For many of us, the holidays are a time to relax and get away from the stress of regular life. However, it’s usually back to work come the first week of January. So, how will you keep your employees minds on work and not on thoughts of Santa, holiday meals, and the Times Square ball drop?
Implement an employee incentive program. No, it’s not bribing. Employee incentive programs are an easy way to make the transition back to work from lengthy holiday periods off. The actual incentives don’t have to be anything extravagant, either. Take your top earner to lunch, recognize them in the employee newsletter, or even give them a “free” day off. The point is to ease your employees into the workplace without making them feel that you’re a new year grinch.
Give employees new responsibilities. What better time to switch things up a bit than the new year? Change up the norm and give your employees new tasks. If you don’t have any new projects, why not alternate existing ones? It’s a small way to breathe new air into the workplace without spending money or using up resources. It will also give employees something new to learn and could even give them a new appreciation for their fellow coworkers.
Do more group activities. Just because a break has occurred and people are back at work, doesn’t mean your employees are mentally there as well (most people aren’t). Why not give them something to look forward to besides a regular work day? Take your team for a short walk, watch a movie during lunch, implement themed attire days each Friday. The important thing here is to not only break up the monotony, but to also do so with your whole team, which shows comradery. It also shows that their leader cares about them as people, not just as members on a payroll. Remember, when you have happy employees, you have more efficient employees, and that’s a win for everyone.
What else would you add to this list?
