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Distribution Review Guide
Distribution review is the process where you, as an admin, verify and approve the awards calculated for a plan period before they become final. This is your chance to confirm that company/team thresholds were met, review and adjust employee performance data, verify calculated award amounts, add a message to your team, and choose whether to notify employees via email.
Until you complete the review, awards remain in "Pending" status and aren't visible to employees as final.
When Does a Distribution Need Review?
A distribution enters the review queue when a plan period ends (weekly, monthly, or quarterly), the system has calculated preliminary awards, and the plan status shows "Review Distribution."
You'll see a Review Distribution badge on plans that need your attention in the Plans list.
The Three-Step Review Process
Step 1: Thresholds → Step 2: Performance Data → Step 3: Summary & Approve
Step 1: Thresholds
Purpose: Confirm whether company or team performance thresholds were met.
For Standard/Team Plans
You'll see each threshold metric with fields to enter the actual values achieved. Enter the actual values your company achieved, and the system will determine if each threshold was met based on the operator (≥, ≤, =). If thresholds aren't met, awards may be reduced or not distributed (depending on plan rules).
If your plan has a pool amount, you'll also enter the Pool Amount (total award pool for this period) and Revenue/Profit Margins if your pool is calculated from margins.
For Bespoke Plans
You'll see a simple question: Were the thresholds met for this period?
Yes, thresholds were met
No, thresholds were not met
⚠️ Important: If you select "No" for a bespoke plan, the distribution will be marked as Rejected and no awards will be distributed.
Step 2: Performance Data (Table)
Purpose: Review and edit individual employee metrics that affect award calculations.
You'll see a table with all enrolled employees and their performance data:
Compensation/Hours — Hours worked (if plan uses this metric) — Editable
Billable Hours — Hours billed to clients (if plan uses this metric) — Editable
Rating — Performance rating (if plan uses this metric) — Editable
Custom Metrics — Any custom valuation rules in your plan — Editable
Check (✓) — Validation indicator showing if row data is complete — Not editable
Validation
All required fields must have values before you can proceed. The check column (✓) shows green when a row passes validation. You cannot move to Step 3 until all rows are validated.
For Bespoke Plans: You'll enter award amounts directly for each employee rather than performance metrics.
Step 3: Summary & Approval
Purpose: Review final calculated awards and approve the distribution.
You'll see a summary table showing each employee and their award amount, plus the total pool distributed.
Before Approving
Add a Message (Optional): Write a message to your team that will be included with their award notification.
Example: "Great work this quarter! Your dedication to customer satisfaction really showed in our results."
Email Notifications: Toggle whether to send email notifications to employees:
ON — Employees receive an email about their approved award
OFF — Awards are approved silently (employees see them when they log in)
Completing the Review
Click Save (or Confirm) to finalize the distribution.
What happens when you approve:
Distribution status changes to Approved
Awards become final and visible to employees
Email notifications are sent (if enabled)
You're redirected back to the plan details page
A success message confirms: "Distribution confirmed"
Distribution Statuses Explained
🟡 Pending — Awaiting admin review. Employees see a "Pending" badge with no final amount.
🟢 Approved — Finalized by admin. Employees see their final award amount.
🔴 Rejected — Thresholds not met. Employees may see $0 or rejected status.
Saving Your Progress
Your progress is automatically saved as you work through the review.
If you leave the review and come back within 24 hours, your entries are preserved
You can use the Back button to return to previous steps and make changes
Nothing is final until you click Save/Confirm on the Summary step
Tips for Efficient Reviews
Prepare threshold data beforehand — Have your actual revenue, profit, and other threshold metrics ready before starting the review
Spot-check the performance table — Look for any obvious errors or outliers in employee data
Use the message field — A personalized note from leadership makes awards more meaningful
Enable email notifications — Employees appreciate knowing when awards are approved
Troubleshooting
"Next" button is disabled — Check that all threshold values are entered. Ensure pool amount is filled in (if required). Verify all fields have numeric values (not text).
Can't proceed past the Table step — Look for rows missing the green checkmark (✓). Fill in any empty required fields. Ensure all values are valid numbers.
Distribution not appearing for review — Confirm the plan period has ended. Check if the plan status shows "Review Distribution." The distribution may already be approved—check Previous periods.
Made a mistake after approving — Contact ShareWillow support—some corrections may be possible. You also have the option to clear a distribution's data.
What Employees See After Approval
Once you approve a distribution, employees see the Approved status badge on their plan. Their final award amount is displayed (no longer "projected"), and the Awards tab shows the breakdown for this period. If you added a message, they'll see it with their award details. Email notification arrives if you enabled it.