According to a new survey by Travelex, one in four staff “pull a sickie” on their first day back from their holiday. The survey also found many employees struggled to concentrate on their return with almost half admitting that they are distracted and forgetful at work. Though all employees need a well-deserved break, you need to ensure that they do not slack when they come back to work. Here at Recruitment Genius we have suggested some ways on how to get staff motivated.
Have a catch-up meeting
On their first day back you could request a meeting to catch-up. Start by asking how their holiday was and show a general interest. Then update them with the state of the business and what work needs to be done. Set expectations and inform them of any upcoming work. By doing this you can show that you are glad they had a break and inform them of what is expected of them now they are back. That way you can set the precedent and staff may feel motivated to get to work as soon as they sit at their desks.
Set goals and targets
Setting goals and targets are important in maintaining staff productivity. If they know there is work to be done and it has a deadline, then they should strive to get it completed. Giving them a target to work towards will help ensure they stay on track whilst preventing them from reminiscing about their holiday too much.
Train them on something new
For some employees, they develop a feeling of dread returning to work and completing their usual routine. This may be attending to emails in the morning, doing general admin work before lunch then completing their other tasks in the afternoon. To help eradicate this feeling, you could train them on something new.
By doing this you could distract your employees with the learning of new skills. This not only benefits them, but it also ensures your business can keep growing.
Ensure they have things to do upon their arrival
Make sure that you have a ‘to-do list’ for them to complete on their first day. You should let them have the first hour catching up on work, emails and missed calls to get back on track. On the list you could fill it with pieces of work that need attention within a healthy deadline. By doing this you are giving them a purpose to be back at work. Just make sure you don’t bombard them with too much otherwise they may feel stressed and pressurised.
Taking action to encourage productivity and motivation will help limit their levels of holiday blues. Employees will appreciate your help in motivating them and in turn your business will not lose out on any more time lost.
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