30 Aug 2019

Three clever ways to use peer-to-peer recognition to improve inclusivity in reward and recognition

If you want to see a more diverse group of people being recognised within your business, expanding the group of people responsible for giving recognition seems like a sensible way to achieve this. Companies that empower everyone to recognise and reward each other expand the scope of what will be recognised and therefore afford more employees a sense of belonging.

9B7A-1566996050_Threecleverwaystousepeer-to-peerMAIN.jpg

Peer-to-peer recognition schemes have grown in popularity in recent years, being used successfully by brands such as Google and Shopify. By empowering employees to recognise the efforts of their colleagues, a culture of trust and inclusion is encouraged. It also ensures that the effort employees truly value is rewarded accordingly and immediately, with timely and meaningful recognition from their peers, rather than waiting perhaps until the end of the year for similar financial recognition from management.

However, businesses that decide to participate in a peer-to-peer recognition scheme need to be mindful of managing it correctly. If not, the scheme could drive nepotism, and cause unwanted stress to employees. So how can these pitfalls be avoided, and peer-to-peer recognition used effectively as a tool to improve inclusivity?

1. Make sure your peer-to-peer recognition programme is easy to use and has mobile capabilities. With flexible and remote working becoming increasingly popular, to ensure the scheme is inclusive, employees need to be able to recognise their co-workers anytime, anywhere. An app-based solution is ideal, as it means employees can recognise the achievements and hard work of their colleagues instantly, with immediate rewards being sent their way for a job well done.

2. Publicise recognition. Functions such as a Wall of Fame, or a points leader board which show those who have both allocated and been awarded the most points, can be a great way to keep employees engaged in the peer-to-peer scheme.

It is also important to incorporate the achievements recognised via the peer-to-peer programme in internal communications and meetings. By making make sure that everyone in your organisation is aware of the great work employees are doing, and encouraging them to all engage with the peer-to-peer recognition scheme, you can democratise recognition in the workplace and challenge existing management structures.

Peer-to-peer recognition programmes can help remove the barriers between teams, management levels and locations to allow any employee to understand and appreciate every person in the company.

3. Keep it fresh and top of mind. By incorporating the peer-to-peer recognition programme as a central part of your internal communications strategy, or even utilising a platform that enables both peer-to-peer recognition and internal communications, you can remind and encourage employees to recognise their co-workers often. Tools like push notifications can remind employees to engage with the peer-to-peer recognition scheme, and the more people who engage with the scheme, the more inclusive it will be.

At the core of employee engagement is the notion that people are driven by a desire to contribute and are keen to attach value to what they are doing for the business. When employees understand how they contribute to the success of the organisation, they are much more likely to be engaged and motivated in their efforts.

By democratising recognition via a peer-to-peer recognition scheme and removing barriers for recognition by ensuring the scheme is easy to access for everyone regardless of role, location or time zone, you can successfully demonstrate inclusivity in reward and recognition across your organisation.

This article is provided by Personal Group