We are approaching that time of year when Summer holidays seem like a lifetime ago and the Christmas season is yet to fill us with festive joy. This is the time when employees need the most attention as well as motivation. The Summer blues create the urge for some to quit their jobs and run for the sunny hills in a foreign land. It is also the time to complete end of year reviews and documentation all before the office is due to close for the holiday period. This can provide additional stress and work load to an already busy schedule.

According to CV-Library’s research released this September, 70.1% find it difficult to get back into a routine after a summer holiday, with nearly three quarters (72.3%) admitting that it takes one to two days to adjust to work post-holiday. Other key findings from the study of over 2,200 UK workers include:

• Over half (55.8%) think that workplace morale drops as the summer comes to an end
• 9% said it’s an employer’s responsibility to keep morale up
• But 79.4% stated that their employer does not make allowances for post-summer blues.

The research found that workers find the following factors most difficult about returning to work after a summer break: getting up early (28.4%), getting back into a routine (25.1%), catching up on work (17.9%), catching up on emails (10.9%), staying motivated (8.5%) and dealing with work stress (5.8%).

The findings highlight the importance for the employer to maintain moral throughout the year, encouraging their employees with more than just a monthly wage. If you have asked yourself the question ‘how do I motivate a group of employees to work hard and help my business grow?’ then take this time to think about it. Find out what they are passionate about and give them a project to work on. This will provide your employees the opportunity to master something when given the time to work at it, which in turn gives them purpose in the workplace. By following the three simple steps of:

1. Autonomy
2. Mastery
3. Purpose

You will see an increase in staff productivity. Motivating your employees may not be on the top of your list, but it should be because:

• Better service levels for your customers leads to repeat business and a good company reputation
• Sickness and absences are likely to decrease
• Better safety in the workplace as the more engaged employees are less likely to cut corners
• If staff are happy, they won’t want to leave so your recruitment costs go down

If you would like to discuss the issue of staff retention further, then please get in touch today for advice and support during these difficult months of the year.