Getting started with Bonusly: A quick start guide

This comprehensive guide will help you get started with Bonusly. We recommend you take the following steps as a priority, as these will establish the foundation for a successful recognition program and promote high adoption rates from day one.

We've broken it up into sections:

First, establish your company's identity and preferences within Bonusly. Navigate to Company > Account settings in your admin tools to begin. This ensures the platform looks and feels like your company.

Name, Logo, & Language:

Once your account is configured, it's time to incorporate your unique culture and values into the platform. Navigate to Company > Program settings to align Bonusly with your company culture.

Points Name:

Customize the name of your currency to fit your brand (e.g., "High Fives," "Stars," "Kudos"). You can even use an emoji!

Company Values Hashtags:

Bring your company values to life by adding them as hashtags (e.g., #teamwork, #innovation, #customer-obsession).

These hashtags act as the "why" behind every recognition, reinforcing the specific behaviors and principles that define your organization’s success. You can add up to 12 custom values.

Hashtag Requirements:

We recommend setting this to "A company value hashtag is required." This ensures every piece of recognition is tied directly to a cultural value, giving you better analytics on how your values are being lived out.

Monthly Point Allowance

Now it's time to configure your monthly giving allowance. Navigate to Recognition > peer-to-peer in your admin settings to set the amount of points each user receives to give away. These points reset every month ("use it or lose it"), which encourages frequent recognition.

To drive the highest adoption, meet your employees where they already work. Connecting Bonusly to your daily communication tools reduces friction and keeps recognition visible.

Install the Slack or Microsoft Teams App When you install the Bonusly app for Slack or Teams, employees can give recognition directly from their chat channels using a simple command (e.g., /give). Recognition posts will also appear in a public channel (like #general or #shoutouts), increasing visibility and social validation.

You can do this manually, but for most companies, automating this process via an HRIS integration is the best path. This ensures that new hires are automatically added and departures are deactivated without manual admin work.

Connect your HRIS

Bonusly integrates with major HRIS platforms like Rippling, BambooHR, Workday, Gusto, and more. syncing your directory allows for "set it and forget it" user management.

Bulk Import via CSV

If you don't use a supported HRIS, you can use the Bulk Import feature to upload your roster via CSV.

You're ready to go live! A strong launch creates excitement and sets the tone for how the program will be used.

Announce the program

Don't just send an invite email. Announce Bonusly during an all-hands meeting or via a dedicated internal campaign. Explain why you are launching it: to build a culture of appreciation and visibility.

Invite your users

Once you've announced the program, trigger the Invite Emails from the User Management page.

What's next? Now that the foundation is set, it’s time to bring your culture to life. Head over to the Launch your Bonusly Culture guide to set up your programs, enable 1:1s, and start seeing the signals that shape your organization.

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Need more help? Ask questions and get support from our Customer Support Team or browse the Help Center for detailed technical guides.