Most managers and supervisors put their best effort to recognize their employees by writing note cards or recognizing them during employee meetings. While managers and direct supervisors mean well in their offer of the recognition, many times the acknowledgement seems forced or insincere. A public recognition by a senior level manager may sometimes even lead to the perception of favoritism.
Peer to peer recognition on the other hand, supported and backed by the manager can mean so much more! Peers don’t offer recognition because its their job to do so like it is for the managers. Peers offer and show recognition to really thank, appreciate and motivate their colleagues.
Peer to Peer Recognition Motivates and Builds Community
There is usually a sense of community within the manufacturing department and peer to peer recognition builds upon that camaraderie. It breeds a sense of transparency and support which results in more motivation to do great work.
Close to 90% of recognition of manufacturing employees are just for tenure. Other recognition offered are to employees that worked on a highly visible project or did something a lot more conspicuous to management.
Peers however are more familiar with the hour to hour, minute to minute work that is occurring on the floor. They have a more intimate knowledge of the work their colleagues are doing.
They know about the employee that worked through a migraine in order to get a part made and shipped the same day. They know about the employee that went the extra mile to help a newcomer learn the packaging process. They are aware of the employee that painstakingly went through all the returned products.
These are the tasks that may go unnoticed but appreciating an employee for it offers organic and authentic gratitude. It also motivates the employee to continue to provide great work.
When employees have the support of their colleagues, they stay longer in an organization. Having a peer to peer recognition program promotes social acknowledgement and builds loyal teams.
Peer to Peer Recognition Program
The recognition program can be as simple as saying ‘thank you’ in a team meeting or it can be a more formal approach. It is dependent on the organization to place the reward system for the program.
The rewards however should not be in lieu of annual performance incentives. The rewards need to mean something to the employee receiving it.
If you’re looking to develop a peer recognition program for your workplace, here are a few general tips to keep in mind:
- Keep it timely. Employees should be recognized as soon as possible for the work they did.
- Recognize with specifics. Provide details when giving the recognition.
- Have the direct manager and supervisor present while awarding the employee. It will be even better of they are involved in presenting the award to the employee.
- Encourage employees to give recognition.
- Give rewards that are actually useful.
Peer to Peer recognition programs, simple as it may seem, proves to be a great tool to motivate and inspire. It can increase engagement and improves the company culture. So go ahead, make your employees feel appreciated and valued!