Employee Engagement During the Holiday Season

If you’ve been keeping up with Spark Hire lately, then you are well aware of the importance of employee engagement in your company. Employers must be engaged with their employees if they want to create a great company culture and retain their employees for the long haul. Failure to do so can result in disengaged employees that are only staying put until something better comes along. Are these the kind of employees you want working for you company? Chances are high that answer is no. That is why so many companies all over the country are focusing on employee engagement and how they can improve it.

What better time to work on and improve employee engagement than the holidays? The holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Years is all about giving back and appreciating what you have around you. Just as you show your family members how much you care, the same can be done for employees. It can be difficult to keep your employees motivated and engaged during the holidays since there is so much else going on, but with some effort and attention on your part you can make it happen. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways you can keep your employee engagement up during the holidays.

Keep the Atmosphere Friendly and Enjoyable
Employee engagement is not just about making your employees happy and satisfied, but it definitely plays a part. You can work on employee engagement over the holidays by making sure the work environment you are creating is enjoyable and relaxed. The holiday season is a busy time for families and companies alike, so it can be a particularly stressful time. It can be even worse if you know you are coming into work only to be met with craziness and tension. Companies and employers can work towards combating this negative aura by making sure their employees feel welcomed when they come to work. Working towards strengthening teamwork in the office is a great way to start. It’s also important to remember that those in charge or at the top often set the mood for the rest of the company. If you are stressed and irritable, chances are that attitude will rub off on others. Do your best to remain positive and upbeat during the holiday season and your team will likely follow-suit.

Remember Employee Appreciation
It’s important to remember the importance of employee appreciation, especially during the busy season. As stated earlier, things can get really stressful around this time of year. That’s all the more reason to recognize and appreciate the hard working employees you have in your company. If there is a department or a particular group of employees that are really working hard during this holiday season, be sure to show them you notice their hard work and appreciate it. The beauty of this is that it doesn’t have to cost you a lot- or anything at all. Send Christmas cards to your employees wishing them a happy holiday season and thanking them for all of the hard work they have put in for the company. If there are one or two employees really going above and beyond during the craziness of the holidays, take them out to lunch and let them know how much you appreciate their drive and motivation. Whatever you do, make sure your employees know you haven’t forgotten them and that their hard work isn’t going by unnoticed.

Holiday Celebrations
Chances are good that not everyone in your office celebrates Christmas. That’s the beauty of having a diverse workplace and company. It’s important to be conscious of this and to act accordingly. However, just because everyone doesn’t celebrate the same holidays doesn’t mean they can’t all participate in the good times and events you create for the season. Having a company or department event is a great way to improve employee engagement and the teamwork setting you are trying to foster. That is, if your event is done the right way. Check back in next week for some company holiday party tips, but for now remember to keep it small, appropriate and convenient. There’s nothing worse than scheduling a company event during an inconvenient time and expecting employees to be there. Doing this can actually work against what you are trying to do here. Be conscious of your employees’ needs and have fun!

Communicate
If the holidays are particularly busy for your company, then communication is essential in keeping up with employee engagement. On a large scale, you can make sure you are keeping everyone in the loop by having a monthly or weekly meeting. However, be careful with how you structure these company meetings. Just the other day we talked about how meetings can actually hurt your employee engagement if they are unproductive, drawn out or pointless.

If you don’t want to delve into the meeting pot, then be sure you are communicating with your employees or departments individually. Be sure that the goals you have set for this season are clear and that they are actually attainable. Check in with your employees to see how they are doing and how things are coming along. This is a tip that is not only helpful for the holiday season, but for the entire year as well. Communicate your way to better employee engagement.

Happy Holidays!

What are some ways your company works on employee engagement during the holidays? Share with us in the comments section below!

IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr Hollywood_PR