You need either Nominations Manager or Nominations Admin permissions to select and announce winners.
Before You Begin
Recommended Process Order
Close nominations (submissions period ends)
Review all submissions
Announce nominees (optional but recommended)
Shortlist potential winners (this guide)
Select final winners (this guide)
Attach rewards if applicable (this guide)
Announce winners (this guide)
Why announce nominees first:
✅ Provides recognition to everyone nominated
✅ Allows time for thorough judging
✅ Creates anticipation for winner announcement
✅ Separates recognition from competition
For guidance on announcing nominees, see: Announcing Nominations
Understanding the Winner Selection Process
Three Stages of Selection
Stage 1: Shortlisting (Optional) Narrow down nominees to top candidates for detailed evaluation.
Stage 2: Winner Selection Choose final winners from shortlist or full nominee pool.
Stage 3: Winner Announcement Notify all participants and celebrate winners publicly.
When to Use Shortlisting
Use shortlisting when:
✅ You have many nominees (20+)
✅ Multiple people are involved in judging
✅ Selection will happen across multiple sessions
✅ You want to mark candidates for detailed review
✅ You need a preliminary filtering stage
Skip shortlisting when:
Small nominee pool (under 10)
Single decision-maker
Clear winners based on initial review
Simple judging criteria
Stage 1: Shortlisting Candidates
Accessing the Results Page
Click Nominations in the sidebar
Click Manage in the top right
Find your closed nomination
Click View results
You'll see the complete list of nominees with their submission counts.
How to Shortlist Nominees
For each candidate you want to shortlist:
Locate the nominee in the list
Review their submissions (click the down arrow to expand)
Click the Shortlist button below their name
The nominee is now marked as shortlisted
Repeat for all candidates you want to consider for winner selection.
Viewing Shortlisted Nominees
To see only shortlisted candidates:
Locate the filter options on the results page
Select Filter by: Shortlisted
Only shortlisted nominees appear
This focused view helps during final deliberations.
Collaborative Shortlisting
When working with multiple judges:
Best practices:
✅ Agree on shortlisting criteria beforehand
✅ Have each judge independently shortlist
✅ Meet to discuss shortlisted candidates
✅ Use shortlist as starting point for winner selection
Process example:
Each judge shortlists their top 10 candidates
Nominees shortlisted by multiple judges automatically advance
Discuss borderline cases as a group
Create final shortlist for winner selection
Removing from Shortlist
If you need to remove someone from the shortlist:
Find the shortlisted nominee
Click the Shortlist button again to toggle off
They're removed from the shortlist
Shortlisting Tips
For large nominee pools (50+):
Use filters to review by department or team first
Shortlist top 3-5 from each group
Review shortlist collectively
Narrow to final winners
For collaborative judging:
Set shortlist quota per judge (e.g., maximum 10)
Document shortlisting criteria
Share reasoning for selections
Build consensus on final list
For multi-category events:
Shortlist separately for each category
Maintain consistent standards across categories
Consider cross-category winners
Balance recognition across departments
Stage 2: Selecting Winners
When to Select Winners
Select winners after:
✅ All submissions thoroughly reviewed
✅ Judging criteria applied
✅ Collaborative discussions completed (if applicable)
✅ Shortlist finalised (if using shortlisting)
✅ Reward budget confirmed (if applicable)
How to Select Winners
For each winner:
Locate the nominee on the results page (use shortlist filter if applicable)
Review their submissions one final time
Click Select as winner below their name
The nominee is now marked as a winner
Repeat for all winners in this nomination.
Viewing Selected Winners
To see all selected winners:
Click the Winners tab at the top of the results page
All selected winners appear in this view
Review the complete winner list before announcing
What you'll see on the Winners tab:
Winner names
Number of nominations received
Option to attach rewards
Option to remove from winners (if needed)
Selecting Multiple Winners
You can select multiple winners for a single nomination:
When to select multiple winners:
✅ Team categories with joint winners
✅ Tied candidates with equal merit
✅ Multiple category awards within one nomination
✅ Recognition across different teams
Best practice: Communicate clearly in your announcement if there are multiple winners and why.
Removing a Winner Selection
If you need to deselect someone as a winner:
Go to the Winners tab
Find the winner you want to remove
Click the remove/deselect option
They return to the nominee pool
Important: Do this before announcing winners. You cannot easily reverse winner announcements.
Winner Selection Criteria
Apply consistent judging criteria across all nominees:
Quantitative factors:
Number of nominations received
Consistency of positive feedback
Breadth of nominators (across teams)
Qualitative factors:
Depth and specificity of submissions
Alignment with company values
Impact described in nominations
Meaningful examples provided
Balanced evaluation: Consider both the quantity (number of nominations) and quality (content of submissions) when selecting winners.
Stage 3: Attaching Rewards to Winners
Understanding Reward Attachment
Rewards are attached before announcing winners and automatically issued when winners are announced.
Who Can Attach Rewards
You can attach rewards if you are:
A Nominations Manager or Admin AND
A Reward Giver assigned to a spending pot in Mo
If you cannot see reward options, verify your Reward Giver permissions.
How to Attach Rewards
For each winner on the Winners tab:
Locate the winner in the list
Click Attach a Reward below their name
Complete the New Reward form:
Reward type (monetary, voucher, experience, etc.)
Reward amount
Reward message
Spending pot to use
Click Save
Return to the Winners tab
The reward now appears attached to that winner.
Reward Form Details
Reward type: Choose from available reward types in your Mo configuration:
Monetary rewards
Gift vouchers
Experiences
Physical rewards
Time off
Reward amount: Enter the value within your spending pot limits.
Reward message: Add a personalised message explaining the reward (appears in winner notification):
Example: "Congratulations on winning Employee of the Quarter! This reward recognises your outstanding customer service and dedication to our team values."
Spending pot: Select which budget to allocate this reward from (you'll see only pots you have access to).
Attaching Different Rewards to Different Winners
For nominations with multiple winners, you can attach different rewards:
Example scenario:
1st place winner: £200 voucher
2nd place winner: £100 voucher
3rd place winner: £50 voucher
Attach rewards individually to each winner before announcing.
When Rewards Are Issued
Critical timing:
Rewards are NOT issued when attached
Rewards are automatically issued when you announce winners
Winners receive reward notification when winners are announced
Best practice: Attach all rewards to all winners before clicking "Announce winners" to ensure everyone receives their rewards simultaneously.
Editing or Removing Rewards
Before announcing winners, you can modify attached rewards:
Go to the Winners tab
Locate the winner with the reward
Click to edit or remove the reward
Make changes as needed
Save
After announcing winners: Contact Mo support if you need to modify issued rewards.
Reward Budget Considerations
Before attaching rewards:
Check your budget:
✅ Verify spending pot balance
✅ Confirm you have sufficient budget for all winners
✅ Consider future nominations this period
✅ Align with company reward policies
Plan reward allocation:
Decide on reward amounts before selecting winners
Ensure consistency with previous nominations
Document reward rationale for transparency
Get approval for large rewards if required
Nominations Without Rewards
Not all nominations require rewards. You can:
Select and announce winners without attaching rewards
Provide recognition without monetary awards
Use nominations for non-tangible acknowledgement
Skip the reward attachment step if not applicable to your nomination.
Stage 4: Announcing Winners
Pre-Announcement Checklist
Before announcing, verify:
✅ All winners selected and reviewed
✅ Rewards attached to all winners (if applicable)
✅ Announcement message prepared
✅ Timing appropriate (avoid Fridays/holidays)
✅ Stakeholders informed (HR, leadership)
How to Announce Winners
Go to the Winners tab
Review all winners and attached rewards one final time
Click Announce winners in the top right
A message box appears
Add your announcement message (optional)
Click Send
Winners and all participants are now notified.
Crafting Your Announcement Message
The announcement message appears in notifications to all participants.
Message components
Congratulations: Celebrate the winners directly.
Context: Explain what this award represents.
Recognition details: Mention reward if applicable (but keep details in separate notification).
Call to action: Invite colleagues to view and celebrate.
Example announcement message:
"Congratulations to our Q4 Star Performers! These colleagues have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation, and teamwork. Visit the Nominations page to see the winners and join us in celebrating their achievements. Thank you to everyone who participated and nominated their brilliant colleagues!"
Message best practices:
Keep to 3-4 sentences
Positive and celebratory tone
Thank all participants
Include clear next step
Professional but warm
What Happens When Winners Are Announced
Winner notifications:
Winners receive email notification
Notification includes reward details (if applicable)
Winners can view their nominations and celebration
Participant notifications:
All nominators receive email notification
They learn who won
They can visit Mo to see results and celebrate
Reward issuance:
All attached rewards automatically issued
Winners receive reward notification
Rewards appear in winners' Mo accounts
Public celebration:
Winner announcement appears on Announcements page
Colleagues can comment and congratulate
Recognition is visible across the organisation
Viewing the Announcement
After announcing:
Go to the Announcements page in Mo
View your winner announcement
See colleague reactions and comments
Monitor engagement
Direct link: Navigate to Nominations > Announcements in the sidebar
After Announcing Winners
Immediate Next Steps
Within 24 hours:
Monitor for winner and participant questions
Respond to comments on announcement
Verify all rewards issued correctly
Thank participants personally if appropriate
Within 1 week:
Gather feedback on nomination process
Document lessons learned
Review metrics and engagement
Plan next nomination cycle
Enabling Celebration
Encourage colleagues to:
✅ Comment on winner announcement
✅ Congratulate winners in-person
✅ Share what made nominations meaningful
✅ Participate in future nominations
Create celebration moments:
Announce winners in team meetings
Feature winners in company communications
Share winner stories on internal channels
Organise winner recognition event
Winner Follow-Up
For winners:
Send personal congratulations from leadership
Ensure reward redemption instructions are clear
Invite feedback on their experience
Consider featuring their story
For nominees (non-winners):
Acknowledge their nomination publicly (if not already done)
Encourage them to read their submissions
Thank them for their contributions
Remind them recognition isn't just about winning
Managing Expectations
If results surprise participants:
Be prepared to explain judging process
Emphasise both quantity and quality of submissions
Highlight winner selection criteria
Maintain transparency while respecting privacy
Handling questions:
Respond professionally to all feedback
Explain process without being defensive
Note suggestions for future improvements
Maintain confidentiality of judging discussions
Next Steps After This Nomination
Planning Future Nominations
Review performance:
What worked well?
What could be improved?
How was participation?
Were judging criteria effective?
Make adjustments:
Refine criteria based on learnings
Adjust timeline if needed
Modify categories if appropriate
Enhance communication approach
Schedule next cycle:
Maintain regular cadence
Plan ahead for resources
Coordinate with company calendar
Build anticipation
Building Recognition Culture
Sustain momentum:
Regular nomination schedule
Consistent communication
Ongoing celebration of winners
Continuous improvement
Expand programme:
Add new categories
Involve more teams
Increase participation
Enhance rewards