5 Tips to Motivate Employees During the Summer
With kids out of school and warm weather dominating daily forecasts, some employees might be thinking more about their vacation time than the work on their desks. To prevent productivity from declining at your company, here are 5 tips to motivate employees to power through summer projects and meet company goals.
1. Positive Reinforcement
Providing positive feedback on your employees’ recent accomplishments is an excellent way to motivate your staff to focus on completing current projects. Everyone likes to be appreciated, and something as small as a thank-you card can inspire people to continue producing great work. For larger accomplishments or projects requiring a group effort, you may want to make a bigger show of appreciation such as splurging for lunch or hosting a company picnic. You'll boost morale and employees will have a chance to strengthen work relationships.
2. Friendly Competition
Having employees engage in a little friendly competition will not only energize them, but it can also benefit your bottom line. Hold contests to see who can complete the most tasks, make the most sales or get the most positive customer feedback. Then reward winners with summertime perks, like tickets to a theme park or concert, or an extra paid vacation day.
3. Flexible Work Hours
Allowing employees to adjust their work schedules can improve morale and focus. If it makes sense for your company, consider letting individuals change their shifts, come in later or leave earlier, or start their weekends earlier by cutting Friday hours. Or let trusted employees work from home, which may be more convenient and result in getting more accomplished because of fewer workplace-related distractions.
4. Training
Though the kids may be out of school, summer downtime is the perfect opportunity to invest in educating your employees. Send them to seminars or bring in consultants who can train them in needed skills. It's a great way to help your staff members improve their skills while also making things a little more interesting around the office.
5. Conduct Informal Assessments
Contrary to formal reviews that dwell mostly on an employee's past work performance, informal assessments are great for discussing employees' career goals and future with the company. In addition to determining how far they've progressed, this is a good time to connect with your workers and find out how you can help them realize their goals. Discussing these issues over lunch or on the golf course will make for a more relaxed, enjoyable time.
Competing with summer for your employees' attention can seem like a daunting task. However, tapping into the opportunities offered by the good weather and change of focus can help you motivate employees to increase their productivity and complete summer projects. Provide a fun and supportive atmosphere at the office, and your employees will show their appreciation with hard work.