As a business, you want your employees to be happy and motivated to perform at their best. But let's face it: that isn't always easy to achieve. In a job that can get repetitive, with high-stress levels and tight deadlines, it's not always easy for employees to find the motivation they need to excel.
But now, many companies are incorporating peer recognition programs to keep their staff motivated and improve employee engagement. But, how does peer recognition work, and what are its benefits? Keep reading to find out.
What is peer recognition?
Peer recognition is when employees praise each other and publicly recognize each other's qualities, attributes, and hard effort. Peer recognition is a powerful way to motivate employees and let them know they're doing a great job.
Why peer recognition is important
There are two main reasons why peer recognition is crucial: Let's say you want your staff to increase sales. You can give them a bonus for reaching the target or tell them how proud you are of their success.
The first option is an example of positive reinforcement, where you reward your employees for something they've done well. The latter is an example of positive intention, where you share your feelings to motivate others.
Both of these strategies can be useful in the workplace, but peer recognition has the added benefit of allowing employees to feel like they're being recognized for their work in a genuine way by their fellow coworkers. It will enable employees to build strong relationships and trust, boosting productivity and job performance.
Implement a peer recognition program
A peer recognition program is an employee recognition system in which employees give public praise to recognition to their peers. It's an effective way to motivate employees, build camaraderie in the workplace, and create a culture of recognition.
Before you get started with a peer recognition program, you first must choose how you want to reward your employees for giving praise. You can give gift cards or tokens, offer time off, or provide some other type of recognition.
You may decide that the reward is given the first time a person receives a compliment, or you may want to require that employees collect a certain number of compliments before they can receive the reward. You can also choose to hand out a reward for every kind of compliment given or if you want to reserve certain types of compliments for a specific kind of reward.
Give single recognition
Peer recognition can also give you the chance to praise all kinds of achievements, both big and small. You can praise a team member for meeting a major sales goal or acknowledge an administrative assistant for answering a customer service call with a smile and a genuine desire to help.
You can also recognize positive behaviors such as coming to work prepared and ready to take on new challenges or showing compassion when dealing with a difficult situation. Whatever positive action you decide to recognize, make sure you praise your employees in a specific way.
You don't want your praise to seem like a throwaway line because it can have a big impact. For instance, let's say a team member has been working day and night to meet a challenging deadline. After the work is done, you can praise the employee for being incredibly committed to the project and for putting in long hours to make sure the team meets the deadline and impresses customers.
Be specific when giving recognition
When you give peer recognition, be specific about what you're praising. For example, perhaps one of your staff members creates a report that is accurate and concise. You can complement this employee for focusing on the essentials and clarify why the report is so helpful.
Say something like, "Your report was very clear, and I found it easy to understand. That will be a massive help to our clients." This type of specific praise shows the employee that you appreciate their work and that you take the time to explain why you find it so helpful.
Public recognition
Use a public forum to praise team members. This can be done with a company-wide email or a message posted in a break room. It can also be a quick comment you drop into an employee's performance management system.
These types of public acknowledgments can really move your team members. You can praise an employee in front of the rest of the team, encouraging others to do the same. This will show that you're paying attention to people's efforts and that you appreciate their hard work.
Benefits of peer recognition in the workplace
Peer recognition comes with tons of benefits. It boosts creativity, productivity, and job performance and helps keep the staff motivated. Here's how.
Helps build strong relationships
When you praise your peers or encourage your employees to praise each other, you're not just rewarding them for a job well done. You're letting them know that you appreciate the effort they put into their work.
This helps strengthen your coworkers' relationships and make your team more collaborative. When everyone on your team feels like they're all working together to reach the same goal, you can accomplish more and provide better services or products to your clients.
Helps break down barriers between employees
Praising your peers lets them know that they're appreciated. But you're also showing them that they're important to you. This can help break down barriers between you and your coworkers and help the team feel more like a team which will motivate them to accomplish more and provide better services or products to your clients.
Helps build a culture of transparency
When you praise your peers in front of the rest of your team, you're letting your team members know that they can do the same. This will create a culture of transparency among your team members.
Encourage peer recognition in the workplace
Peer recognition is a powerful tool to help your staff stay happy and motivated. At Mesh, we aim to create the best workplace culture with our people management platform. Contact us today to find out how we can help you and your team.
