Hulu’s intranet-based peer-to-peer recognition program wins an amazing 75 percent monthly engagement

Not enough Hulu employees—known as Hulugans—were satisfied with the organization’s employee recognition efforts, according to the annual engagement survey. That led the Internal Communications team to introduce Hudos, a peer-to-peer recognition program designed to bridge the gap between what the organization offered and what would more engage Hulugans. The program was so successful that it’s taken first place in the “Engagement” category of Ragan’s 2016 Intranet Awards.

Among the issues Hulu identified were a fragmented recognition infrastructure, a perceived inability to recognize individuals (team recognition was favored) and a disconnect between recognition and the organization’s values. The Hudos program provides employees with points they can give to their peers for appreciation, thanks or congratulations. Hudos recipients can redeem the points for gift cards, donate them to charities or regift them to other Hulugans. 

Unlike many recognition programs launched and then left to languish, Hulu keeps Hudos front and center by dedicating part of the intranet homepage to it, adding a “Give Hudos” button to each employee profile and distributing “Hudos Highlights” every other week through the organizational newsletter. Hulu also emails to employees who have yet to participate (and whose points are set to expire), as well as including it in new-hire orientation and ensuring leaders and managers talk about it. 

So far, 96 percent of the Hulu employee population has participated, and the Hudos page is the intranet’s most visited (about 5,000 views per month). It’s also the most searched term on the intranet. 

For building an online program that elevates engagement and satisfies employees’ intrinsic desire for recognition, congratulations to Scott Kaminsky, Mike Rocco, Julie Steele, Sandra Nguyen, Jared Cohen-Richards and Jackie Bartoletti.