Kimley-Horn, a large American engineering firm, takes a peer-to-peer approach. At this sprawling 60-office company, anybody at any time can award a colleague a $50 (£31) bonus.

Instead of once-a-year acknowledgment from a boss who may not remember your heroic deeds, these modest bonuses allow colleagues to recognise good work instantly – and that, in turn, can create an environment in which feedback more regularly bursts through the dry sands of office life. Last year, Kimley-Horn employees gave each other nearly 2,000 of these on-the-spot bonuses.

A person’s supervisor must sign off on each award. But ultimately the decision rests with peers, not bosses – which can make the feedback and recognition more meaningful. As Kimley-Horn’s Julie Beauvais puts it, giving employees a way to acknowledge a co-worker “puts the feedback control in the hands of the folks who are closest to the activity”.