How to Properly Praise a Colleague to Their Manager

Recently I have been reflecting on anti‑racism and how to support under‑represented colleagues at work. I realized that telling a manager that an engineer’s work is excellent is a common and beneficial practice, yet many people forget to do it.

I asked on Twitter how to appropriately praise a coworker to their superior and received many helpful replies, which I have compiled here.

Ask the colleague first

At least six respondents stressed the importance of checking with the person before contacting their manager. Even well‑intentioned praise can backfire if it misaligns with the colleague’s goals, gives the wrong level of compliment, distracts them from critical projects, threatens a jealous manager, or simply isn’t wanted by a low‑key individual.

Therefore, always start with a brief, respectful message to the colleague, such as:

Hi, I’d like to recognize your work on project X to $MANAGER because I know they haven’t seen it yet. Would that be appropriate?

When to praise: highlight unrecognized work

Managers may not be aware of all contributions, so highlighting work they missed can improve promotion chances. Examples of often‑overlooked contributions include cross‑team assistance, solo efforts, “hole‑filling” tasks, work by under‑represented groups, documentation or code reviews, remote‑work contributions, and “dirty work.”

Emphasizing achievements of junior staff is also valuable.

Why it matters: provides evidence for promotion

Employees need concrete examples of valuable work for promotion, and managers rarely have time to collect them. Praise from peers adds credibility and helps the employee build a record of impact.

How to do it: describe the specific value

When Zhang San designed the system, his work was outstanding, and the system has run without major issues for six months—a remarkable achievement for a project of this scale.

How to do it: flag work that exceeds expectations

If someone’s performance surpasses the level expected for their role, explicitly mention that to the manager.

How to do it: inform the colleague

Because internal feedback systems may not notify the employee promptly, tell them directly so they can reference the praise later.

Public recognition also matters

Some prefer praising publicly in team chats or meetings, which can boost the colleague’s reputation and integrate them into the project, but always confirm the person is comfortable with public acknowledgment.

Peer bonuses

In companies like Google, peer bonuses are a formal way to recognize contributions.

Anyone can do it

Even new hires can offer simple acknowledgments, such as “This person helped me finish the project smoothly.”

Consider expanding the scope of recognition

Look for truly outstanding colleagues across the organization and ensure their work receives proper acknowledgment.