How to boost employee morale and motivation ahead of the holiday season
‘Tis the season to be less productive…Okay, not quite how the song goes, but nonetheless very true. Across offices in Hong Kong this time of year, employees tend to get distracted at work, as they begin to wind down and switch off ahead of the holiday season. Whether it’s the temperature dipping, the city lighting up, or the Christmas carols playing, it’s not difficult to see why this is the case. So, what can you do as an employer to help? In this Pacific Prime Hong Kong article, we’ll let you in on 8 ways to boost morale and motivation at work.
1. Decorate the office: A little sparkle goes a long way
Get a Christmas tree for the office, put up fairy lights, and ask employees to decorate their desks to match the festive spirit. What’s more, as a fun way to boost morale at work, you could hold a competition for the best-looking desk. Prizes can include things like festive treats, “passes” for a late start/early finish, an extra ½ day off, etc. With the office looking brighter and giving off a cheerful vibe, employees will feel good about being in the office. Consequently, they’ll work better throughout the last few working days of the year.
2. Let there be holiday spirit
Why stop at the decorations? There are plenty of other ways you can bring the holiday vibes into the office. Think Secret Santa, holiday-themed quizzes, and company-wide potlucks. In fact, you could even add a fun twist to your usual measures of employee achievements. For example, hold a competition for reaching sales targets, completing a specific volume of work, receiving positive feedback from customers, and more! As per the aforementioned point, the prizes don’t have to be expensive, as it’s the thought that counts.
3. Keep a check on the calendar and workload
Let’s face it, the holiday season is not all fun and games. Depending on the industry you’re in, there may be a heavier workload during this time. Make sure all your employees are aware of the holiday schedule and critical projects. In addition to this, encourage them to plan time off in synchrony with each other. You could even introduce work share schemes to redistribute workload more evenly. This ensures that employees can meet their personal commitments, without it affecting your organization’s goals.
4. Introduce flexible working hours for more productive sessions
It might seem like an oxymoron, but allowing employees to be more flexible with their working hours can increase productivity. As they may have a tight to-do-list, such as sorting out Christmas shopping or going to end-of-year school plays, you may notice a rise in presenteeism in the workplace. That’s when employees are physically in the office, but mentally elsewhere. Therefore, introducing flexible working hours will empower them to manage their work-life balance and make them work efficiently. A win-win for all!
Note: Did you know that flexible working is a top employee benefits trend? Check out our Global Employee Benefits Trends Report 2020 to learn more about flexible working arrangements and how to roll them out in the workplace.
5. Throw an end of year party!
Everybody loves an end-of-year party! And in a workplace setting, it allows staff to bond with each other in a relaxed and fun-packed environment – especially if the team also consists of remote employees who don’t always come to the office. As employees start to feel more connected to their colleagues, their happiness at work enhances too, which can boost productivity and engagement. With a party to look forward to, employees will also feel excited and motivated, which keeps productivity levels at their peak.
6. Show your employees that they’re valued
One of the proven methods for boosting employee morale is to show them that they’re valued. A handwritten ‘thank you’ card will suffice, showing appreciation for their efforts and contributions. If you’d like to take this up a notch, you could also give them gift cards or food hampers. Alternatively, a good old bonus will do the trick. Rewarding employees helps boost their morale, ensuring they don’t lose their desire to continue working hard. In fact, they’ll also be less likely to quit their jobs if they feel that their achievements are recognized.
7. Amidst the celebrations, don’t forget those who may be suffering in silence
As the holiday season is all about spending time with loved ones and celebrating the achievements of the year, it may be easy to forget that it can also be a time of loneliness and struggle for a lot of employees, especially as we’re in the middle of the COVD-19 pandemic. Look into your offerings for employee mental health and wellbeing – do you offer employee assistance programs (EAPs)? If not, it may be a good time to rethink your employee benefit solutions for the coming year.
8. Reach out to an employee benefits specialist like Pacific Prime Hong Kong
If you’ve already got too much on your plate this holiday season, Pacific Prime Hong Kong can help you boost employee morale and motivation at work. We’ve got over two decades of experience helping companies of all sizes and industries design and implement tailored solutions for their workforce. Whether your organization is looking for group health insurance plans, employee wellness packages, or any other corporate insurance solutions, our advisors are more than happy to help. Learn more about our approach and get a free consultation today!
With over 5 years of experience in the field, Suphanida spends the majority of her day synthesizing complex pieces of insurance-related information and translating this into easy-to-understand, engaging, and effective content across a variety of media such as articles, infographics, whitepapers, videos, and more.
Suphanida is also responsible for planning and publishing three whitepapers released annually by Pacific Prime: The State of Health Insurance Report, The Cost of Health Insurance Report, and The Global Employee Benefits Trends Report. Additionally, she handles the LinkedIn profiles of Pacific Prime’s Founder and CEO, as well as Global HR Lead.
Suphanida’s strengths lie in her strong research and analytical skills, which she has gained from her BA in Politics from the University of Warwick and Erasmus Mundus Joint MA in Journalism from Aarhus University and City, University of London.
Being of Thai-Indian origin and having lived, studied, and worked in Thailand, the UK, and Denmark, Suphanida also has a unique, multicultural perspective that helps her understand the struggles of expats and globetrotters.
Outside of work, she enjoys traveling to new places and immersing herself in different cultures.
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