When I think about the best jobs I’ve ever had, those that really stand out not only offered challenge, learning opportunities, job satisfaction and scope for personal growth, but in my experience, what transforms a good job into a great job is the relationships I form with my peers.
We spend an inordinate amount of time with colleagues, so it’s no wonder that their appreciation and respect can directly influence our mood and motivation.
What is Peer to Peer Appreciation?
Keeping it simple, it’s about acknowledging your colleagues’ skills, talents, or something they’ve delivered. When talking about colleagues, this includes everyone in your company, not just members of your direct team or department.
Why is Peer to Peer Appreciation Effective?
It’s undoubtedly great to receive manager and leader appreciation, but it’s important not to overlook the power of peer-to-peer appreciation. It not only boosts team morale and enhances engagement, but it has also been linked to increased productivity, better customer service, and there’s data to show it can even decrease absenteeism. Positive feedback from a peer is extremely powerful and should matter to any organisation wishing to be regarded as a great employer.
The modern workforce is hungry for roles which offer more than “just a job” and can instead provide a lasting sense of personal fulfilment. Putting in place strategies to support a positive employee experience has therefore become a key objective for many forward-thinking organisations. Peer-to-peer appreciation feeds trust, loyalty and camaraderie. It also helps to establish a more empathetic and collaborative working environment and who wouldn’t want that?
Appreciation and Inclusion
The concept of appreciation recognises diversity by valuing people not just for the work, but for their uniqueness, which enhances inclusion. I’m not promising that you will ‘solve’ inclusivity by relying on appreciation, but it can certainly help to strengthen a diversity and inclusion strategy.
A Culture of Appreciation
All employees within a business are connected and the way in which they affect and interact with one another shapes the overall organisational culture. Appreciation can help to increase the visibility of the positive impact and contributions colleagues have on one another.
Think about a time where you’ve seen a group of individuals work together towards a common goal. How many times have you noticed that the kudos for a project has been awarded to one individual while the other contributors have been overlooked? That’s the ideal time to provide peer appreciation; you know they deserve it and you don’t want their efforts to go unnoticed or for them to feel undervalued, so why not directly help to highlight them.
How to show Appreciation
Many companies opt for public forums or online platforms to facilitate appreciation. This allows colleagues to view and add to the initial praise, amplifying its impact. Giving written praise that is visible to all employees provides business leaders with a tangible and interactive way to showcase each individual’s value and contribution. Using a digital platform ensures that each employee is afforded equal importance when it comes to giving and receiving praise for a job well done. Regardless of whether the appreciation is informal and direct, or facilitated through a more formal program, it’s the simple expression of gratitude that makes peer appreciation such an impactful tool for supporting meaningful work.
For the appreciation to be successful, it needs to be immediate, specific and consistent; it’s most impactful when delivered at the right moment, so don’t wait weeks after the event! Being specific about the appreciation provides a greater insight into what your colleague has done and is doing right and will likely mean that they’ll continue doing that particular thing. It’s crucial not to publicly appreciate your colleague for the sake of it, as this only belittles the scheme and can lead to confusion.
With more peer-to-peer appreciation, team members feel motivated to produce better business outcomes, deliver better customer service experiences and uphold a positive company culture. Often the connections sparked by peer appreciation can evolve into powerful working partnerships, mentorships and friendships. A workplace where people feel connected to and supported by each other can be powerful when there’s a milestone to reach as colleagues are not just doing it for themselves or the company, they’re doing it for their peers too.
Our Approach
At Capital International Group, we leverage our People platform to provide peer to peer appreciation. We then recognise these appreciations through a formal scheme on a monthly and quarterly basis by awarding gifts. It’s our hope that the appreciation scheme conveys a message to our people that every one of their opinions has value. Through encouraging peer to peer appreciation across our Group, we see the strengthening of relationships between teammates and a sense of belonging form.
Have you appreciated anyone’s work recently? Do they know about it?
If you’d like to find out more about working at Capital International Group visit our careers page.
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts and opinions expressed within this article / video are those of the author, and not those of any company within the Capital International Group (CIG) and as such are neither given nor endorsed by CIG. Information in this article / video does not constitute investment advice or an offer or an invitation by or on behalf of any company within the Capital International Group of companies to buy or sell any product or security or to make a bank deposit.
