Recognition boosts engagement, performance, and retention, but it often gets lost in busy Slack channels or requires teams to leave Slack entirely. That’s why we created Shoutouts, Donut’s new Slack-based recognition tool that makes celebrating your team quick, easy, and impactful.

🚀 Want to be among the first teams to use Donut Shoutouts?
Shoutouts won’t be available to the general public until June 2025—get early access now:
Join the beta waitlist →

In our recent live preview, Bernardo Núñez, VP of Product Design, joined Arielle Shipper, VP of Operations, to walk through why we built Shoutouts, how it works, and what the experience looks like for both admins and teammates giving praise. Here’s a quick recap, plus setup tips and a peek at what’s next on the roadmap.

Key Takeaways

 

Recognition that fits your flow

Most teams already use Slack channels for shoutouts or kudos, but without structure or tracking, HR teams miss out on valuable insights that support performance reviews and employee engagement.Shoutouts keeps recognition in Slack and adds structure with customizable rewards, making praise easier to track and more impactful.

“As an admin, you get visibility into who’s given, received, and redeemed recognition—which is super helpful for performance reviews and understanding team engagement.”  —Bernardo Núñez

 

Built for Slack, tailored to your culture

Employees give each other points by tagging teammates with a designated emoji in Slack, whether that’s 🍩, 🏆, 🐸, or something totally your own. You can name the points whatever you’d like (they’re “donuts” by default) and set up custom rewards to match,so the program fits your culture—not the other way around.

To make setup easy, Shoutouts includes a library of prebuilt rewards you can edit, swap out, or use as inspiration — from gift cards and extra PTO to thoughtful, non-monetary rewards that don’t require a budget.

 

 

Visibility that supports growth

Each team member has a personal profile that shows their recognition history and points balance — making it easy to revisit wins during one-on-ones or performance reviews. Admins get access to a leaderboard that tracks recognition activity, helping them spot top contributors and support a consistent culture of appreciation.

 

 

Shoutouts in Action

Your team can launch a recognition program in under five minutes — no spreadsheets, new tools, or change management required. Here’s how it works:

1. Pick your emoji — The default is 🍩, but you can choose any emoji and name the points whatever fits your culture.
2. Choose your channel(s) — Use a dedicated #shoutouts channel or enable recognition in existing ones, like #team-wins.
3. Set your weekly points allowance — Points reset every Sunday to encourage consistent recognition and fresh starts.
4. Add your rewards — Start with at least three. You can use our editable templates or create your own, whether it’s swag, gift cards, or non-monetary perks.
5. Create a private fulfillment channel — This keeps reward redemptions organized and lets your admin team stay in sync.
6. Make it official in Slack — Once your program is ready, you can trigger an automated announcement message from Donut to guide your team and kick off your recognition program right away. No extra tools or training needed.

 

📽️ More of a visual learner?

Watch a 2-minute tutorial to see how Shoutouts works in Slack.

 

📘 Grab a quick setup guide to share with your team.

A simple, skimmable overview to help you explain Shoutouts and kick off your program fast once you’re off the waitlist.

Read the setup guide →

What’s Coming Next

The team is actively building and shipping new features, including:

           ✅ Support for custom emojis

           ✅ Emoji reactions to add more points

           ✅ Auto-fulfillment for gift cards and rewards

           ✅ Flexible point allowances (weekly, monthly, quarterly)

Have feedback? Email us at [email protected]. We’re listening,and adapting the roadmap based on your feedback!

Recognition that actually sticks

Shoutouts makes it easy to turn everyday praise into something your team can see, track, and act on, right inside Slack. It’s built for visibility, not noise. And since we’re still in beta, this is your chance to get early access and shape what’s coming next.