Notification Settings Admins Should Review First
Notification settings can make a big difference in how your employees experience Awardco.
One of the easiest places for confusion to happen is when company-wide notification defaults do not match what individual users expect. If someone says they are not getting a notification, or they are getting too many, the answer is often found in the difference between admin settings and user settings.
Here are a few of the first things admins should review:
1. Start with company notification settings
Admins can review company-wide notification settings by going to:
- Admin
- Platform
- Notifications
- Notification Settings
This is where you can control which notification types and channels are available across your organization, including approvals-related notifications like assignments, completed approvals, and reminders.
2. Know the difference between defaults and locks
When reviewing company settings, each notification can be set to one of four states:
- Default Off — users will not automatically receive it, but they can turn it on
- Default On — users will automatically receive it, but they can turn it off
- Locked Off — users cannot turn it on
- Locked On — users cannot turn it off
This is usually the first thing to check when a user says, “Why can’t I change this?” or “Why didn’t this turn on automatically?”
3. Remember that users still have their own notification preferences
Users can manage their own notification settings by going to:
- My Profile
- Settings
- Notifications
If a setting is not locked by an admin, users can personalize what they receive there. That means two employees in the same company may have different notification experiences depending on both the company defaults and their personal selections.
4. Double-check approval notifications
If approvers are missing notifications, review both the program setup and the notification settings.
Awardco notes that approvers usually receive email alerts for approvals, but if they are not receiving them, it is important to check the relevant Recognition or Earn program settings as well.
Also, in-platform approval notifications are off by default, so users need that setting turned on if they want to see approval alerts in the bell icon.
5. Use locked settings carefully
Locked settings can be helpful for critical communications, but using them too often can create frustration for users. In many cases, giving employees some flexibility leads to a better experience.
Quick takeaway
If notifications are not working the way someone expects, check these in order:
- Company notification defaults
- Whether the setting is locked
- The user’s personal notification preferences
- The specific program settings if the issue is approval-related
A quick review of those four areas will solve a lot of the most common notification questions before they turn into bigger support issues.
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