Applauding employee efforts

Rite Aid recently deployed an internal social media app called Applause that gives the entire team an easy way to quickly praise their colleagues. “Recognition and celebration is an important part of our culture,” Bob Thompson, EVP of operations at Rite Aid, told DSN. “Our associates can now instantly recognize each other for anything from heroic stories to simply being a good teammate.”

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Associates access Applause through in-store workstations and registers, the company’s internal website and even their smartphones. Once on the site, Rite Aid team members can input their message and link it to one of the company’s Core Values. When the message posts, the associate being recognized receives an alert, as does the supervisor of that associate.



Depending on the preference of the associate posting the message, these recognitions can be seen by the entire company — not just the recipient, Thompson said. And associates can check the site to view the recognitions taking place throughout the chain.“The response has been phenomenal,” Thompson said. “Our team embraced it right away.”



In addition to helping team members celebrate success, Applause also helps Rite Aid reinforce the specific behaviors that align with its strategy, Thompson said.