Recognition from peers is a performance booster

Companies have to create systems that enable team members to recognize each other’s contribution

A combination of factors to optimal performance. Among these, recognition, especially from peers, is a key factor. A congratulatory pat fulfils an important psychological need: it makes the employee feel valued.

With recognition increasingly seen as a driver of productivity, many businesses are creating systems that enable employees to recognize each other’s contribution, thereby creating a positive work atmosphere and encouraging collaboration. Even when peer recognition is informal, it can weave itself into the culture, create strong internal bonds and bring organisational goals into sharp focus.

Organisations with mature peer-to-peer recognition programmes are said to be 12 times more likely to have strong business results, according to ‘The State of Employee Recognition’ research carried out by ‘Bersin by Deloitte’. This finding follows review of some of the best recognition practices.

So, what makes for a good peer-to-peer recognition programme?

Well-defined goals

Like any business activity, your peer-to-peer programme requires welldefined goals. These could range from higher sales to developing the next generation of leadership to increasing retention. Build the programme around these goals. This gives it its strategic character.

Be specific

Let feedback be specific and real-time as far as possible. This imparts consistency and urgency to the effort and, I believe, makes the message more authentic. Over-reliance on annual reviews can make the process ineffective. Immediate recognition, on the other hand, can lead to high performance. Also, make it visible — recognition that is visible to everyone around you can change behaviour and motivate other teams as well. Never forget that your teams live in an always-on world.

Be inclusive

Get buy-in from the staff by involving them in designing and rolling out the initiative. Don’t launch the programme without getting them on board. This gives it legitimacy and ensures it is widely understood.

The onus is on you to ensure every single team member — however low in the pecking order — is part of the programme and also that it is easy to participate in. Inclusivity, as with all team functions, is vital. Management must lead from the front. This is true of any major corporate activity, so recognition initiatives too will work only if the leadership throws its weight behind it.

Use new-age platforms

Your employees are on new-age platforms, so they’re the best way to reach them — much better than traditional tools like newsletters. You employees are sharing their lives on these platforms because social media not only commands mindspace, it allows for engaging conversations. These conversations would reinforce motivation because it would be a public pat on the back and is shareable. It is also convenient because people can participate from any location. Studies show that good digital recognition has a high return on investment and boosts employee performance significantly. This, in turn, translates into higher customer retention and engagement.

(Vikram Surendran is CEO and Senior Vice-President, Multiple Verticals — Eureka Forbes Limited)

Source | The Hindu | 12 October 2016

Regards

Pralhad Jadhav

Senior Manager @ Library

Khaitan & Co

Blog | http://pralhad-fyilibrarian.blogspot.in/