“ When leaders recognise people publicly and frequently, it sets a cultural expectation,” Helen notes.“ Encouraging peer-to-peer recognition also spreads the responsibility more widely, ensuring appreciation flows throughout the organisation rather than relying solely on managers.”
Likewise, Rebecca shares that, in her view, the best managers see their employees for what they contribute – not just how they do so. But she highlights that this mindset doesn ' t develop automatically; it has to be built into how managers are developed and supported.
“ Having the right learning and development initiatives in place to help leadership, along with employees at every level, recognise different cognitive and working styles is essential to turning recognition from just another policy into an ingrained practice,” she explains.
“ Practically speaking, HR leaders need to give managers tools they ' ll actually use, not another compliance exercise to add to the pile. Think feedback templates, meeting norms, and clear prompts that make recognition feel natural rather than performative.”
Digging deeper into this, Rebecca highlights that when a business’ s infrastructure supports the behaviour, the behaviour becomes a habit. As a result, when colleagues see their managers modelling consistent microrecognitions, peer recognition tends to follow; it becomes part of how the team operates, not an initiative handed down from above. hrchiefmagazine. com
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