Promoting Employee Engagement During the Summer Months

Summer is just around the corner, and as much as we all love the warm weather and sunshine, it can also bring unique challenges for businesses. From employees wanting time off to enjoy vacations to dealing with childcare issues, summer requires some extra preparation from employers. While many people look forward to summer, Human Resources leaders know that summer employee engagement is enough to offset the entire year of hard work.

But you don’t have to be afraid!

With proper planning and a little creativity, you can turn these challenges into opportunities for engagement and success. In this blog post, we’ll explore tips on preparing your workforce for summer while promoting employee happiness and productivity.

Do you have talent management and development at the center of your summer strategy? Click here to schedule a demo of Trakstar to jump start it!

Defining Summer Goals

Summer is a great time to rejuvenate your workforce and create new growth opportunities. To do so, you’ll need to define clear summer goals that align with your business objectives. These goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Engaged employees have goals they need to reach. Need help setting goals? We have a worksheet here to help you.

Start by analyzing the current state of your business and identifying areas where you want to improve or maintain performance during the summer months. For example, if sales typically slow down in the summer season, set a goal of maintaining a certain level of revenue during this period.

Communicate these goals clearly with employees so they understand how their work contributes to achieving them. Encourage them to come up with ideas on how they can help achieve these goals individually or as a team. Have them think about what they have coming up in the summer and fall and build toward those goals. For industries with slower summer months, staff development, employee motivation builders, team building, and professional development may make up most of your goals.

For example, instead of saying, “By the end of Q3,” your employee may have a goal they want to reach before they take their vacation time. Engaged employees aren’t always held to the calendar of your organization. Instead, a worker may be on their internal calendar. A human resource professional may understand that, but a manager may not. Educate your staff on the different timeline options available to them.

Remember that setting summer goals doesn’t have to be all about work – it can also include fun activities like team-building events or charity initiatives that foster employee engagement and morale. By defining clear summer goals for your workforce, you’ll set everyone up for success while creating an exciting environment for growth and development.

Employee retention efforts can be won and lost during these summer months, so be prepared to identify the disengaged employee, monitor employee engagement levels, and do some of the hard work.

Summer Employee Policies

As the summer months approach, businesses must establish clear policies that outline employee expectations. These policies should take into consideration both the needs of the company and those of its workers. Why? Employee motivation and morale improve when everyone knows the rules and follows them. The employee experience starts to be impacted when people don’t adhere to those rules.

One key policy to consider is the dress code for those who have an in-person workplace. With temperatures rising, many employees may need help to adhere to traditional dress codes. Consider implementing a more relaxed dress code during summer while maintaining a professional appearance. But remember your remote workers! Someone sitting poolside with a swimming suit top shouldn’t be allowed unless they are always off camera. Pay attention to this on Summer Fridays or as people near vacation time.

Another important policy is scheduling flexibility. Many employees may take advantage of warm weather by spending time outdoors or attending weekend events. Offering flexible scheduling options can help boost morale and encourage productivity. 

You will want to think about your team members who cannot go outside or your remote team that doesn’t live nearby. Find a way to include them in some of your activities. You could host a happy hour with drink making, a professional development opportunity where everyone makes art for their office with a summer twist, or people share what they did on summer vacation.

Establishing guidelines around vacation time and PTO usage during the summer is also wise. Be sure your policies are fair and consistent across all departments. A disengaged employee who lacks motivation will notice if other department managers prioritize a work-life balance or employee retention. Don’t create a sense of competition between colleagues – ensure everyone has the same perks and benefits during the summer months.

By setting clear expectations through well-crafted employee policies, you can ensure that your workforce stays engaged and productive throughout the summer season.

Promote Flexibility To Keep Your Employee Engagement Level High

Flexibility is essential to motivating and engaging your workforce during the summer months. With warm weather, longer days, and potential vacations, employees may have different schedules or needs.

One way to promote flexibility is by allowing flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting or adjusted hours. This can help employees balance their personal and professional lives while meeting their job responsibilities. Some companies do this during the entire year, while others do it during the summer months. It’s crucial to stay on top of your metrics and data for statistical purposes because some people will be again flexibility.

Another way to encourage flexibility is by offering a compressed work week. Employees can work longer hours over four days instead of five, giving them every Friday off – also known as “Summer Fridays.” This perk shows that you value employee well-being and allows them to enjoy more leisure time during the summer months. It only sometimes works for some organizations, however. For example, if you have a customer support branch of your workforce, they may have to work traditional hours. You may want to work with them on different options or special schedules so those team members can also participate.

You can also offer part-time employment options if it aligns with your business model. Many students are looking for seasonal employment opportunities to earn extra money before returning to school in the fall. Teachers and school staff may also be looking for jobs during summer vacation, so you can work with them as well.

By promoting workplace flexibility, you show your commitment to supporting employee satisfaction and building a positive company culture that will benefit everyone involved. You need to ensure that your internal communication around these events helps everyone on your team understand what is expected of them.

Encourage PTO During The Summer Months

Encouraging PTO or Paid Time Off during summer is a great way to reduce workplace burnout and promote employee wellness. Many employees feel guilty taking time off, but studies show that taking breaks increases productivity in the long run! Breaks help employee motivation, workplace engagement, and success.

Employers should consider offering incentives for employees who use their vacation days, such as bonuses or additional time off. This can help motivate workers to take advantage of their PTO. 

Additionally, encourage employees to plan their vacations ahead of time so they can properly delegate tasks and ensure that all work responsibilities are covered while they’re away.

It’s important to create a culture where taking time off is not only accepted but encouraged. Managers should lead by example and ensure they also utilize their own PTO days.

By promoting the use of paid time off during the summer months, employers can improve employee morale, reduce stress levels, and ultimately increase job satisfaction within the workforce.

Help Plan for Childcare

Summer is when many employees with children struggle to balance work and family obligations. One way employers can help ease this burden is by offering resources for childcare or at least assisting employees in planning for their childcare.

First, consider offering flexible scheduling options allowing employees to adjust their hours around childcare needs. This could mean allowing them to start and end their day earlier or later or even working from home on certain days. This will vary by team member, but most roles can work remotely at least some of the time.

Another option is to partner with local daycare centers or summer camps to offer discounted rates for your employees. This not only helps alleviate the financial strain of childcare costs but also shows your commitment to supporting your workforce’s well-being.

It’s also important to communicate these resources clearly and frequently so employees know what options are available to them. Ensure you have clear policies outlining how they can take advantage of these benefits.

By planning ahead and supporting employee childcare needs, you’re helping create a more inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported during the summer months.

Encourage Summer Activities

Do you have an employee engagement activity planned for every month in the summer? Summer is the perfect time to encourage your employees to engage in fun and meaningful activities outside of work. Encouraging summer activities can lead to increased employee satisfaction, productivity, and overall happiness.

Encourage your employees to take advantage of outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, or swimming. Consider organizing company outings or events that promote physical activity and team building.

Additionally, consider offering discounts or memberships for local attractions such as theme parks or water parks. This not only encourages summer fun but also supports local businesses.

Don’t forget about indoor activities as well! Host a company book club or movie night where employees can bond over shared interests. Offering on-site yoga classes or bringing in a massage therapist can also help reduce stress levels during the busy summer months.

Encouraging summer activities shows your commitment to promoting work-life balance and ensuring employee wellness inside and outside the workplace.

Promote Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is a critical element in maintaining productivity and morale during the summer months. With more distractions outside of work, it’s important to keep employees engaged with their tasks and motivated to perform at their best.

One way to promote employee engagement is by offering opportunities for professional development or training. This can include attending conferences or workshops, online courses, or even just lunch-and-learn sessions on relevant topics. Send out training reminders via email that people can complete wherever they are – perfect if you allow some flexibility! They can sit on the deck outside and learn about new sales tactics or participate in training from anywhere in the world.

Another effective strategy is recognizing and rewarding outstanding performance. Publicly acknowledging an employee’s hard work boosts their confidence and inspires others to strive for excellence. Recognize one or two team members a week for their contributions. This could be an engaged employee who went above and beyond or a disengaged employee who needs a little morale boosting.

Creating a positive company culture through team-building activities can also improve employee engagement. Summer events such as sports tournaments, picnics, or volunteering together are great ways to foster camaraderie among coworkers. You may also want to recognize special events like Pride Month, birthdays, or anniversaries during the summer.

Involving employees in decision-making processes and seeking feedback shows that they are valued team members. This level of involvement promotes a sense of ownership over one’s work and encourages proactive problem-solving skills. Run engagement surveys to ask employees their opinions about how they feel about certain things.

By promoting employee engagement through these various means, employers can enjoy higher satisfaction levels from staff leading into autumn, ultimately boosting overall job performance throughout your organization!

Make This Summer Your Best Yet!

With these tips, you can make this summer your best yet! By defining your summer goals and implementing employee policies that promote flexibility and work-life balance, you can ensure that your workforce is happy, engaged and productive. Encouraging summer activities and planning for childcare will also help to reduce stress levels among employees. And finally, promoting employee engagement through fun events and team-building activities will create a positive workplace culture where everyone feels valued.

Remember to prioritize safety in the workplace by providing resources on summer safety topics. With proper preparation, communication, and support from management, employees can stay safe while enjoying all that summertime has to offer. Incorporating these strategies into your company’s plans for the season will result in a successful summer for both employers and employees alike!

Ready to have the best summer yet? Click here to schedule a demo of Trakstar!