10 activities to boost employee motivation during the holidays

The holiday season is already here, and employee excitement is at an all-time high. But so are their stress levels. The personal commitments that come up during the holiday season and the pressure to balance professional and personal lives can demotivateemployees and hurt productivity. Naturally, they would prefer to enjoy the holidays with their families rather than work, but there will be some days where time off is not an option. Therefore, organizations should consider some fun holiday activities that can enhance employee motivation.

Why organize activities?

When employee motivation suffers, so does engagement. Disengaged employees cause productivity to fall. Small distractions from their usual work are necessary for your employees to stay motivated during the holiday season, and this can include fun activities. Activities help employees develop a positive outlook and be more productive and satisfied with their work. Furthermore, organized activities that employees are excited about can reduce unscheduled absenteeism and burnout.

Choosing the right activity for your organization can sometimes be nerve-wracking. You should understand the mood and interests of your employees before organizing something. If an activity doesn’t engage them, your employees will become bored and the money and time spent will go waste. It is important to select the right activity that can both engage and motivate your employees.

Organizing the following activities can help employees be more motivated during the holiday season:

1. Gifts

Gifts can play a significant role in enhancing employee motivation during the holidays. It’s a way of showing appreciation to employees for their contribution toward the firm’s productivity. It makes your employees feel valued at work, enhancing job satisfaction. The size and price of the gifts don’t matter as much as the thought behind the gift.

2. Decorations

The holiday season is incomplete without decorations. Decorating the office together can lighten up the work atmosphere and improve employee spirits. Even though they may have to be at work, seeing the decor will cheer them up throughout the season. Employees can bond with each other while decorating their workspace. The company can also hold contests.

3. An office pot luck

Office pot luck is a common workplace activity that increases employee engagement. A pot luck helps raise team spirit as your employees divide responsibilities and work toward a common goal. Employees can collaborate and talk to each other in a less formal environment, and it’s a relatively inexpensive event to organize.

4. Fun games

Organizing games like a secret santa, treasure hunt, puzzle, or Christmas quiz is another great way to motivate employees during the holidays. Games play a huge role in reducing employee stress and increasing productivity. Employees will feel more energized and relaxed when they get back to work.

5. Holiday newsletters

A newsletter is one of the best ways to facilitate internal communication within an organization. A fun newsletter can be designed for the holidays. It can include group pictures that were taken throughout the year. The key achievements of the firm can be listed, including a small piece that thanks employees for their contributions. If it’s a digital copy, you can include a video where the CEO of the firm thanks the employees for their hard work. All these elements help employees understand that they are valued by your company.

6. Celebrate your employees

Motivation to work harder decreases when the employees are not appreciated in their workplace. Lack of recognition is one of the major reasons why employees quit their organization. Organize a small award ceremony to appreciate employees for contributing towards the company’s success. When employees are recognized for their hard work, it motivates them to work more efficiently. Cultivating a culture of appreciation and celebration can also increase employee loyalty and employee retention.

7. Give back to the community

The holiday season is the best time to cater to the needs of your community. Together as a team, your employees can help the community by organizing fundraisers, volunteering, and collecting donations. They can also make greeting cards for people at orphanages and senior centres. A distraction from their usual routine of work to help a good cause enhances team bonding and interdepartmental relationships. This also develops employee morale.

8. Vision board session

A vision board session is where employees come together and create a visual representation of the company’s goals and plans. Having this readily visible helps employees strive toward these goals. The process of making the board also helps employees come together and discuss their thoughts on the company’s vision.

9. Employee wish list

This holiday season, encourage your employees to come up with a list of things that they would want to change about the organization. Give the option of being anonymous, as this allows them to list their suggestions without any fear. This also ensures employees have the freedom to express themselves how they want. Receiving feedback like this gives employers the opportunity to listen to their teams, reduce employee turnover rates, and increase productivity.

10. Employee wellness programs

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention, U.S. employers lose $36.4 billion a year as employees take leave due to heart disease, obesity, smoking, diabetes, and more. Such losses can be prevented by organizing employee wellness programs like fitness activities, yoga lessons, provision of healthy snacks and smoke-free policy. Wellness programs help you maintain a dynamic and effective work culture. Research conducted by the American Psychological Association has revealed that wellness programs at the workplace motivate employees to work harder. They also play a huge role in enhancing employee efficiency.

During the holiday season, employees have a difficult time as a lot of personal commitments come up. This may reduce their productivity and leave them demotivated. Organizing fun activities to improve employee moods can help them stay motivated all the way through to the new year.