You love the holiday season. The only problem is that it increases employee stress, oftentimes impacting performance, as a result. From hot deadlines for projects to the pressure cooker of year-end goals and objectives, it can wear your people out quickly. On top of that, there are kids holiday concerts, shopping, decorating, cooking, planning, parties – and the list continues.
How can you keep your people’s productivity high, while also not burning them out in the process? Start with these tips from Future Force, one of South Florida’s leading staffing services firms
Schedule holiday events during business hours.
If, for instance, you have party each year, consider hosting a brunch or lunch instead of an evening event. That way, your employees can still enjoy the festivities. At the same time, they don’t have to give up any precious nights, weekends or family time for a work function.
Consider reduced or flexible hours.
According to the Society for Human Resources Management, 14% of human resource professionals offered reduced hours for employees so they could run errands and keep up with their holiday schedule. That may not be realistic for every company, but at least consider offering flexible hours instead. For instance, let employees come in at 7 a.m. and leave at 3 p.m., rather than requiring the typical 9 to 5 schedule.
Offer floating holidays.
Most companies give employees the day off for Christmas and New Year’s. But what about other holidays your employee’s might celebrate, such as Hanukah or Ramadan? You can offer employee floating holidays so they can take the time off to honor and celebrate their own religious or cultural customs, rather than taking personal time to do so.
Communicate often.
Keep up open lines of communication with your employees. Make sure to approve vacation time as quickly as possible and let the rest of your staff know who’s off and when. Also, touch base regularly about goals that are mission critical and deadlines that can’t be missed. Hold off on other non-critical projects or initiatives until after the holidays. When employees know where things stand – and what’s expected of them – they’ll feel less stressed.
Reward employees.
The holidays are a great time to reward your employees and show them just how much you appreciate them. One great idea? Ask them what they want – whether it’s a gift or extra vacation days. They’ll appreciate the choice, plus it will demonstrate to them that you’re invested and interested in their happiness and well-being.
Need more help hiring employees and keeping them happy at work?
Call South Florida’s leading staffing services firm: Future Force. When you have projects to run, deadlines to meet and orders to fill, we can help with every aspect of your sourcing, screening, hiring and onboarding process. You can then focus on other priorities, while still getting solutions to your toughest HR and staffing challenges. Contact Future Force today to learn more.