The summer holiday season is here for another year and with our calendars crammed full of celebrations, afterwork drinks, parties, friends and family, it can be a demanding time balancing work and other commitments.
Add to that, many of us are rushing around with extra holiday errands to tick off the list and hurrying to complete end of year work deadlines.
For most business owners keeping the team engaged and productivity on course during the holiday period can be challenging.
Staff may be distracted, have last minute leave requests, or feel they are being left to ‘hold the fort’ when most of us are relaxing on the beach or jetting off on a fun get-a-way.
Taking a proactive approach in motivating your staff and managing business demands can be as simple as implementing a few key actions.
These are our top tips in keeping your team engaged during the holiday season.
Plan holiday leave strategically
Get in early for holiday leave planning. Discuss with staff their preferred leave times so when leave requests are granted, the workplace is not left short-staffed.
Ensure you have a good mix of management and essential staff in the workplace to keep your business operations running smoothly. This has the added benefit of reducing team burnout when staff members are forced to carry extra workloads in addition to their own.
Support your employee’s work-life balance by being a little more flexible over the holidays, and if key personnel can work remotely it may be worthwhile offering them the opportunity to take extended leave while ensuring business targets are still met.
Limit non-essential tasks
Move low priority meetings and projects into the new year when business activity is generally quieter. This frees the team up to focus on completing high value projects and wrapping up deadline driven tasks by the end of year.
Creating checkpoint goals throughout projects can be highly motivating. Employees usually gain a sense of achievement and are inspired by their accomplishments as they reach incremental project goals.
Celebrate and reward the team when major goals are reached. Coffees, baguettes and pizza lunches are ideal rewards. Thankyous and recognition for the team’s efforts can also go a long way in making the team feel valued and motivated.
Celebrate and be festive
The holiday season is the perfect time to share with your employees your appreciation of their hard work and efforts over the year. Create a fun and festive atmosphere in the workplace with decorations where appropriate.
Boost staff morale, team bonding, productivity and employee satisfaction by holding a fun team event or holiday party, preferably during a working day/evening to reduce employee’s after-hours work commitments. Involve the team in fun activities throughout the holiday period. This may be as simple as an office Kris Kringle or festive food sharing day.
These types of festive events allow staff to come together and celebrate their achievements, feel appreciated and valued by management, which helps support a long-term positive workplace culture and office environment.
Be more flexible
Flexibility is key over the busy holiday season. Your employees will appreciate your consideration in being accommodating and giving them a little extra time across the day so they can take care of non-work-related errands that they are unable to do outside of work hours.
Boost goodwill by offering employees an early finish on some days. A few extended lunch hours or even one afternoon off can relieve staff stress levels and they will return motivated and ready to work.
Be understanding with rosters as a few team members may need to leave early to catch flights or getaway early to miss holiday traffic snarls. Offer to let them work from home to manage child-care issues or gaps around school holidays.
This kind of consideration goes a long way in building a loyal team and managing employee stress.
Hire temporary staff
Providing extra staff during the festive season to fill holiday leave gaps is a smart, efficient and agile solution in ensuring smooth business operations and retaining a positive company culture and overall workplace mood.
Temporary staff are an excellent solution for when you need additional coverage to achieve year-end goals or to replace employees who have taken time off, with the added benefit of helping you manage workloads without excess overtime.
Are you searching for flexible and temporary staff to cover holiday leave or busy for your business? Centastaff can help you. We have supported our clients with growth and success for over 20 years. Get in touch with our friendly team today.
