2020 has indeed put every employee engagement tactic to the test. Companies have had to work twice as hard to engage employees in order to keep workplace satisfaction and positivity at a decent (if not high) level. Now that the holiday season is upon us, companies are forced to find new ways to engage in order to keep their employees in high spirits during the ongoing pandemic.
During tough times, it’s essential to recognize and empower your employees, as they can be your saving grace when you need them the most. As the holiday season approaches, employees work more and put in those extra hours so the company can have a strong finish to the year revenue-wise. It is at this time that companies need to find more creative ways to fight disengagement during the holidays.
Here are 3 main tips to keep in mind when formulating a holiday engagement strategy:
- Video, video, video, and video
The average weekly hours of video watched increased drastically from 2.6M (2019) to 4.6M (2020) — peaking at 5.7M during the week of April 27th’20. Since early March of 2020, there’s been a year over year increase of 120%.
As a result of working remotely and distancing from others in general, creating streaming videos and video conferencing has become the primary medium for engagement activities. It’s not a new fact that video is the most viewed form of content, and in particular this year it has been taken advantage of even more. While video will not be used as much for work purposes as it is for personal use, because it is the highest used medium for content viewing, there is a big opportunity for it to make just as much of an impact in the workplace. So use video, have your holiday parties online, and exchange presents and well wishes over video conferences. Try this twist of Secret Santa: Give each employee the name of a fellow employee and have them send them a video with a Christmas message and what they admire about them. Or maybe theme it around a New Year’s resolution. The goal is, to try to find ways to boost positivity where each employee can lift the spirits of another.
2. Giving Back
According to the Center of Infectious Disease Research and Policy, America has lost 20.6 million jobs since mid-March, resulting in an unemployment rate of 14.7%, a level not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
One of the greatest things you can do is be grateful for still having a job. And the best way to do that is by giving back. There are so many that lost their jobs and are going to be struggling during the holidays, and if we are employed, it is our duty to show compassion and give back since we are in a position to do so. Hold charitable drive-throughs, where your employees can come and drop off things they want to donate, hold a charity potluck where each employee makes one dish and donates it to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. If people are able to then donate money, as a company, match the donation your employees made. Whatever you do, create a campaign around it, create a hashtag, have everyone take videos and post it, make them post it both internally and externally so that everyone sees and it inspires others to do the same.
3. Recognize and appreciate your employees
According to Harvard Business Review, 40% of employed Americans will put more energy into their work if they were recognized more often.
Recognition is the simplest and most effective way to boost employee morale. Take the extra step to recognize each employee in a unique way. Get team managers involved as they will know what makes each team member unique and will know what they like and respond to. While cash bonuses may be tough for some companies to give, there are alternates – a little basket of goodies with a heartful and appreciative message delivered to your doorstep can go a long way in terms of recognizing and appreciating.
While the main goal for every business is to maximize revenue and keep growing, this year we need to be thankful for everything that we have, we need to be thankful for the employees that we have and do our best to give back as much as we have received. This will help us pave a path to a better 2021 with a highly engaged employee population ready to take on the year and work at optimal potential.
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