10 peer-to-peer recognition examples to strengthen teams

There’s something about hearing “great job” from colleagues who understand the time and effort you put into your work. They really get it, and receiving kudos from them feels priceless.

When team members take a minute to recognize each other, it builds stronger communication and employee engagement. Peer-to-peer recognition, whether it's a passing compliment or a milestone shoutout, is a fast way to strengthen company culture. 

Let’s look at 10 peer-to-peer recognition examples that make it easy to keep the good vibes flowing.

What is peer recognition?

Peer recognition focuses on colleagues cheering each other on, taking the pressure off managers as the only source of feedback and praise. Instead of waiting for leadership to step in, team members take charge and show their appreciation for hard work. 

When coworkers notice and acknowledge one another’s efforts, from creativity to late-night fixes, it often feels more meaningful than a formal compliment from superiors. Knowing someone’s collaboration, determination, and skillset made a difference to their team strengthens relationships and shared connections.

Why are peer-to-peer recognition programs important? 

With traditional employee recognition programs, managers and HR leaders evaluate their employees individually, rewarding and motivating great work. But peer-to-peer recognition takes things a step further by creating a company culture where employee appreciation isn’t just a to-do list task.

Here’s why it works: 

• Trust: When colleagues celebrate each other, they build trust. Developing this type of relationship makes them more inclined to openly share ideas and feedback, knowing they’ll be heard.
• Teamwork: Recognition is key to creating tighter collaboration while reminding everyone that success is shared. When one member does well, everyone succeeds.
• Belonging: Frequent, genuine peer-to-peer recognition of events like work anniversaries and personal milestones celebrates commitment and creates a sense of belonging.

10 best employee recognition examples

These 10 kudos examples for employees make peer-to-peer recognition simple, creative, and fun to do. 

1. Company-wide celebration calendar 

Keep team members connected through a shared celebration calendar. Add work anniversaries, milestones, birthdays, and shoutouts for great work. You can even post encouraging employee recognition statements, like, “This week, we’re celebrating Chelsea’s 2-year work anniversary! Thanks for all the collaboration and creativity you bring to the team.”

2. Bonus program between coworkers

Give your employees the chance to reward each other directly through a peer-to-peer bonus program. Each month, team members are given a small budget to reward one another for a job well done. Want to give kudos for a much-appreciated late night deadline crunch? Send your thanks with a bonus.

3. Gratitude cups 

Old school in the best way, a gratitude cup makes peer-to-peer recognition visible with a trophy or physical item that’s passed around. The idea’s simple: One person passes the gratitude cup to a colleague they want to recognize for their great work. They display the cup proudly for a few days before passing it to another team member who deserves some recognition of their own.

4. Employee milestone yearbook 

Bring back a bit of nostalgia with an annual employee milestone yearbook, with each page highlighting a team member’s biggest accomplishments of the year. Then, have your team write short notes of encouragement, like, “Your overhaul of our onboarding process was amazing! You’ve made things much smoother for the whole team.”

5. Interdepartmental kudos

Support cross-functional trust by recognizing other departments. For example, when marketing teams thank engineering or customer success shouts out the product designers, it builds a culture of appreciation. With organization-wide communication and collaboration, the whole team feels the benefits. Here’s how that might look: “Huge thanks to the finance team for turning around those reports so quickly! We couldn’t achieve our goals without you.”

6. Call out great work

Create space for spontaneous appreciation. During team meetings, take 60 seconds to “spot someone doing great work,” and shout it out. It's quick, energizing, and lets you recognize employees’ hard work when it happens. 

7. Digital wall of fame 

Take your employee recognition program online with a digital wall of fame. Post photos, quotes, and GIFs that celebrate peer-to-peer recognition moments across departments. This type of employee recognition is public, making it an especially meaningful way to highlight great work.

Bonus: A digital employee recognition program makes your remote colleagues feel connected.

8. Feedback Fridays 

Dedicate one Friday a month to feedback and employee appreciation. With this form of peer-to-peer recognition, everyone shares one quick thank you with a peer who made their week easier, like, “Shoutout to Simon for keeping our project on track! His organization skills are truly next level.” It’s a lighthearted way to offer employee recognition that boosts morale and closes the week on a positive note.

9. Coffee rewards

Nothing says “thank you” quite like someone’s favorite beverage. Let your team members send digital coffee gift cards to their colleagues when they hit milestones or work anniversaries. Small rewards go a surprisingly long way toward showing genuine employee appreciation. 

10. LinkedIn recognition posts 

As another example of public peer-to-peer recognition, encourage your employees to post about their coworkers’ achievements on LinkedIn. Not only does this give team members a professional boost, it helps to strengthen your company’s online reputation. Here’s an example: “Proud to work with such talented colleagues! Shoutout to Priya for leading our latest campaign with such grace and creativity.” 

How to effectively give recognition for teamwork

The best peer recognition programs are meaningful and intentional. To make your employee recognition program stick, keep these tips front and center.

Be consistent and transparent

Recognition shouldn’t be limited to random one-offs. Instead, build it into how your team already communicates, from quick mentions in meetings to dedicated Slack channels. Make sure everyone knows how, when, and where to share appreciation. 

Keep it authentic

Real employee recognition is specific. While a generic “great work” has its place, highlight what matters. This might be, “You kept the client calm under pressure,” or, “Your data cleanup saved us last week.” Specificity leads to more genuine compliments focused on how a team member went the extra mile.

Embrace inclusivity

The best peer-to-peer employee recognition programs connect people who don't normally work together on a daily basis. Everyone deserves to feel appreciated by their coworkers, so be sure to recognize other team members across roles, departments, and locations. 

Celebrate all types of wins

You don’t need to wait for a milestone or a work anniversary to celebrate. Recognizing small wins, like jumping in to solve a last-minute issue, keeps teams moving.

Be an effective leader

Leaders shape their teams’ behavior. When you participate in peer-to-peer recognition, your colleagues see how employee recognition is woven into the fabric of your company values.

Keep it engaging

Recognition doesn’t have to feel boring or corporate. Try creative prompts, themed shoutouts, or surprise highlights in your team updates. A little creativity makes creating a workplace culture of recognition easier. 

Encourage your colleagues to provide feedback

Employee recognition programs and feedback go hand in hand. With Workleap Officevibe, you can strengthen your team through pulse surveys, anonymous check-ins, and quick, meaningful kudos.

Create a peer recognition program with Workleap Officevibe 

Peer-to-peer recognition creates trust and connection with colleagues. Taking the time to notice each other’s great work leads to feeling valued and appreciated, which can make a big impact on employee engagement and morale. 

Workleap Officevibe makes employee recognition even easier by giving teams a simple way to keep the feedback flowing. Use Officevibe’s private recognition cards, or post to the public praise wall to share wins across the organization. With tools for check-in meetings and metrics for tracking engagement trends, managers get clear insights, too. 

Ready to make your appreciation really hit home? Get started today for free.

FAQs 

How can peer recognition be adapted for remote teams?

For remote colleagues, make sure your employee recognition program includes easy, digital ways to celebrate each other, like online shoutouts and virtual work anniversary celebrations. 

How can companies measure the impact of peer recognition? 

Measuring peer recognition’s impact on your team starts with visibility. Track participation rates in your recognition initiatives, and look for signals in employee engagement and retention. Then, pair those numbers with context, using tools like Workleap Officevibe to run targeted pulse surveys and analyze sentiment over time.

What are some tools to streamline peer recognition? 

Look for tools that make recognition easy to give, visible across the team, and integrated into daily workflows. The best solutions offer a mix of public and private options, like praise walls, shoutout feeds, or digital cards. Workleap Officevibe offers all of the above in one place. With Good Vibes (our peer-to-peer shoutouts), private recognition cards, and a public praise wall, Workleap helps teams celebrate each other often and in meaningful ways.