Well the holiday season is well and truly underway and workers across the country are looking forward to a bit of well-deserved time away from their desks, or maybe they have just returned from holiday and their heads are still on a sandy beach somewhere sipping margaritas!
However, whilst many people will be worrying about how much they can squeeze into their luggage allowance and whether last year’s swimwear still fits, many business owners will have more pressing concerns; how to ensure that the summer season doesn’t have a negative impact on productivity?
As always, we’re here to help with some practical suggestions. Read on to find out more about what you can do to ensure that you’re doing all you can to avoid any problems.
Organise the holiday rota in advance
If you find yourself in a situation whereby 50% of your employees are off at the same time, it’s quite likely that you’re going to run into difficulties and those employees who are in the office will be struggling to cover their teammates’ absences and keep up with demand. We have just the software to help with this, breathhr, simplify and automate your people management.
Obviously, it might be a bit late to get this sorted out for this year, but it’s definitely worth taking the time to think about how you’ll approach the working calendar next summer. As well, it won’t be long before you’ll have to start thinking about how you’ll manage your employees over the Christmas period, so you can probably take away some very important lessons.
Bring the summer feeling to your office
When the weather’s warmer and there are – let’s face it – many other things that your employees would rather be doing than sitting in the office, it could be worthwhile to think about how you can raise spirits and inject a bit of oomph back into proceedings. If some members of staff are away on holiday, you can ensure that those who are left behind aren’t feeling deflated and demotivated.
Your approach here needn’t cost you a fortune, and there are many options for you to choose from. Could you get in touch with a local ice cream seller and have them come round your workplace with some cool treats, paid for by you? Could you contact a nearby personal trainer and ask them to lead an outdoor workout for your employees? Small gestures can make a big difference difference.
Give your HR processes an overhaul
It’s natural that there will be certain times of the year when you notice a change in productivity. Sometimes, slight fluctuations are unavoidable, and you need to simply do all you can to minimise the impact. If reduced productivity has become a longstanding problem though, it’s time to address the reasons why, and do something about it.
Your people processes and procedures will often provide you with clues, and they can also be the remedy. Is your business suffering as a result of poor management practices? Are you using outdated systems? Are your employees dissatisfied with certain aspects of their roles, or the way in which the business is being operated?
An overall HR health-check/Audit could be exactly what you need to start making some positive changes. We’d be delighted to have an initial chat with you about how we could help.
