How to boost your employees’ summertime motivation
But it wasn’t just a record-breaking heatwave capturing the nation’s attention last summer. We also had a Royal Wedding, the FIFA World Cup, Wimbledon…not to mention a bevy of music festivals – all welcome distractions for a nation more used to summers of wash outs rather than heat waves.
Yup, the summer of 2018 will no doubt be fondly remembered by many. But not by all…
The impact on productivity
The record-breaking summer of 2018 may have caused the mercury to sore, but it also coincided with a nationwide drop in productivity across many UK businesses.
Of course, there will have been a multitude of other factors at play here (dare we mention Brexit), but if you decided to sneak a day off to enjoy the warm weather, you probably weren’t the only one.
Although ‘motivation’ is a buzzword that applies year-round, when the sun is shining and summer holidays are on our minds, it’s all too-easy for people to become distracted from their usual day-to-day activities.
The lure of the great outdoors, relaxing in the sunshine or meeting up in a beer garden with friends can often be a huge barrier to motivation in the workplace. In fact, 68% of workers say they daydream more during warm summer days, and 63% also admit to leaving the office early to enjoy some summer sun.
However, it’s not just the glorious weather that can take peoples’ minds off work.
As temperatures rise on the outside, places of work can become increasingly uncomfortable on the inside – be it due to ineffective ventilation or air conditioning, being too dark or simply uninspiring.
A great working environment can play a huge part in the motivation of your workforce year-round – but in the glare of the hot summer sun, the problems of an uncomfortable working environment can be seriously amplified.
How to prevent a summer slump
Of course, a stunning summer is never guaranteed (at the time of writing, it’s 10 degrees and bucketing down with rain… joy!).
But, when the enigmatic British summer time does finally make an appearance, there are a number of simple things you can try to keep your staff motivated and engaged in their jobs.
We’ve put together four top ways to help summertime motivation.
1. Be more flexible!
Anywhere working is already a popular method of supporting staff motivation. After all, if you’re comfortable where you work, you’re more likely to be able to focus better on your tasks, right? According to Polycom’s The Changing World of Work: 2017 Global Workforce Survey, nearly two thirds of the global workforce take advantage of anywhere working; including:
- 80% of Brazilian employees
- 78% of Indian employees
- 75% of Australian employees
- Here in the UK, the Office for National Statistics expect that 50% of the workforce will work remotely by 2020.
Along with the freedom to work in an environment that suits them, many workers feel that the hours they work in the summertime should also be flexible in order to encourage better productivity and motivation, with recent studies finding:
- 39% of workers want flexible schedules during the summertime, according to a survey by staffing firm OfficeTeam in 2017;
- 83% of employees say that productivity was boosted when given flexible hours, according to Vodaphone’s Flexible: friend or foe? survey (2016); and
- 98% of employees think that the ability to work anywhere positively impacts productivity.
2. Try a summer casual dress code
Introducing a summer dress code for when the temperatures soar can help your employees feel more comfortable and keep them cool during any potential heatwaves. In fact, there are some hot stats as to why it can prove an effective way to support staff motivation:
- 27% of US office workers would prefer to work for a company with a casual dress code or none at all
- 70% of workers in Japan measured higher stress levels when dressed formally compared with casually
- 61% of UK workers say they feel more productive with a relaxed dress code, according to a survey of 1,000 adults by Stormline in 2016
- 75% of workers in South Korea consider flip flops appropriate summer attire, compared with only 14% globally.
3. Focus on employee wellbeing
Encouraging your employees to keep active during the summer months is a simple but effective way to improve both motivation and wellbeing. According to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Workplace Wellness Trends (2017) survey, after launching an employee wellness programme:
- 66% of companies reported increased productivity
- 67% said employees were more satisfied at work
- more than 50% of businesses saw a noticeable drop in absenteeism.
The stats speak for themselves! But that’s not all…
- $48 billion is invested in workplace wellness programmes globally, according to the GWI Global Wellness Economy Monitor (2018)
- 13 million wearable devices will be integrated into workplace wellness programmes in 2018
- an academic study of a wellness programme at an industrial laundry company in the US attributed a 76% return on investment to the company's wellness programme
- a University of California study, Doing Well by Making Well: The Impact of Corporate Wellness Programs on Employee Productivity (2017), found that one full work day is gained in increased productivity per month when employees participate in health programmes.
- more than 90% of business leaders say that promoting wellness can affect employee productivity and performance.
4. Embrace summer Fridays
Yup, give employees Friday afternoons off! Although this will obviously depend on the needs of the business, giving your staff the gift of time is a brilliantly effective motivator and can also lead to increased workforce productivity. In fact:
- 42% of Fortune 1000 companies offer summer Fridays (up from 21% in 2015)
- 87% of those who had summer hours said it contributed to a healthy work-life balance
- 76% agreed summer Friday policies effectively boosted productivity.
The author is Iain Thomson, director of incentive and recognition at Sodexo Engage.
This article is provided by Sodexo.
The author is Iain Thomson, director of incentive and recognition at Sodexo Engage.
This article is provided by Sodexo.
In partnership with Pluxee UK
Pluxee UK, is a leading employee benefits and engagement partner that opens up a world of opportunities to help people enjoy more of what really matters in their lives.
