December is fast approaching and your local shopping centre is already starting to transform into a Christmas wonderland. There’s no doubt in retail, December can be one of the most challenging and stressful months of the whole working year. Due to this retail employers often find it hard to maintain staff motivation and focus on work.
During the holiday period, there is an expectation on staff to work substantially harder compared to the rest of the year, however, this comes part and parcel with having a job in retail. Many staff report during the holiday period they are expected to perform at a much higher standard than usual, for no added financial gain or incentive. Due to this, staff often feel unmotivated to uphold such high standards and morale often reaches an all-time low.
Taking this into consideration, how can you ensure your staff stay motivated and hard working this Christmas period?
It starts at the top
One of the most important steps in maintaining motivation in staff is ensuring that your managers stay motivated and positive during this period. If your management team are feeling the pressure or are lacking enthusiasm, this will have a trickle-down effect and impact on staff morale.
Leading by example is especially important in high-pressure environments such as Christmas Eve and Boxing Day sales.
Did someone say bonus..?
It often helps to offer staff a Christmas Bonus. This does not have to be a huge gift or even monetary, just a gesture to show your appreciation. When asked, staff who had received a gift, even a simple staff lunch or product from within their store have shown a higher level of motivation to maintain a standard of work that will impress their managers.
A little thanks goes a long way
To maintain a high level of motivation and enthusiasm among all staff during this busy period we suggest always showing appreciation in even the simplest ways. Thank your staff, offer breaks when possible, show your staff that employees on every level are working just as hard and let your staff know that you’re happy with their performance.
A little gesture in a busy or stressful time can go a very long way towards keeping staff motivation high during peak holiday periods, the above is just a start.
If you would like help finding hard working motivated staff for your Christmas trading, contact us here.
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