4 Ways to Motivate Employees During the Holidays

This is the time of year that everyone is looking for a little extra motivation! It’s the last push until the new year and a busy time for everyone. Consider these 4 ways to motivate your employees during the holidays!

1. Be More Flexible

Offering consideration and flexibility can help build employee loyalty and boost morale. During the holiday season especially, it’s important to be flexible about employees traveling and taking days off. When they have child-care glitches or sudden illnesses, allow your employees to work from home if necessary and respect their obligation to their families. During this time of the year, there’s a lot going on – last-minute gift shopping, bad weather and traffic, visits from extended family. Your employees work hard all year round — now’s the time to offer some leniency to ease their stress and as such, make them more engaged and focused on their work.

2. Get Into the Spirit

Don’t be a Scrooge! Get into the holiday spirit in order to foster positivity. Plan a holiday party or host an ugly sweater competition. Decorate the space. Often people get bored working in the same surroundings – by decorating, you’ll surely spice things up. Get your employees involved by splitting them into teams and voting on who created the best display or decoration. Don’t forget to be inclusive of all the holidays around this time!

3. Offer Rewards and Recognition

The power of a thank you is often overlooked. According to Eric Mosley, the CEO of Globoforce, “it’s a known fact that when employees are thanked, they are motivated and inspired to do great work.” During the holiday season, rewards and recognition are a surefire way to motivate your employees. Something as simple as a handwritten note highlighting their accomplishments can make employees feel more appreciated and cared for. Similarly, a gift card, an extra day or two of vacation time, or a gadget can enhance your emotional connection to your employees. And forming bonds between your team is a great way to keep productivity high throughout the holiday season!

4. Reflect & Communicate

Reflect on the past year and everything that you’ve accomplished while providing insight on your goals for the future. Communication is key during these stressful times in order to keep tensions from rising. Hold a meeting in order to keep everyone on the same page and working toward the same goal while accepting any suggestions your team might have for improvement in the next year. Part of what keeps employees motivated is allowing a two-way dialogue. This helps them take accountability and responsibility for the well-being of your company!

The 4 ways to motivate your employees during the holidays are a surefire way to increase productivity. In turn, this will put you in a good starting place for the new year! At Colossus, we value our culture and strive to motivate our team year long. Want to work for us? Be on the lookout for updates and new positions on our career page.