Keep Your Employees Focused All Summer Long With These 3 Tips

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Ah, summer. The days are long. The weather is warm. Beaches and parks are open. Who wants to work?

The answer, of course, is nobody. Every year, as the calendar pushes past Memorial Day, the soft summer breeze seems to carry away everyone’s productive instinct. Something deep in our brains tells us we should abandon work for a hammock and a drink with a small umbrella in it.

All this is understandable. Unfortunately, the market won’t wait three months for us to goof off. Somehow, we all need to push through the malaise and keep business humming.

Here are some tips to keep things rolling during the scatterbrained months of summer:

  1. Plan Events

Summer encourages the desire to ditch work and party. Lean into that – a little. We’re not suggesting you set up a margarita machine in the break room. But taking some steps to integrate summer fun into the workplace goes a long way to keeping employees committed to the company when they would rather be somewhere else.

Besides, planning some summer events can turn that seasonal energy drain into an opportunity for team building.

Hold some company get-togethers during the summer months. A barbeque. A trip to the beach. Spending a little time in the sun can build morale.

You don’t have to stop at big events though. You can punctuate normal days with smaller events. If you have room outside, set up some picnic tables, so people can eat their lunches in sun. Put a grill out there too and occasionally host some mini-barbeques. If you have enough people, invite some food trucks to come during lunchtime.

Making the workday a little more fun can lower the temptation to play hooky.

  1. Prioritize

Summer might not be a good time to schedule that massive upgrade you’ve been planning. Check the calendar before planning special projects, and make sure everyone is ready for whatever time commitments might be involved.

Also, set day-to-day schedules with the weather in mind. As the sun heats up in the afternoon, people are liable to get sluggish. So plan the biggest productivity pushes for the morning, when people are more energized. Get the important stuff out of the way early and save the afternoon for less critical activities.

  1. Be Open to Scheduling Changes

Obviously, work still has to get done, even if everyone would rather head to the beach. But be open to alternative schedules, giving employees the opportunity to take advantage of the season.

Recognize that people are going to want to take vacations. Get out in front of it by talking to your employees as summer comes into view. Keep the lines of communication open with everyone, so people’s time off overlaps as little as possible.

Offer flexible schedules. Maybe let people come in early, so they can get out with most of their afternoon left. Or let people work extra hours earlier in the week and take half days on Friday.

If you do decide to offer additional vacation or flexible schedules, you can use a staffing agency to help ease the burden. Bring in temporary workers to fill the gaps during the summer while your regular employees enjoy some additional time off.

Need help hiring?

Qualified Staffing can provide the workers you need when you need them. Contact us today to see how best to arrange your summer schedule.

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