With Thanksgiving week upon us and Christmas right around the corner, it's a great time to touch on motivation.
From my personal experience of working holidays as a sales associate at a bookstore, it always helped me get into the festive spirit when my employer found a little room in the budget to do one of the following:
Free Food
- Coffee & donuts in the morning and finger food for the evening shift were a welcome delight.
Bonus
- A little something extra can go a long way. Gift cards or a cash bonus for working a holiday reinforced a sense of recognition.
Fair and Square
- I liked it when managers asked for volunteers before drawing straws when it came to covering holiday shifts. Staffing can be tricky to navigate, though it helps to give employees as much ownership as possible.
Contests
- A friendly competition made the time fly by, not to mention—it was fun! Here's a picture of me (a few years ago) competing in a Halloween pumpkin decorating contest during an evening shift at a bookstore.
Our concept was "Palm Pumpkin" (going for creativity) and we got second place. Shoppers found the event entertaining as well. No fear of missing out here!
How do you keep your employees motivated and productive during the holidays? Share your experience by replying below. 🎯
