Returning back to work after the holidays can feel like a bit of a comedown after all of the festivities and the back-to-work blues can often lead to a drop in productivity throughout January. A new year also leads to people reassessing their careers and they may look to jump ship, if they don’t feel satisfied at work.
At this time of year staff are often in need of a bit of a motivation boost in order to get back into the swing of things, so how can you ensure that your employees are happy and working to their full potential? Here are a few ideas.
1) Help your employees to set goals & targets
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to assess how the previous went and what can be learnt from it. By taking the time to sit down with your employees and discussing what they would like to achieve in the year ahead, you can provide them with the support to do so. Setting goals and targets gives them something to work towards to and motivates them to maintain focus at work. Offering a bonus if these targets are met can also work as a great incentive to boost productivity.
2) Launch a health initiative
One of the most common new year’s resolutions is to get fit or lose weight, so why not help your staff achieve this? After all, a healthy employee is a happy employee. You can do this by starting up a health initiative that encourages healthy eating, by setting fitness challenges or providing free healthy snacks in the workplace. Alternatively you could offer staff gym memberships at a reduced rate, or start up lunchtime exercise sessions on site to get people up and moving.
3) Give them something to look forward to
January can feel a bit depressing once all the parties are over and funds are running low, so you can boost spirits by giving everyone something to look forward to. This could be a staff outing, afterwork drinks or an early finish from work.
4) Encourage staff to get some fresh air
In the Winter months, when the weather is drab and the days are short, it’s common for people to feel a bit a down. In order to improve your employee’s moods, try to encourage them to get some fresh air and daylight on their lunch break. As little as a 5 minute walk could make a world of difference.
5) Include staff in your vision
Your employees want to feel valued and like they are making a positive contribution to the business, so it’s important that you share your company vision with them and allow them to have an input. You can do this by holiday a meeting on the first week back and asking for feedback about any changes staff would like to see made and encouraging them to share ideas for improvement, new projects, etc.
6) Offering training or development opportunities
At the beginning of the year, people are often more driven to learn something new and work on improving themselves, so it make it the perfect time to offer training courses and learning opportunities. This can help to boost motivation, improve work performance and increase job satisfaction.
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