A strong recognition program can be the key to maintaining a healthy culture in the workplace. According to research, employees want company values reflected in their work, especially regarding appreciation for their efforts.
But how do you implement a peer-to-peer recognition program? Here are some best practices to help you understand peer-to-peer recognition:
It’s a way to build relationships.
Employees need to see and hear appreciation from other teams, but it’s also essential to be genuine. A single honest compliment can be more powerful than a hundred disingenuous ones. Additionally, recognition is most effective when it’s immediate and frequent.
Now, what is peer to peer recognition? Unlike traditional hierarchies, where employees only receive recognition from managers, peer-to-peer recognition is a way to help people build relationships across departments and levels of the company. It encourages workers to compliment their peers on their work, leading to a more connected and supportive workplace culture.
Using a recognition platform is an easy and convenient way to help your team share praise. Ensure your team knows how to use it, and encourage them to do so frequently.
It’s a way to motivate
If employees see their coworkers recognizing each other, they’re more likely to emulate this behavior. This is especially true if they know their managers are doing the same thing.
It’s also a way to boost morale. High levels of peer recognition indicate that company culture is healthy. Low levels, on the other hand, suggest that there might be a problem within the team.
Managers can play a significant role in the success of peer-to-peer recognition programs by giving praise and showing support. When everyone feels appreciated and valued, it encourages them to continue being good at their jobs. The recognition must be genuine and specific. Otherwise, it can become meaningless. Fortunately, digital tools make it easy to build meaningful recognition programs.
It’s a way to build trust.
The simple act of receiving a compliment from a colleague can make us feel great. But when that compliment comes from someone who doesn’t manage you or report to you, it can mean more, especially when that acknowledgment is specific, genuine, and sincere.
The best peer recognition programs are designed to give team members at all levels the freedom to commend each other. This helps to remove the perceived hierarchy that can stifle office relationships and encourages more collaborative behavior. The program also allows managers to lead by example and praise their peers for exhibiting company values and behaviors. This can significantly boost employee morale and retention. In turn, this helps reduce turnover and improve your overall business performance. The bottom line is that a positive company culture starts with employee morale.
It’s a way to build camaraderie.
It’s no secret that feeling appreciated is essential to human happiness. When employees feel rewarded by their peers, they feel more connected to the company and one another.
This type of recognition also has the benefit of reducing workplace hierarchies. Traditional hierarchies can lead to a crab-in-a-bucket mindset where employees compete against each other instead of working together to achieve business goals.
There are many different ways to promote peer-to-peer recognition in the workplace. Some examples include giving a team member a free coffee the day after they complete a project or putting together a celebratory video for one of your valued team members. Ensuring your recognition is specific, genuine, and timely is essential. This ensures that the recipients understand why they are being praised and what they did that impacted others.
It’s a way to build a culture.
Regardless of their role, everyone deserves to feel recognized. When employees are empowered to recognize their coworkers, it is a powerful way to build a culture of appreciation in your company.
This may come in a handwritten note, an announcement on Slack, or a recognition platform. But it’s essential to make sure that recognition is consistent and immediate. When employees receive credit, they need to know it’s coming from their peers and that it is genuine.
This recognition is vital for various reasons, including that people are happier and healthier when grateful. And when your employees are happy and healthy, they are more likely to be productive and contribute positively to the company culture.