With summer in full swing, the kids are out of school and our daylight hours are longer, employees should be able to get more done, yes? School schedules aren’t in the way, there’s more time to do things after work in daylight, and we are getting more exercise.
But employees are also taking more vacation time which can hinder productivity. Replicon, a software company which focuses on time and expense, noted that more than 52 percent of employees will take a vacation during June and August. This can potentially hurt productivity, especially if you are a small business or a company with specialized skills.
So how does an employer keep productivity up during summer? Below are some tips to consider:
- Friendly competition Consider having contests that challenge and reward employees and at the same time increase productivity. See who can complete the most tasks in a given week or day then reward the winner(s) with a prize such as tickets to an event or an extra hour at lunch.
- Fun Fridays Here at BCN Services, we celebrate Fridays during the summer months with recognizing a current event or “holiday” such as National Ice Cream day where we have ice cream sundaes served in the break room or take 20 minutes and play a “minute to win it” challenge with a prize for the winning team or person. Sometimes a break from the daily grind can help an employee refocus and actually produce more.
- Recognize hard work If you notice an employee going the extra mile or completing a task before its deadline, reward them with a Starbucks gift card, or buy their lunch one day. This not only encourages this hard work but will motivate other employees to step up their game as well. This can do wonders for employee morale.
- Share vacation pictures Put up a board in an area or create an internal web page where people can share photos from their vacations. This encourages employees to communicate with each other and can boost attitudes and keep people engaged.
While these ideas seem basic enough, sometimes you just have to take the first step and implement ideas like those suggested above. If you would like help in creating an environment in your office that promotes more productivity and better morale, please contact us and we will be happy to assist.
Enjoy your summer and BE Productive!
