Start Your Peer-to-Peer Employee Recognition Program

Make it a Priority and Make it Accessible

Once you have determined the focus of the program, you have to reinforce that it’s part of your company’s overall culture. That means two things: Making it well-known and making it simple.

Let all employees know, at all levels, that this is a priority and part of your culture. Make it part of onboarding new employees. Reinforce the program in internal communications.

Once your team knows it’s a priority, you have to make it easy for the employees. Let’s face it. Pizza parties and company swag aren’t cutting it anymore. Neither is simply saying, ‘Good job’ and slapping “[your company name] recognition program” across it.

An internal website allowing for easy recognition is a great place to start. You can allow employees to simply show kudos through intranet chats or Slack channels, or you can do something more. For instance, at CardSnacks, we have added programs for companies that allow both company-branded e-cards, and also the addition of a personal touch, like a favorite song or a gift card. Some other companies make a range of perks or gifts available for employees to send to one another.

Remember, most employees and co-workers have a ton of other items to juggle throughout their workday, so having a program that is quick and easy (and doesn’t take a lot of time to learn how to use!) will make it easier for peers to recognize their coworkers more often than not. Luckily, there are many platforms and tools available that make it easy for employees to recognize their peers.

Open Employee Recognition to All

Leading by example can sometimes be easier said than done but, starting the program in the C-suite may just be the encouragement your team needs to begin transcending to junior level employees. How younger employees are recognized will ultimately encourage them to grow within the organization and boost their confidence.

In a study completed by Gallup and Workhuman, Generation Z (those who are considered to be born in the mid-to-late 1990’s) shows a higher percentage of wanting to receive recognition from both their peers and their managers compared with earlier generations. So, let’s give the people what they want!

Especially for a generation that has been more selective in their job’s culture, facilitating a program that fosters appreciation and recognition is more likely to allow them to grow and expand their tenure with the company.