Program Use Cases and Examples
Concrete scenarios and inspiration for using one-off and claim-based incentive programs across departments and occasions.
Incentive programs are flexible — the same tools can serve onboarding, project milestones, learning goals, and company-wide celebrations.
This article walks through real-world scenarios to help you decide which program type fits your situation.
One-off program use cases
One-off programs work best when you know exactly who should receive points and want to grant them all at once. There's no waiting, no claims — you define the audience, set the amount, and execute.
Holiday or seasonal bonus
Award every active employee a fixed point bonus at the end of the year or during a company holiday. Use the Everyone audience, set your points amount, and include a message from leadership.
Audience: Everyone
Points: Fixed amount (e.g. 500 points)
Feed post: On — makes it feel like a company-wide celebration
Project completion bonus
Reward a cross-functional team that shipped a major initiative. Use Specific people or a Segment (by team) to target the right group.
Audience: Specific people or segment (team filter)
Points: Varies by contribution level if you run multiple programs
Feed post: On — gives the team public visibility for their work
New hire welcome
Give new joiners a small point bonus as part of onboarding. Run monthly with a segment filter for users who joined recently, or select individuals manually.
Audience: Specific people
Points: A modest starter amount (e.g. 100 points)
Feed post: Off — keep it personal
Manager spot awards
Give managers the ability to reward their reports for above-and-beyond moments. Create one program per quarter, scoped to a team segment, and let managers request execution through a defined process.
Audience: Segment (by team)
Points: Moderate amount
Feed post: Optional
Claim-based program use cases
Claim-based programs work best when the action needs to come from the employee — you're rewarding them for doing something specific, and you want proof or at least a declaration before granting points.
Certification or learning completion
Reward employees who complete an approved certification, course, or learning path. Require proof (a certificate URL or screenshot link) so you can verify completion before approving.
Audience: Everyone (or a specific department)
Points per claim: Fixed (e.g. 200 points per certification)
Proof required: Yes — URL to certificate or completion page
Claim limit: No limit, or cap at a reasonable number per quarter
Wellness or fitness challenge
Run a 30-day wellness challenge where employees claim points for each qualifying activity (gym visit, meditation session, step goal). Set a per-person claim limit to keep things fair.
Audience: Everyone
Points per claim: Small (e.g. 25 points per activity)
Proof required: Optional — trust-based or require a screenshot
Claim limit: 20 claims per person
Deadline: End of the challenge month
Innovation or suggestion box
Encourage employees to submit improvement ideas, process suggestions, or internal bug reports. Approve claims for ideas that meet a quality bar, reject low-effort submissions.
Audience: Everyone
Points per claim: Moderate (e.g. 100 points)
Proof required: Yes — text description of the idea
Claim limit: 5 per person per month
Community or volunteering participation
Reward employees for volunteering hours or community involvement. Require a brief description of the activity.
Audience: Everyone
Points per claim: Varies (e.g. 50 points per event)
Proof required: Yes — text or URL
Claim limit: No limit
Deadline: End of quarter or year
Referral bonus
Award points when an employee's referral is hired and passes probation. The employee submits a claim once the condition is met, and HR verifies before approving.
Audience: Everyone
Points per claim: High (e.g. 1000 points)
Proof required: Yes — referral name and confirmation
Claim limit: No limit
Choosing between one-off and claim-based
Tips for running successful programs
Write a clear description. For claim programs especially, spell out exactly what qualifies and what proof you expect. The rich text editor supports headings, lists, and links — use them to structure instructions clearly.
Set realistic budgets. For claim programs, estimate participation rate and multiply by points per claim to size your initial budget. You can always top up later.
Use deadlines intentionally. A deadline creates urgency, but programs auto-close at the deadline. Only set one if the program genuinely has an end date.
Review claims promptly. Pending claims generate a daily digest. Respond within a day or two to keep participants engaged.
Communicate the program. Even if you publish to feed, consider a Slack announcement or email to make sure eligible users know the program exists.