It's getting hot, the beach and the lake are calling, and employees are busy planning summer vacations. With so much excitement around the season, you may find it difficult to keep employees focused. After all, they've had a long, busy year and when the sun starts to shine it's something to celebrate. But it doesn't mean your business has to suffer. So how do you boost morale up and keep employees motivated during the summer months? We've compiled a few tips below to help you keep employees just as happy inside the office as they are outside.
Celebrate the summer
Celebrating the season with your employees will allow them to feel appreciated, and in turn, drive them to continue doing their best work all summer long. This summer, plan a party, a luncheon, or bring ice cream into the office monthly. It doesn't have to break the bank, and can be as simple as giving your employees an hour to relax and unwind during work-time. Take advantage of the outdoors and plan a potluck picnic, or bring in lunch for Taco Tuesday. Your employees will be happier for the small token of gratitude you've showed them, and they'll be ready and willing to get right back to work afterwards.
Honor vacations and flexible hours
Even though you may have a few people out at once, it's best for your company to honor vacations and requests for flexible time during the summer. The last thing you want is to give one employee time off, but not another. This will create problems with morale, and employees will feel truly undervalued. When the requests start coming in, get together with your HR team and ensure your employees' schedules are hyper organized. A little bit of planning and preparation will ensure that your employees get what they want all while maintaining a well-oiled working machine.
Adjust priorities
If you anticipate productivity dropping due to summer vacations, make sure your team is aligned on what your company's priorities are. What are the tasks and projects that must be completed during the summer? Make sure everyone on your team knows the goals, and allow them the time off that they need so long as they are aligned on those goals. Allow yourself to be flexible, as well. If there is something you want done but it's a low-priority item, refocus your attention and understand that it just may have to get done closer to fall.
