Peer-to-peer recognition occurs when coworkers acknowledge other employees’ skills, talents, and accomplishments. It is the communal appreciation genuinely delivered by peers to peers in a workplace.
Recognition is typically sought from management, which is still encouraged. Still, peers understand the daily hurdles each of them faces. The type of recognition between comrades can give them an unmatched sense of achievement and confidence.
In fact, 82% of employees find that receiving recognition is one of the basic components of their workplace happiness. Most companies assume leaving a recognition program up to managers will suffice. However, it’s worth it to increase the prevalence of peer-to-peer recognition as well.
During the onset of the pandemic, 31% of companies increased remote work for their employees’ safety. This shock to the world made employers scramble to update policies and procedures. In the end, peer-to-peer recognition programs were hanging in the balance.
At this point, of that 82% mentioned earlier, 64% of employees believe recognition is even more important while working remotely. Less than half that number of companies created new ways to show their appreciation for their workers.
Peer-to-peer recognition in a remote environment may sound intimidating. The good news is the application is simple. There were accommodations made for many other facets of working from home; this one should be no exception.
Host virtual events focused on employee appreciation
The pandemic canceled many employee banquets, celebrations, and “employee of the month” programs. Luckily, these can still apply in an online format. In virtual team meetings, everyone from the organization can still celebrate their accomplishments.
These meetings should promote inclusivity by rewarding various employees publicly for their achievements.
Incentives in a remote environment can come in several forms. They could be virtual gift cards, a subscription to a streaming service, or care packages sent to their homes. These awards are work from home-friendly, flexible, and measurable.
Virtual environments like these allow everyone to celebrate individualized accomplishments. These could be for meeting quotas or group accomplishments like reaching a team sales goal. It’s also an inclusive idea to use these meetings to recognize personal achievements.
In other words, employees appreciate acknowledgment for their birthdays, anniversaries, and life achievements. This is a great way to make sure everyone gets recognized in some way and prevent anyone from feeling left out or not valued.
These celebrations should be just that. This is the employee’s moment to shine and relax without needing to think too much about work.
Adjusting to remote work is a complication in and of itself; it would help promote mental health by making this moment lighthearted. Allow employees to dress up, dance, play games, and be comfortable in their surroundings within boundaries of appropriate conduct.
This cheerful change in ambiance allows peers to come together on a personal level. They can share ideas and stories to further instill a bond and sense of community.
Be specific and immediate when giving recognition
When giving recognition among peers, it makes sense to be specific about what exactly is being celebrated. Moreover, it helps to recognize achievement when it happens, or at least as soon as it is feasible.
Encourage peers to share their commendation in a manner that is heartfelt instead of dry and insincere. For example, a simple “good job” isn’t as genuine as telling another employee “I appreciate you for creating that report for us yesterday, it makes our job so much easier.”
Recognition in this way helps bring up helpful questions, like “How did you manage to do that?” or “Which program did you use?” In the future, a peer might use their teammate’s methods so they can improve their performance.
In case a virtual meeting isn’t feasible in terms of being immediate, an email or instant message will get the message across just as well.
A quick sentiment is just as good as any as long as it is earnest. It may feel good for an employee to receive any recognition at all, even if it comes weeks or months later. The sacrifice is, their feeling of achievement is probably long gone at that point.
A quick sentiment is just as good as any as long as it is earnest.
They’ll feel more appreciated when the compliments come quickly after they’ve performed at their best. Otherwise, they may feel for a while that their hard work went unnoticed all along.
Spontaneous and thorough thanks give off a sense of true faithfulness in one’s ability to be great at their job. Annual appraisals don’t do the trick nearly as well.
Create an electronic newsletter that lists accomplishments
Contemplate creating a daily way to highlight goals that employees reach, like a newsletter. This is a great way to recognize everyone’s accomplishments, perhaps categorically by the department. This may especially be the case for larger companies or those unable to accommodate everyone in virtual meetings.
Each section of the newsletter can feature the accomplishments of each department. An employee of the day, week, or month can be a focus at the beginning of each column for particular teams.
A newsletter is a great way to show everyone how the company is coming along when they’re not in the office to see it personally. This will keep everyone in the loop as far as where they stand with the company and what their jobs are doing to bring about overall success.
In this way, peers can appreciate each other and the hard work that they do to bring about peer-to-peer recognition unprompted.
Every part of a company connects somehow. An employee in accounting can see what the employees over in sales are up to and feel obligated to reach out to them to send their appreciation.
Have a platform for employees to recognize each other
It’s possible to create or inherit an employee recognition platform. This software allows employees to recognize one another for their great work efforts. Platforms such as this help facilitate quick peer-to-peer input in the form of a sort of social media interaction. From here, employees can post on “timelines” or add comments and likes.
Employee recognition software fosters a positive environment where peers can honor their qualities. Staff members have the freedom to compliment one another and provide each other with kudos and rewards.
Many of these platforms enlist analytics tools that let managers view the most engaged individuals. From here, they can see the influences and benefits of employee recognition. Many of these tools are accessible in both mobile and web applications.
Employee recognition and appreciation are vital
Any facet of remote work has its complications, but when the world has to keep pushing, so do company efforts in employee satisfaction. Employees must still be aware that their hard work is being recognized.
Including peer-to-peer recognition in a remote environment can increase productivity. Furthermore, it makes remote workers feel connected, included, engaged, and most of all, valued.
These methods can prevent employees from feeling detached from the company. At the same time, it will enhance their virtual environment with activities that feel familiar to them. Their peers will join in as they share their burdens and daily challenges with one another while also showing appreciation to each other.
The post How to Encourage Peer-to-Peer Recognition for Remote Teams appeared first on Workest.
