5 Ways to Keep Employees Motivated During the Holidays

David Levine| December 17, 2019| Employers

Keeping your staff motivated, happy and productive during the holidays comes down to being flexible, creative and human.

The time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s can sometimes feel unproductive. It’s very easy for employees to be distracted by all of the plans, vacations, celebrations and other holiday activities during this time of year. So how do we keep employees motivated, productive and focused to finish the year strong? Engagement is the key. Below are five ideas you can employ right now. 

  1. Embrace the holiday spirit. Understand that this is a busy time for everyone. Offer flex hours if that works for your business. By showing employees that you respect their time, they will respect yours. Don’t be shy to let them know that you expect them to get their work done, even with flex time. The gift of time goes a long way. 
  2. Express your thanks for a great year. This doesn’t have to be financial. A hand-written thank you note, a special meeting with an employee’s supervisor and company leadership, an inexpensive gift card or even just a kind word in the hallway really make an impact. 
  3. Recognize progress by highlighting different employees. Spotlight different employees for their contribution to the company. Organize an employee appreciation day or outing. It can involve food, a fun activity or even a wrapping party where employees bring in their gifts to wrap and they can all spend time together in a common area. 
  4. Start an office tradition. This can be a year-end awards ceremony, a video montage recapping the past year, a party, volunteering together as a team for a charity and any other number of fun or community-based activities.  
  5. Set the tone for the new year. Reiterate the values, goals and mission of your organization, and then communicate them in a meaningful way to your employees. Publicly address the company and spell out your agenda for the new year. Engage employees to share their own stories of how they bring the company’s purpose to life. Send a printed company manifesto to each employee with a note of thanks for helping the company achieve its goals. By connecting with your employees and letting them know they are vital to your company’s success, they will only strengthen their commitment and effort. 

All of these ideas engage your employees on some level and let them know they are integral to your company’s success. By using the holiday season to focus on culture, values and goal setting, and by celebrating achievements, you are setting a strong foundation for the year to come. You’ll enable a different kind of productivity and purpose, centered around your employeesthe people who keep your business running.