While maintaining employee productivity during Christmas and winter can be tricky, it’s not impossible. Here are a few tips to help you keep your team on track.
Key Takeaways:
- The Christmas season is always an exciting time of the year, with a festive atmosphere of anticipation and joy
- But it can also be the least productive time at work, with employees struggling to focus on their jobs amid the holiday preparations
- You must find ways to keep your team productive during this time, so they don’t get overwhelmed and stressed
- Reducing their workload, decorating the workplace, and organizing fun activities are some of the best ways to keep your team productive during the holiday season
- You can also encourage them by giving bonuses or awards and outsourcing non-essential tasks to business process outsourcing firms
Although the holidays are a welcome break for many of us, staying productive at work can also be problematic. With all the distractions of gift shopping, party planning, and family obligations, it’s easy for employees to lose focus and motivation, so talent management is vital during this time.
In fact, a survey by Hibob found that 70% of employees spend most of their work time doing holiday shopping online. This hampers productivity, which can lead to decreased morale and job satisfaction.
But since you must keep your organizational goals and the company’s bottom line in mind, you must find ways to ensure that your team stays on top of their day-to-day tasks and responsibilities during this festive yet hectic time of year. Read on for our top 6 tips on talent management to help you keep your team productive during Christmas and the winter slump.
Top 6 ways to keep your team motivated and productive during Christmas
Here is a lowdown of the top six effective ways to keep your team highly motivated for improved work experience and productivity:
1. Reduce the workload and offer flexible hours
With all the holiday preparations, employees are bound to have less time and mental bandwidth for work. To help ease the pressure on your team and keep them productive, consider reducing their workload and offering flexible hours. This will give them the time they need to take care of their personal responsibilities and enjoy the holidays while still being able to contribute to the company.
Check their projects and deadlines and see if anything can be put on hold until after the holidays. Let them take on shorter projects or tasks that can be completed in a few hours. Offer a flexible working schedule – allowing them to start their shifts earlier or some hours later – so they can make time for holiday errands.
A flexible schedule will help ease the holiday-induced psychological stress and make your team more productive. Flexible work hours boost employee performance, increase job satisfaction, reduce stress, and enhance organizational profitability.
2. Decorate the office and make it more appealing
The holidays are a great time to spruce up the office and inject some festive cheer. This will get employees into the holiday spirit and make them feel more comfortable and relaxed at work.
Put up some holiday decorations around the office, like a Christmas tree, garlands, and lights. You can also have a potluck lunch or an office party to celebrate the holidays together. And don’t forget to play some holiday music in the background – it will create a more nostalgic and festive atmosphere.
3. Offer work-from-home options
Allowing your employees to work from home – at least part of the time – during the holidays can be a great way to keep them productive and create an improved work experience. It will enable them to take care of their responsibilities and avoid holiday traffic.
Working from home also gives your team the much-needed work-life balance during the holiday season, and they reciprocate by being more productive and engaged at work. A study by Stanford found that employees who worked from home were 13% more productive and reported improved work satisfaction.
Alternatively, you can give your team members a day or a few hours off their work schedule to take care of their holiday errands and tick off items on their to-do lists. They will return to the office more relaxed, less stressed, and ready to focus on their work.
4. Organize fun activities and outings
Fun workplace activities and outings can help take the edge off the holiday stress and keep your team motivated. They provide a much-needed break from work, help employees bond with each other, and boost morale.
You can organize a holiday-themed scavenger hunt, a Secret Santa gift exchange, or a decorating contest. The goal is to get them out of the office, have some fun, and return feeling refreshed and ready to work.
When organizing these activities, involve your team in planning and let them choose what they want. This will make them feel more invested in the activity and more likely to enjoy it.
5. Don’t forget to give a holiday bonus
Your employees work hard all year round – meeting deadlines, going above and beyond their job descriptions, and growing your brand – and they deserve to be rewarded for their efforts. A holiday bonus is a great way to show your appreciation, raise their morale, and keep them motivated. It doesn’t have to be a huge bonus. Even a small token of appreciation can go a long way in boosting employee morale.
You can also tie the bonus to their performance or achievements over the year to make it more meaningful. Recognizing their efforts will make them feel valued and appreciated and motivate them to continue doing their best work. Organize weekly awards to encourage friendly competition and keep your team engaged.
6. Outsource non-essential tasks
Outsourcing non-essential tasks to a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm can free up time for your team by reducing their workload, allowing them to focus on core tasks and be more productive. This will help them stay on top of their work during the holiday season and avoid burnout.
A BPO firm can get you access to global talent to manage your customer support, human resources, accounting, organizational planning, and other back-office tasks while your team focuses on core tasks and goals. With a few tasks on their plate, they can have an improved work experience, avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed, and stay motivated at work. They can use the extra hours to brainstorm new ideas, finalize projects, or take some time off to relax and recharge.
When choosing a BPO firm, do your due diligence and look for one that’s a good fit for your business. Check their reviews, client testimonials, and industry experience to get an idea of their work. You can also compare pricing and services to find the best deal. A good outsourcing firm will meet your expectations, deliver quality work, and help you save time and money.
With the joyous holiday season in full swing, it’s easy to get caught up in the festive atmosphere and lose focus at work. But with a bit of planning and effort, you can keep your team motivated and productive during this busy time of year.
Partner with DOXA to access a pool of global talent, improved work experience, and enhance your bottom line
At DOXA, we are committed to helping businesses access the best talent from around the world. With our global network of top-tier professionals, we can help you outsource your business processes to highly qualified individuals at a fraction of the cost.
Our Talent Management services will help you find, hire, and manage the best talent for your business this holiday season. Give us a call today, and let’s discuss how we can help you achieve your business goals.
