Summertime Productivity: Why do employees lose motivation, and why should you care?
A recent study of more than 600 white-collar workers in North America measured levels of summertime productivity, attendance, distraction, and project turnaround, then compared the findings to data from the rest of the work year. The results showed- unsurprisingly- a strong negative impact on the workplace during the summertime.
Twenty percent of employees felt a decrease in summertime productivity levels, and nineteen percent attended work less (based on weekly hours logged). Forty-five percent relayed higher levels of distraction, while managers saw a thirteen percent increase in project turnaround times.
Evidently, when the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, it can be difficult for managers to keep their employees engaged and motivated. So, how can businesses continue to keep the workplace efficient and maintain employee involvement? Here are two proven ways (by UE.co!) to keep summer productivity consistently high throughout the workplace, and throughout the year.
Grant Employees More Freedom –
The ability to choose how often you work, as well as where, and on what is a growing interest within the modern workforce. In recent findings by Harvard Business Review, flexibility and freedom were among the “core elements” of a fulfilling career. Although structure is highly important, too much restriction can become suffocating and take away from employee productivity and interest. Trusting your employees means giving them the freedom to make decisions, present ideas, and think independently; with confidence that the flexibility in their responsibilities will produce more creative and more passionate work.
Alongside freedom comes a rediscovered sense of passion and pride in the work being created. In a Harvard Business Review Workplace survey, it was found that “workers whose companies allow them to help decide when, where, and how they work were more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, performed better, and viewed their company as more innovative than competitors that didn’t offer such choices.”
Adjusting the level of strict order within the workplace is a great way to influence creativity and reintroduce enthusiasm to employees lacking summer productivity.
SPIF Reward Programs –
What are SPIF’s? “Special Performance Incentives Funds” are great ways to increase motivation for employees throughout the office, within departments, or even for individuals. Commonly used as incentives for salespeople, SPIFs can be rewarded in the form of vacations, products, or bonus payments: a great way to improve summertime productivity.
During the summertime, it’s easy to lose track of goals and find yourself day-dreaming about the sun. SPIF’s offer the perfect method to recenter members back towards specific goals, offering an incentivizing reward at the end of the rainbow. Where can you start?
This year, the 4th of July holiday falls on a Thursday, with many offices meeting back on Friday. After celebrating a holiday with friends and family, returning to work the next day may be daunting for some. As a manager, consider organizing an office-wide SPIF that requires each department to reach specific goals in order to offer the 5th of July as a free day included in the holiday weekend. Not only will this increase productivity in the week leading up to the holiday, but integrating the entire workplace towards one combined reward also helps to increase collaboration and support across departments, creating a partnership with a shared goal in reach.
Looking for more ways to improve the workplace?
At UE.co, we start off every week in the best way, with a motivational speech from one of our employees. Here, we highlight a focus area for the upcoming week and dive into the reasoning and benefits of this area, in order to increase overall productivity and mindfulness in the workplace. Watch our recent Motivational Monday series to start your week off on the right foot!
