ▼ ▼ │
│ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ Per-Award Limits: $50-$500 │
│ │Team A│ │Team B│ Real-time utilization tracking │
│ │$10K │ │$10K │ Alerts at 80% and 100% │
│ └──────┘ └──────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Program Budgets | Set monthly budgets per recognition program |
| Per-Award Limits | Cap individual award values |
| Group Budgets | Allocate budgets by department/team (hierarchical) |
| Real-Time Tracking | Monitor spending vs. allocation |
| Utilization Alerts | Warnings at 80% and 100% utilization |
| Budget Dashboard | Visual overview with monthly trends |
Budget Status Indicators:
- 🟢 On Track — Under 50% utilized
- 🟡 Warning — 80-99% utilized
- 🔴 Over Budget — 100%+ utilized
👥 Manager Dashboard
Empower managers with team recognition insights and instant recognition tools.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Quick Award Button | Give instant awards to employees with one click ⚡ |
| Pending Approvals | Review and process nominations requiring action (with count badge) |
| Team Overview | See all team members’ recognition activity |
| Team Statistics | Recognition given/received, participation rates |
| Individual Profiles | Deep-dive into each team member’s recognition history |
| AI Moderation Queue | Review AI-flagged content (admin only) |
Pending Approvals Visibility:
- Admins see all pending nominations for the entire business
- Managers see nominations where:
- They are the assigned reviewer
- The nominee is one of their direct reports
- No reviewer has been assigned yet (available to claim)
📊 Analytics & Insights
Measure recognition program effectiveness.
Standard Analytics:
- Total awards by program, category, and time period
- Top recognized employees and top recognizers
- Department participation comparison
- Category usage and trending tags
- Monthly/quarterly/yearly trends
AI-Powered Insights:
- Participation Rate Analysis — Identify teams with low engagement
- Isolation Risk Detection — Employees with no recognition activity
- Network Analysis — Recognition relationship mapping
- Cross-Department Recognition — Measure collaboration across teams
- Manager Recognition Patterns — Ensure managers recognize their teams
Export Options: CSV and Excel exports for external analysis
🔗 Integrations
Connect recognition with your broader HR ecosystem.
| Integration | Capability |
|---|---|
| Performance Management (EPMS) | Recognition data feeds into performance reviews |
| Goals/OKRs | Auto-recognize employees upon goal completion |
| Training | Celebrate training course completions |
| Company Store | Redeem recognition points for rewards (see below) |
🛒 Company Store Integration
Turn recognition into tangible rewards through the Company Store.
How It Works:
- Employee receives a recognition award with point value
- Points are automatically credited to their Store balance
- Employee redeems points for rewards in the Company Store
Reward Categories:
- 🎽 Company Swag — T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, branded merchandise
- 🎁 Gift Cards — Amazon, Starbucks, restaurants (via TangoCard)
- 🎟️ Experiences — Event tickets, travel vouchers, special perks
- 💝 Charitable Donations — Donate points to charity
Features:
- Configurable points-to-dollar conversion rate
- Real-time balance tracking with transaction history
- Email notifications when points are credited
- Mixed payments (points + cash) for purchases
🎂 Lifecycle Automation
Automatically celebrate employee milestones.
| Event | Automation |
|---|---|
| Work Anniversaries | Configurable years (1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30+) |
| Birthdays | Optional birthday recognition |
| Role Anniversaries | Celebrate time in current position |
| Promotions | Recognize career advancements |
Milestone Point Values: Anniversary awards automatically scale with tenure:
-
1 year: 100 points 5 years: 250 points 10 years: 500 points -
20 years: 1,000 points 25 years: 1,250 points 30 years: 1,500 points
Sender Options: System, Employee’s Manager, or HR Representative
🖥️ Recognition Wall
Public display mode for office TVs and digital signage.
- Token-Based Access — Secure URLs for unauthenticated display
- Auto-Refresh — Configurable refresh intervals (30s default)
- Recent Highlights — Shows latest public awards and recognition posts
- Professional Display — Clean, celebration-focused layout
🛡️ Content Moderation
Maintain professionalism across all recognition content.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| AI Moderation | Automatic content screening before posting |
| Review Queue | Flagged content held for admin review |
| Manager Approval | Optional approval workflow for all posts |
| Audit Trail | Complete history of moderation decisions |
Moderation Actions:
- ✅ Auto-Approve — Content passes screening
- ⏸️ Hold for Review — Questionable content queued for human review
- ❌ Auto-Reject — Content violates guidelines
🤖 Recognition Agent (AI Assistant)
Integrate recognition with the Ask AI assistant for conversational interactions.
- Natural Language Recognition — Give recognition through conversation with the AI assistant
- Recognition Queries — Ask about your recognition history, team stats, and leaderboard standings
- Smart Suggestions — AI suggests recognition opportunities based on activity patterns
🔔 Notification Preferences
Customize how users receive recognition alerts.
| Notification Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Award Received | Instant notification when you receive an award |
| Recognition Post | Alert when someone posts recognition about you |
| Manager Alerts | Notify managers when team members receive recognition |
| Pending Approval | Alert reviewers about nominations awaiting action |
| Weekly Digest | Summary email of recognition activity |
📈 Dashboard & Statistics
The main dashboard provides at-a-glance metrics.
Personal Stats:
- Awards Received / Given counts
- Recognition Posts Authored / Received
- Nominations Submitted
Company Highlights:
- Trending Recognition posts
- Top Recipients This Month
- Recent Team Activity
🏅 Leaderboard
Gamify recognition with competitive rankings.
- Top Recipients — Most recognized employees by period (week/month/quarter/year)
- Top Givers — Employees who recognize others most frequently
- Department Rankings — Compare recognition activity across teams
- Category Leaders — Top performers in each recognition category (Innovation, Teamwork, etc.)
User Roles & Permissions
| Role | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Employee | Give/receive recognition, view feed, nominate colleagues |
| Manager | All employee capabilities + team dashboard, approve nominations, Quick Awards ⚡ |
| HR/Admin | Full configuration, budget management, analytics, moderation, Quick Awards, configure Quick Award settings |
| System Admin | App settings, integrations, audit logs |
Quick Award Permissions:
- ❌ Employees cannot give Quick Awards (must submit nominations)
- ✅ Managers can give Quick Awards to any employee
- ✅ Admins can give Quick Awards and configure Quick Award settings
Getting Started
For Employees
- Navigate to Apps → Recognition
- Click “Give Recognition” to appreciate a colleague
- View your received recognition in “My Recognition”
- Check the Leaderboard to see top performers
For Managers
- Access the Manager Dashboard from the Recognition navigation
- Use Quick Award ⚡ to give instant recognition to employees (no approval needed)
- Review Pending Approvals regularly (aim for 48-hour turnaround)
- Monitor team recognition activity and address gaps
- Click on individual team members to view their recognition history and give targeted Quick Awards
For Administrators
- Go to Settings to configure recognition options
- Create Programs and Categories to match your culture
- Set up Budgets if using monetary recognition
- Enable Integrations with EPMS and other apps
- Review Analytics monthly to measure program health
Best Practices
For Giving Recognition
- ✅ Be specific about what the person did
- ✅ Explain the impact of their contribution
- ✅ Recognize promptly (within days, not weeks)
- ✅ Vary recognition across different team members
- ✅ Use company values as recognition themes
For Managers (Quick Awards) ⚡
- ✅ Use Quick Awards for immediate recognition of great work
- ✅ Don’t wait — recognize in the moment when you see excellence
- ✅ Balance Quick Awards with formal nominations for major achievements
- ✅ Vary amounts based on impact ($10 for daily wins, $50-100 for exceptional work)
- ✅ Add a personal message explaining why the recognition matters
For Administrators
- ✅ Review participation rates monthly
- ✅ Celebrate top recognizers (not just recipients)
- ✅ Address low-engagement departments proactively
- ✅ Tie recognition to performance reviews
- ✅ Share recognition success stories with leadership
- ✅ Configure Quick Award limits appropriate for your organization
Related Resources
- How to Give Recognition — Step-by-step user guide
- Quick Award Guide (Manager) — Instant recognition for managers ⚡
- Understanding Recognition Programs — Program types explained
- Recognition Settings Guide (Admin) — Configuration reference
- Budget and Reporting Guide — Financial controls
- Managing Nominations (Manager) — Approval workflow guide
The Recognition App helps organizations build appreciation into their daily culture. Start recognizing today and watch engagement flourish.