How to keep employees motivated during the holidays

The holiday season is in full swing, and more than likely, you and your staff are busier than ever! Your employees may be working overtime as Santa’s (or your) very necessary helpers, and your stores and phone lines may be jam-packed. But employer beware: all of that holiday cheer can quickly turn into holiday exhaustion.

Don’t let all of the ho-ho-hoing ruin the most wonderful time of the year — help keep your employees motivated through the season with these three simple tricks:

Plan ahead

Sure, your employees knew the holidays would be busy, but it’s important to communicate expectations and plan out your holiday schedule well in advance. If possible, try to give everyone four to six months advance notice of extra coverage over the holidays or a different seasonal schedule so your team can make their own plans.

If you didn’t (or you tried, but it changed), you can help make it up to them by being communicative about work coverage each week and trying to be flexible about time off. While your employees are dedicated to your company, make sure you’re not being too much of a Scrooge.

Celebrate and be merry

Don’t forget the holiday soiree! Toast your team’s successes with a fun event to look forward to. Don’t worry, it doesn’t need to be full of expensive champagne and caviar — even a casual get together will help your employees unwind and power through the rest of the busy season.

It’s important to include significant others as well — after all, they offer your team support to get through long days (weeks, months). At Funding Circle, we work hard and know our employees’ families make meaningful sacrifices to help drive the business forward, so we often start holiday celebrations with sincere thank-yous to our team’s loved ones for their endless support. It’s a great way to remind employees’ families that they’re appreciated, too.

Give, give, give

Thank your employees with thoughtful gifts to let them know how much you appreciate them. At Funding Circle, we love supporting independent businesses — check out our holiday gift guide for ideas! Even when you’re on a budget, small gifts and cards can show you care.

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