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Group Options for Reward Automation

Target automated rewards to specific employee groups

Tahera Barok McArthur avatar
Written by Tahera Barok McArthur
Updated over 3 weeks ago

Configure automated occasion rewards to send to specific departments, locations, or custom groups rather than your entire organisation. Use group options to create targeted, relevant recognition programmes.

Purpose: Enable precise control over who receives automated rewards based on organisational structure and employee data.

⚠️ Note: You need Rewards Admin permissions to configure group options for automated rewards.

Understanding Group Options

What Are Group Options?

When setting up automated rewards, you can choose recipients:

Everyone:

  • All colleagues with occasion dates in Mo

  • Organisation-wide recognition

  • Single automation covers entire workforce

Customise by Groups:

  • Specific departments, locations, or teams

  • Targeted based on your Mo group structure

  • Multiple automations for different populations

Why Use Group Options?

Benefits of group-based automation:

  • Different rewards by seniority or role - Higher values for leadership

  • Regional variations - Different currencies or values by location

  • Department-specific recognition - Tailored messages for different teams

  • Budget control - Separate budgets for different groups

  • Cultural relevance - Location-appropriate rewards

  • Pilot programmes - Test with specific groups before organisation-wide rollout

How Group Options Work

Group Data in Mo

Group options use your organisation's Mo group structure:

  • Departments - Sales, Marketing, Engineering, HR

  • Locations - London, New York, Remote, Regional offices

  • Job Titles - Manager, Director, Individual Contributor

  • Custom Groups - Any groups you've configured in Mo

For setting up groups, see Managing User Groups.

Matching Logic

Mo matches colleagues to automations based on their group assignments:

  • Colleague must have the occasion (birthday or work anniversary)

  • Colleague must belong to the specified group(s)

  • If matches both criteria, automated reward is sent

  • If doesn't match, no reward sent from that automation

Example:

  • Automation: Birthday rewards for "London" location

  • Colleague A: Birthday today, assigned to "London" → Receives reward

  • Colleague B: Birthday today, assigned to "New York" → Doesn't receive this reward

Configuring Group Options

Accessing Group Options

When creating or editing an automated reward:

  1. Go to Rewards AdminReward Automation

  2. Click Set up an automation (or edit existing)

  3. Navigate to Section 1: Automation Settings

  4. Find "Who should receive it?" option

Selecting Recipients

Option 1: Everyone

  • Select "Everyone" radio button

  • All colleagues with occasion dates receive the reward

  • Simplest configuration

  • Single automation for entire organisation

Option 2: Customise

  • Select "Customise" option

  • Additional fields appear for group selection

  • Choose specific groups to target

  • Can select multiple criteria

Selecting Groups

When customise is selected:

Choose Group Category: Select which type of group to filter by:

  • Department

  • Location

  • Job Title

  • Any custom group categories in your Mo

Select Specific Groups: Choose which groups within that category:

  • Select one or multiple groups

  • Use checkboxes or dropdown (depending on interface)

  • Can combine multiple groups

Example configurations:

Single group:

  • Category: Location

  • Selection: "London"

  • Result: Only London office colleagues

Multiple groups:

  • Category: Department

  • Selection: "Sales", "Marketing"

  • Result: Sales and Marketing department colleagues

Combination (if supported):

  • Category 1: Location = "UK"

  • Category 2: Department = "Sales"

  • Result: UK-based Sales colleagues only

Setting Up Group-Based Automations

Strategy for Multiple Groups

Approach 1: Separate Automations per Group

Create individual automations for each group:

  • Birthday Automation - London Office

  • Birthday Automation - New York Office

  • Birthday Automation - Remote Team

Benefits:

  • Different budgets per group

  • Different reward values

  • Customised messages

  • Clear separation and reporting

Example:

Automation 1:
- Name: "Birthday Rewards - London"
- Occasion: Birthdays - Group: Location = London
- Reward: £25 Birthday Reward
- Budget: UK Office Budget

Automation 2:
- Name: "Birthday Rewards
- New York" - Occasion: Birthdays
- Group: Location = New York
- Reward: $30 Birthday Reward
- Budget: US Office Budget

Approach 2: Combined Groups in One Automation

Include multiple groups in single automation:

  • Select multiple groups from same category

  • Same reward and budget for all selected groups

  • Simpler management with fewer automations

When to use:

  • Same reward value appropriate for all groups

  • Consistent recognition approach

  • Smaller organisation

  • Simplified administration

Department-Based Automation

Common use case: Different rewards by department

Setup example:

Sales Team Birthdays:

  • Group: Department = "Sales"

  • Reward: £30 (or 300 points)

  • Message: "Happy Birthday! Thanks for driving our revenue. Celebrate!"

  • Budget: Sales Department Budget

Engineering Team Birthdays:

  • Group: Department = "Engineering"

  • Reward: £25 (or 250 points)

  • Message: "Happy Birthday! Keep building amazing things. Enjoy!"

  • Budget: Engineering Budget

Location-Based Automation

Common use case: Regional recognition programmes

Setup example:

UK Offices:

  • Group: Location = "London", "Manchester", "Birmingham"

  • Reward: £25 Birthday Reward

  • Budget: UK Recognition Budget

  • Currency: GBP

US Offices:

  • Group: Location = "New York", "San Francisco", "Chicago"

  • Reward: $30 Birthday Reward

  • Budget: US Recognition Budget

  • Currency: USD

Remote Employees:

  • Group: Location = "Remote"

  • Reward: £25 or equivalent in their currency

  • Budget: Remote Team Budget

Seniority-Based Automation

Common use case: Tiered anniversary rewards

Setup example:

5-Year Work Anniversaries - All Employees:

  • Group: Everyone

  • Occasion: Work Anniversary (year 5)

  • Reward: £50 (or 500 points)

10-Year Work Anniversaries - All Employees:

  • Group: Everyone

  • Occasion: Work Anniversary (year 10)

  • Reward: £100 (or 1000 points)


Best Practices for Group Options

Planning Your Group Strategy

Before setting up automations:

  1. Audit your groups - Ensure all colleagues assigned correctly

  2. Define recognition philosophy - Who gets what and why

  3. Budget by group - Allocate funds appropriately

  4. Test with pilot group - Validate before full rollout

  5. Document your approach - Record decisions for consistency

Group Data Accuracy

Critical for success:

  • Keep group assignments current

  • Update when colleagues change roles or locations

  • Regular audits of group data

  • Process for new hires to be assigned groups

  • Review before launching automations

Consequences of inaccurate data:

  • Colleagues miss rewards they should receive

  • Wrong colleagues receive rewards

  • Budget allocated incorrectly

  • Recognition programme credibility damaged

Automation Naming Conventions

Clear, descriptive names:

  • Include occasion type: "Birthday" or "Work Anniversary"

  • Include group: "London Office" or "Sales Team"

  • Include year if relevant: "2025 Birthday Programme"

Good examples:

  • "Birthday Rewards - London Office"

  • "Work Anniversary - Sales Department"

  • "5 Year Anniversary - All Staff"

  • "Birthday Rewards - Remote Team"

Avoid:

  • "Automation 1"

  • "Test"

  • "Rewards"

  • Generic names without context

Budget Allocation

Strategic considerations:

Separate budgets per group:

  • Clearer cost tracking

  • Different funding sources possible

  • Independent budget management

  • Easier financial reporting

Example structure:

Budget: UK Birthday Programme
├── Spending Pot: London Birthday Rewards
├── Spending Pot: Manchester Birthday Rewards
└── Spending Pot: Remote UK Birthday Rewards


Budget: US Birthday Programme
├── Spending Pot: New York Birthday Rewards
├── Spending Pot: SF Birthday Rewards
└── Spending Pot: Remote US Birthday Rewards

Message Personalisation

Tailor messages to groups:

By department:

  • Sales: Reference targets, deals, customer impact

  • Engineering: Reference building, innovation, technical work

  • HR: Reference people, culture, team support

By location:

  • Include location-specific references

  • Consider cultural norms and preferences

  • Use appropriate language and tone

By seniority:

  • Junior: Encourage growth and development

  • Senior: Acknowledge leadership and experience

Executive: Recognise strategic impact



Managing Multiple Group-Based Automations

Organisation and Tracking

Automation inventory:

  • Maintain list of all active automations

  • Document which groups covered

  • Track budget allocation per automation

  • Note any gaps in coverage

Ensure complete coverage:

  • Every colleague should be in at least one automation

  • No groups accidentally excluded

  • Overlap intentional if it exists

  • Regular review of coverage

Avoiding Duplication

Colleague in multiple groups:

Scenario: Colleague is in both "London" and "Sales" groups

If you have:

  • Birthday Automation 1: Location = London

  • Birthday Automation 2: Department = Sales

Result: Colleague could receive two birthday rewards

Solutions:

  • Design mutually exclusive automations

  • Prioritise one automation over another

  • Accept duplication if intentional

  • Use more specific group combinations

Monitoring and Adjustment

Regular reviews:

  • Monthly: Check automation log for sends

  • Quarterly: Review group membership accuracy

  • Annually: Assess overall programme effectiveness

  • As needed: Adjust based on organisational changes

Key metrics to track:

  • Rewards sent per group

  • Budget utilisation by automation

  • Coverage percentage by group

  • Colleague feedback by group


Troubleshooting Group Options

Colleagues Not Receiving Automated Rewards

Check group assignment:

  • Verify colleague is assigned to the target group

  • Check if group name matches exactly

  • Confirm group assignment is active

Review colleague's profile in Mo

Check automation configuration:

  • Verify correct group selected in automation

  • Ensure automation is toggled ON

  • Check budget hasn't been exhausted

  • Review automation log for errors

Solutions:

  • Update colleague's group assignment

  • Correct automation group selection

  • Ensure data synchronisation complete

  • Contact support if issues persist

Wrong Colleagues Receiving Rewards

Possible causes:

  • Incorrect group assignments in Mo

  • Automation targeting wrong group

  • Multiple automations with overlap

  • Data import or sync errors

Resolution:

  • Audit group assignments for accuracy

  • Review automation configuration

  • Check for unintended automation overlaps

  • Correct data and adjust settings

Groups Not Appearing in Dropdown

Common issues:

  • Groups not configured in Mo

  • Group category not set up

  • User doesn't have permission to see groups

  • System sync delay

Solutions:

  • Verify groups exist in Mo user management

  • Check group configuration settings

  • Confirm Rewards Admin permissions

  • Wait for system sync and retry

Automation Sending to Wrong Group

Verification steps:

  • Check automation configuration details

  • Review which group is actually selected

  • Verify colleague group assignments

  • Check automation log for details

Correction:

  • Edit automation to select correct group

  • Update and save changes

  • Monitor next execution to confirm fix

  • Review past sends if need

Related Guides:

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