Note: The Collaboration Map for Managers requires the Organization plan (as well as certain legacy plans).
The Collaboration Map is a visual report that shows how recognition flows between your direct reports, across teams, and throughout the organization. It's available in your Team menu.
When you open the map, you'll start with a drill-down view of your own team your direct reports and the recognition between them. From there, you can zoom out to the organization level, explore other groups, and identify opportunities to strengthen collaboration.
How Can It Help?
The Collaboration Map helps you as a manager:
Understand your team's connections — See who on your team is well-connected through recognition and who may need more support.
Spot collaboration gaps—Identify team members who are mostly recognized within the team but rarely connect with other groups.
Encourage cross-team relationships—Find opportunities for your reports to build connections outside the team.
Track the impact of team changes — See how new hires, re-orgs, or team initiatives affect recognition patterns over time.
Support 1:1 conversations — Use connection data to have informed discussions about collaboration and engagement.
Identify connectors and isolated employees — Use the User Archetypes section to find team members who bridge groups — or who may need encouragement.
Step-by-Step Guide
Navigate to Team → Collaboration map.
You'll see your direct reports and their recognition connections.
Use the monthly date picker to select a range (up to 12 months).
(Optional) Change Group by to view by Departments, Communities, or custom properties.
(Optional) Open Filters to:
Show Most connected or Least connected
Set how many nodes to display (Top n)
Select specific groups or employees
To zoom out to the organization view, navigate back from the drill-down.
Click any group node to drill down to its employees.
Click an employee node to open their profile.
Use the Legend to interpret node size, line direction, and quality styling.
Scroll to User Archetypes to explore connection patterns for your team.
Key Concepts
Nodes (Circles)
Each circle represents a group (at the organization level) or an employee (in drill-down view).
Circle size reflects the number of people in that group (or one person for employee nodes).
Lines
Lines show recognition exchanged between two nodes.
ine thickness represents the total amount of recognition between those nodes.
Solid line — Two-way (reciprocal): Recognition flowed in both directions.
Dotted line — One-way (unidirectional): Recognition flowed in only one direction.
Internal vs. External Recognition
Internal giving: Recognition given within the same group (e.g., within your team).
External giving: Recognition given to other groups.
External receiving (drill-down only): Recognition received from outside the selected group.
Quality Score (Line Hover)
Hover over a connection line to see the average quality score for that connection.
Line color reflects quality, as explained in the legend.
Drill-Down (Groups → Employees)
Your default view is already a drill-down of your team.
You can zoom out to group-level, then click any group node to drill into its employees.
Clicking an employee node opens that employee's profile in a new tab, where you can see the recognition they have given and received, as well as their top connections.
Timeframe (Monthly Ranges)
The Collaboration Map uses a monthly date picker.
You can select up to 12 months at a time.
You can't select the current or future months.
You can't go back more than 2 years.
Group By
You can change how the organization is grouped:
Manager Teams (your default) — Groups based on reporting structure
Departments — Groups based on department assignment
Communities — Groups based on recognition - these are groups created by Bonusly to show people who recognize each other over the selected time period. This view may show who actually works together, across manager or department lines.
Custom properties — Any additional groupings your admin has configured
Filters
If your organization is large, the collaboration map may only show the top 20 most connected employees or groups. Use the filter in the top right to change your view.
You can:
Show only the Top n most or least connected nodes
Switch between Most connected and Least connected
Select specific groups or employees to focus on just those nodes
User Archetypes
Below the map, the User Archetypes section lists employees who match different “connection styles,” including:
Users in the viewed group who exhibit an archetype
A months in archetype indicator
Common Use Cases for Managers
1. See how your team collaborates internally
What you want to achieve
Understand whether your direct reports recognize each other regularly.
How to use the report
Open the Collaboration Map — it starts on your team.
Look for thick, two-way lines between your reports.
Note any team members with few or no connections to others on the team.
Actionable insights
Team members without internal connections may benefit from pairing on projects, shout-outs in team meetings, or peer mentoring.
2. Find team members who are isolated
What you want to achieve
Identify direct reports who aren't well-connected through recognition — either within the team or across the org.
How to use the report
In your team drill-down view, look for nodes with few or thin connections.
Switch to Least connected in the filter menu to surface them quickly.
Scroll to User Archetypes to see if anyone matches the isolated pattern.
Actionable insights
Use 1:1s to discuss collaboration and encourage broader recognition habits. Consider buddy programs or cross-team projects.
3. Check if your team collaborates across groups
What you want to achieve
See whether your team's recognition extends beyond your direct reports to other departments or teams.
How to use the report
Start in your team drill-down view
Review the External giving and External receiving stats.
Look for lines connecting your team members to nodes outside the team.
Actionable insights
Low external giving may indicate your team is siloed. Encourage recognition of cross-functional partners, stakeholders, or collaborators on shared projects.
4. Evaluate the impact of a team initiative
What you want to achieve
See whether a recent initiative (new hire onboarding, cross-team project, team restructure) changed collaboration patterns.
How to use the report
Select a date range covering the period before and after the initiative.
Compare connection patterns — are there new connections? Stronger existing ones?
Use consistent timeframes for fair comparison.
Actionable insights
Validate whether initiatives are driving the collaboration you expected. Adjust your approach if patterns haven't changed.
5. Identify connectors and bridge builders on your team
What you want to achieve
Find team members who naturally connect others across groups.
How to use the report
Scroll to the User Archetypes section below the map.
Look for your direct reports who match connector-style archetypes.
Note how long they've held that archetype.
Actionable insights
Recognize and leverage connectors — they're often informal leaders. Consider giving them visibility or mentoring roles.
6. Explore collaboration patterns across the organization
What you want to achieve
Zoom out from your team to understand broader recognition flows.
How to use the report
Click the back/zoom-out control to move from your team drill-down to the group-level view.
Change Group by to Departments, Communities, or other groupings.
Click any group to drill into its employees.
Actionable insights
Understanding the bigger picture helps you position your team's contributions and identify partnership opportunities with other groups.
FAQs
1. What data does the Collaboration Map show?
It summarizes recognition connections (count and direction) between groups or employees across the selected month range.
2. Can I see the whole organization, or just my team?
You start on your team, but you can zoom out and explore the full organization's collaboration patterns.
3. Why can't I select the current month?
The map only supports completed months.
4. What's the maximum date range I can view?
Up to 12 months at a time, within the past 2 years.
5. What does "Most connected" vs. "Least connected" mean?
It changes whether the map prioritizes nodes with higher or lower recognition activity.
6. What do the stats show for my team?
They summarize total users, internal vs. external giving patterns, and (in drill-down) external receiving — how much recognition your team receives from outside.
7. What are User Archetypes?
They describe different recognition connection patterns (like connectors or isolated employees) and show how long each employee has matched that archetype.
8. Why do I see "no data"?
This usually means there wasn't enough recognition activity in the selected timeframe. Try expanding the date range.
9. I don't see the Collaboration Map in my Team menu. Why?
The feature requires the Organization plan. Contact your admin if you believe you should have access.
Questions? Send us a note to [email protected] — we'd be happy to help!