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Keeping Employees Productive in the Summer

Summer in Canada means countless outdoor activities, summer vacations and fun in the sun. However for many Canadian companies, the summer means business is slow. With the sun shining outside and the work pace slowing down you may find an overall lack of motivation from employees who are more likely to be planning their weekend barbeque than working on their weekly goals. Keeping employees motivated during the summertime lull requires employers to add a little fun and creativity to the summer schedule.  Below are 4 suggestions to kick-start your summertime plan;

Use the Power of the Sun

It’s hard for employees to remain motivated when they are stuck inside instead of enjoying the beautiful outdoor weather. Consider moving meetings outdoors during the warmer months. Laptops, tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices have cut the cord with the physical office and meetings can easily happen outdoors. For brainstorming sessions, employers should consider taking a leisurely stroll with key personnel, which has been proven to increase creativity.

Institute Summer Hours

With children’s baseball games and weekend trips on the mind, many employees want to cut out of work early. Employers can help with this by instituting summer hours. This can mean working half days on Fridays or ending the day 30 minutes early throughout the week. Each business can customize these hours to fit their needs and schedules. The key here isn’t that employers are simply giving workers more time off. Instead, employees are motivated to work more efficiently so that they can take advantage of the summer hours. Employees must understand that summer hours are a privilege that can only be taken advantage of if and when all work is complete.

 

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Award Additional Incentives

Another way to keep productivity high during the slow season is to provide additional incentives for employees. Consider running contests between departments to meet productivity goals or have them develop cost savings plans or product enhancements. Incentives can range from monetary bonuses, department lunches, extra vacation days, gift certificates or actual prizes like a new tablet case.

Practice Unique Team Building

Employers can use the dog days of summer to schedule effective team building activities that will strengthen working relationships and build motivation. Team building activities should be social in nature to encourage bonding.  They can be as simple as planning a weekly potluck with a recipe contest or hosting an exercise class during lunch. Employers could also schedule after-work activities such as a lake-side picnic that allows employees and their families to meet and interact with one another.

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