The holiday season often brings not only festive spirits but also distractions and stress that make it difficult for your employees to focus on work. While keeping employee motivation and productivity up during the holidays can be a challenge for your Florida-based business, you can overcome it by doing the following.
1. Set a good example
One way to motivate your employees is to be a model of productivity yourself, especially during the busy holiday season when there's so much work to do.
You don't have to be working all day or overtime, but accomplishing tasks efficiently sets an excellent example for your workers. If you live up to your own expectations, such as finishing your obligations early, you can generate positive energy that will motivate your team.
2. Explore hybrid work setups
Although most businesses are reopening and many employees are going back to the office full time, you can still consider implementing a hybrid work setup where staff can split the week working on site and remotely. This may ease some of the stress your employees are feeling from having to return to the office.
A hybrid work setup will also allow them to keep the routine they've developed during lockdown, giving them more time to balance work and personal tasks. The reduced stress, in turn, can leave your team members feeling more relaxed and ready to take on challenges in the workplace.
According to a Slack survey, a whopping majority (83%) of workers don’t want to return to a setup where they have to work in an office five days a week. About 63% of employees also prefer hybrid working, so by letting employees work from home several times a week, you can increase their levels of happiness and productivity.
Related article: 5 Things that can hinder remote workers from achieving peak productivity
3. Provide breaks and incentives
It's important for employees to take short breaks throughout the day in order to stay focused and motivated. Provide them with snacks if they’re at the office, or, if they’re working remotely, remind them to take 5- to 10-minute breaks so they can stretch their legs and get back to work feeling refreshed. This will help them stay on task for much longer periods of time than if they were just sitting in the same spot all day without taking any breaks.
If your employees are particularly hardworking, you can even give incentives such as gift cards or extra days off. This shows your staff how appreciated they are and can motivate other employees to work harder to gain rewards.
4. Listen to suggestions
Letting teams share their thoughts about what's going well and what could be improved upon during this busy season is an excellent way for business leaders to motivate workers while also helping themselves manage teams.
For instance, you can ask your employees about benefits they would like to have as the holidays approach, such as being able to leave work early, perhaps to complete their last bit of holiday shopping. You can then brainstorm with your staff how to provide this benefit while still achieving business targets.
5. Have the right attitude
The holiday season changes workplace dynamics. There may be a higher volume of orders or customer calls at this time, and your employees have to deal with these on top of attending to personal concerns. As such, you have to take your employees' needs into account while being firm on deadlines and targets.
One good idea is to ask your employees to make a list of their duties, deadlines, and the steps they plan to take to accomplish their tasks. You can refer to this list when employees request for time off to ensure that no tasks will be overlooked. Also, ask your staff to tie up any loose ends before taking days off. This way, not only are deadlines met but everyone can also enjoy the holidays without worrying about responsibilities piling up when they return to work.
Employee motivation and productivity during the holiday season can be difficult to manage, but these five tips can help you achieve targets while keeping your workforce satisfied. If you want to learn more ways on how to improve your company’s overall efficiency through technology, schedule a FREE consultation with XBASE Technologies today.