Keeping Your Employees Focused During the Holidays

The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, but that doesn’t mean work can take a pause until 2019. Right now, your employees are entrenched in the bliss — and stress — of the season, and it’s starting to impact their job performance.

As an understanding boss, you want your staff to enjoy the holidays, but you also need them to keep on working. Right now, you might think getting your employees to be productive is an impossible feat, but it’s not. Here’s how to motivate them the right way.

Assign Meaningful Work

Often times, employees find themselves without much to do at the end of the year. As projects wind down, many people are left with busy work, which can be hard to focus on. Motivate your team by assigning them challenging work that will keep them engaged. If they have something meaningful to do, they’ll be inspired to keep on working, despite the distractions of the holidays.

Get Them Involved in 2019 Planning

It’s never too early to start looking ahead to the new year. Rouse your team by including them in the 2019 planning process. Ask them to think about the direction they think the company should take in the year ahead and invite them to meetings to discuss strategies and set goals. Allowing people to weigh in on matters crucial to your organization will make them feel empowered, thus motivating them to concentrate on work.

Give Extra Scheduling Flexibility

The holiday season is a very busy time of year. Employees’ calendars are filled with social obligations, they have family visiting from out of town, and their to-do lists tend to multiply, making it a challenge to balance their personal and professional lives. When people have far too much on their plate, it’s hard to concentrate on work, so give them some extra leeway.

If possible, allow them to adjust their work hours and/or work from home when needed. This will give them the opportunity to get a handle on all their extra holiday responsibilities, so they can focus on their job.

Create a Festive Work Environment

All work and no play is no good during the holiday season. It might sound counterproductive, but hanging some cheerful holiday décor around the office and planning a holiday party will help people unwind and enjoy themselves. Stress can make it hard for employees to focus, so encouraging them to relax will recharge their batteries and keep them working hard throughout the season.

Need a little help balancing your workload with the hustle and bustle of the holidays? ECS provides employer of record services to recruiters and employers, so contact us today to find out how we can be of assistance!

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