How to Keep Your Employees Engaged All Summer

The mercury rises in the summer months. What about your employees’ productivity?

If you’ve noticed a decline in your team’s output during the months of June, July and August, you’re not alone. Research cited in this Forbes article indicates that, during the summer:

• Attendance rates drop by 19 percent.
• Project turnaround time increases by 13 percent.
• Employees are more distracted – with 45% of reporting that they struggle to stay focused.

And 2021 may be even more challenging for employers. After a year of being stuck at home, more people than ever will have their minds occupied with vacation planning.

Honestly, can you blame them?

While you may be able to empathize with your team’s tendency to slack off or mentally check out this summer, you can take positive steps to thwart the productivity dip.

Here are five ways to keep your employees happy and focused this summer:

1. Ask employees what they want.

Wondering what will motivate your team during the summertime? Just ask them! Send out a simple one-question poll to get great ideas for keeping attendance and productivity high. Then implement your employees’ best suggestions. When you listen and act on their input, they appreciate the consideration and want to perform their best for you.

2. Optimize the temperature.

While it’s not easy to control the temperature in every work environment (e.g., a warehouse or production facility), multiple studies show that employees are most productive when working in conditions between 70 and 73 degrees. Of course, bumping the thermostat down a degree or two may cost a bit more, but making sure your employees are comfortable will pay off in terms of higher morale and performance.

3. Switch up scheduling.

Although certain jobs can only be performed on-site, the massive adoption of remote and hybrid work environments has made it easier than ever to institute flexible scheduling policies while still ensuring your business is adequately staffed. Experiment with different options like half-day Fridays, four-day workweeks, and staggered start times to give employees a healthy work-life balance throughout the summer.

Read this post for more great tips on how to keep your employees engaged all summer.

4. Schedule more fun.

Unless it’s unbearably hot, most people want to enjoy the outdoors this time of year. Think through ways you could get your employees outside and still get work done. Here are a few starter ideas:

• Hold outdoor or walking meetings.
• Plan a barbecue brainstorming or problem-solving session.
• Hold an outside team-building activity.
• Take employees on a “field trip” offsite to visit a vendor or client’s location or learn something new.

5. Encourage employees to take their PTO.

The summer productivity slump can hit your staff exceptionally hard if they’re not taking adequate time off. However, when employees take their hard-earned vacation time, they feel cared about and are more motivated to do a great job while at work.

Work with a qualified staffing agency like PrideStaff to provide adequate vacation coverage, so that your core team isn’t overburdened “picking up the slack” for vacationing employees. We can design a workforce solution to help you keep morale, productivity, and quality high by maintaining adequate staff levels during the summer vacation season.

Want to keep your employees happy, focused and productive this summer?

We can help. Contact your local PrideStaff office to learn more.