Keep Employees Motivated All Year Round
When winter rolls around, the guaranteed spike in time-off requests inevitably comes with it. Whether your employees are being struck with the flu, or taking vacations to sunnier climates, you might notice there are considerably less hands on deck around this time of year.
So how can you fight the winter lag? There are ways to keep employees motivated that you may not have thought of. Take some ideas, and you may just notice that your staff have an increased drive to come into work each day.
Recognise your employee’s hard work
Celebrate large and small achievements. When an employee feels appreciated, they’re inspired to continue the great work. According to a survey by Globoforce, 73% of respondents said they felt happier at work when recognised for what they’ve done. Something as simple as sending an email, writing a handwritten note or buying a gift card for a deserving employee can go a long way.
Keep the kitchen stocked up
Employees appreciate a caring work environment. On a cold morning, a cup of tea or coffee can make the difference between a slow day and a great day. It’s a good idea to keep fresh fruit to hand, too. Keep your staff healthy, and that nasty flu bug away from your company.
Offer flexible hours
If you can, allow your employees some flexibility in when they work. Staff have to juggle their work and family life, and some may need to spend more time with family over the winter season. Flexible scheduling leads to employees being more productive in the office. They’re fully present, and not distracted by any other places they need to be.
Let your employees “in”
Increasing transparency throughout the company shows your employees that you trust them. They feel more connected to the business and knowing why certain processes exist gives them the same common interests to work towards that you have.
Create a more fun work environment
Even adults like to release the child in them from time-to-time. Although some ideas to make your work environment more fun are a little unorthodox, they can boost morale like nothing else. You trust your employees that the work will still get done, so there’s no reason they can’t enjoy an exciting lunch break or a Friday afternoon in the office. Why not install a ping pong table, create a beanbag corner or even adopt an office dog? Your employees will get to know each other better in a balanced, creative work environment.
There’s no need to increase the pressure on your employees. Simply making your company an even better place to work can do wonders for productivity. If you are noticing an increased need for staff over the chilly period, labour recruitment agencies like First Personnel can step in. We match jobseekers with the employment to suit them, for a perfect partnership all year round.