Five Tips to Keep Your Employees Motivated During the Summer

Five Tips to Keep Your Employees Motivated During the Summer

Summertime and the livin’ is easy … oh, those hazy, lazy, crazy days … but where does work fit in?

Studies have shown that productivity in the workplace can decrease by 20 percent or more during summer months. Attendance can plummet almost as much, project turnaround time falls about 13 percent, and employees are more distracted by an average of 54 percent.

What’s an employer to do?

Keeping your employees motivated during the summer can be challenging, but it’s far from impossible. Here are five tips to combat summer burnout:

 

  1. Offer flexibility.

Show you understand employees’ needs to enjoy and experience summer. Inflexible work hours place demands on people that leave them starved for time, both for themselves and for their families.

  • Summer hours can pay off in a big way. End Friday workdays at noon instead of 5 p.m. and there’s a good chance you’ll see productivity shoot up during the rest of the week. You get the idea: Make whatever changes are feasible for you to keep business running while offering people the seasonal flexibility they need.

 

  1. Get people outside.

Working inside all day is mentally taxing. And vitamin D from the sun increases the production of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, energizing people and putting them in a better mood.

  • Move meetings outdoors. Let people soak up a few rays instead of sitting under conference room fluorescent lights. Give everyone a sample-sized bottle of sunscreen as an added health reminder. Devices can connect to WiFi and keep everyone plugged in as needed.

 

  1. Encourage time off.

Cultivate employees’ work/life balance. They may be hesitant to take time off, for fear of being perceived as lazy. Understand that people aren’t unhappy working for you; they just want some time to unwind, relax and enjoy the season.

  • Enable people to plan time away from work to rest and rejuvenate. This is an important part of staying motivated while on the job.

 

  1. Have fun.

Investing in the happiness of your employees pays off in engagement, productivity and retention.

  • Taking breaks together is a great way to recharge. Create an outdoor setting where employees can enjoy the weather during the day. It can be a simple seating arrangement or a game area for corn hole, bocce or even oversized chessboards and Connect Four.
  • Host Theme Days. For instance, have a Take Me Out to the Ballgame Day with batting cages, ballpark food and everyone wearing the logo of their favorite team. Make it a win-win by raising money for employees’ favorite charities – if you really want to score big, rent a Dunk Tank and put your senior managers on target.

 

  1. Recognize summer productivity.

In one recent survey, 86 percent of employees reported being recognized for their efforts motivated them at work.

  • Thank your employees throughout the summer. Make sure they know you appreciate them not only showing up, but being creative, involved and productive.
  • Provide incentives. Offering extra bonus opportunities, appropriate prizes and rewards keeps people engaged. This could be an extra day off for an employee who meets or surpasses a goal, a shiny new putter or family passes to a favorite water park. Make your incentives and rewards personal and meaningful.

 Get motivated this summer!

For more tips on keeping your workforce motivated year-round, contact the HR and talent management experts at Frontline Source Group. Read our related posts or contact us today to hear more.

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Published on Jun 28, 2018