With Christmas a ‘make or break’ period for many organisations, workplace pressure can run high. Insuring your employees are happy is important to keeping things flowing right to the end of the year.
The Reward and Recognition Survey from RedBalloon – which surveyed over 4,000 organisations across Australia and NZ – found that 77% of employees would consider leaving their organisation if they weren’t recognised for their contribution. This indicates a crucial need to ensure employees feel acknowledged for their hard work in the festive season.
Key HR takeaways
The steps to ensure discretionary effort from employees at Christmas and to keep them feeling recognised are surprisingly simple. Megan Bromley, head of employee experience at RedBalloon, outlined the following three points:
- Find out their favourite things. Knowing what employees want isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but it is half the battle. Start by asking employees to note down their favourite treats (drinks, chocolates, ice creams, fruits…) and spontaneously deliver them to their desks when they appear in need of a pick-me-up.
- Include the whole team in Christmas fun. While some may choose not to get involved in Christmas celebrations, all should feel they are welcome to. Encourage everyone to get involved if they want to, and make it clear to your frontline staff that those emails can wait for a little bit.
- Say thank you. The simplicity and effectiveness of saying thank you can’t be driven home enough. Events, desk treats, advent calendars, lunches, breakfasts or any other form of giving – large and small – can contribute to the feeling of gratitude in the organisation, and keep employees motivated to the end.
