Springtime has arrived! The days are getting warmer, and the outside world is looking brighter, so it’s pretty fair to assume that our motivation and productivity are improving too, right?
Well, say hello to the infamous ‘spring slump'!
Despite the feeling that the world is waking up around us, this is often the time of year that we start to see a dip in employee performance in the workplace, resulting from seasonal change.
In addition to this seasonal shift, we’re also still dealing with the effects of the global pandemic on our ability to socialize and the subsequent effects of long-term remote working on our mental health.
So, amidst all the change, how can companies better navigate the spring slump and keep employees engaged, connected, and healthy?
Below, we’ve collated some top tips to help your company get creative in showing your employees that you care.
Check-In on Your Employees
Around this time of year, people might lack focus or direction which can ultimately impact employee retention.
This is the perfect time of year to check in on them using an employee motivation platform.
Not only does this show that you care, but it also helps you to prioritize any well-being initiatives that you might want to implement.
Here are some ways that you can check in:
- Send out a survey to gain feedback on what wellness initiatives employees would like to see. This helps gauge interest and see what is and isn’t working, which can also keep you budget-friendly!
- Schedule goal-setting workshops between employees, managers, and HR, to realign and refresh goals. This in itself might reveal any gaps in training or learning that can be fulfilled but can also reignite the spark.
- Offer drop-in slots via zoom to allow employees to voice any concerns they might have. This encourages people to speak out if they’re feeling unmotivated or low and can improve emotional connection.
Give Your Employees a Motivation Platform for Health
Find ways to offer more than just workload to your employees. Offering memberships or discounted rates to gyms and classes could make all the difference to their attitude towards work.
After all, physical exercise improves our mental well-being, and releases our ‘happy endorphins’, helping us to manage stress and improve productivity and motivation.
Read more: How to Promote Holistic Health Practices Amid the Lockdown
Via an employee motivation platform, you could schedule free virtual yoga and meditation classes for people to join on their lunch break. People often need encouragement to step away from their work when working remotely. Encouraging active breaks removes the guilt and is a healthy alternative!
Consider giving employees an app for their wellbeing at work that covers all aspects of health, fitness, nutrition, and mental health. You could also use it to stay engaged with them with something that isn’t totally work-related, while still embedding your company’s identity into their daily routines.
You could use an employee motivation platform with wellness health content to run weekly or monthly challenges, lunchtime guest talks, and set alerts for things like nutrition, stretching, or the benefits of yoga and meditation.
If you’re on a tight budget, implementing a weekly or monthly newsletter can be an easy way to reach out to your employees during the spring slump. You can still give tips on daily stretching and ideas around nutrition and well-being.
Offer Flexi-Working
Working from home can instill a little virtual guilt. We’re often a little too close to the fridge and the bed, with our home offices somewhere in between those two seductive spaces.
With our home and work life combined, we are far less likely to step away and switch off, both physically and mentally. This makes it very easy for workplace boundaries to become blurred, resulting in over-tired and less productive employees!
Flexi-hours accommodate the specific and unique needs of an employee. This helps you retain employees and build loyalty – and also think of it as a crucial way to attract new talent who value themselves.
After all, an employee is not just a worker. Their lifestyles revolve around childcare, personal ambitions, and other things to take into consideration. So, when applying for a job, they’re more likely to prioritize your company over a company that only accommodates traditional working hours.
This can produce far happier, more productive, and engaged employees, according to the World Health Organisation .
App-Up
While working remotely can feel lonely, there are plenty of ways that technology can encourage social connection. Schedule a monthly ‘social’ to help bring people together. This could be a great way to combine a company progress update with some fun.
You could also provide employees a motivation platform with an easy-to-use app that allows them to quickly check in on their health while working. Access to a digital health and wellness app equips employees with a platform that can improve both their physical and mental well-being, all in one place.
For example, the Virtuagym corporate health software suite includes:
- Nutritional and fitness tracking
- Home workouts
- Gamification
- Forum community
- Wellness tips
Your employees won’t have to look elsewhere when looking for guidance and will have fitness at the touch of an app – provided by you! It’s a way to show you care while making a real difference in your employees’ lives.
Put Your Words Into Action
Understanding your responsibilities as an employer remains incredibly important to meet the needs of your employees, so make sure you take your share of responsibility in promoting a healthy working environment.
Many companies tout their values, mission statements, and other guiding principles, but rarely act on them when push comes to shove. Throughout the pandemic, desk-bound workers found their health plummeting , and some employers found it difficult to step up during these unprecedented times. The result is not just a loss of trust, but also lower productivity among your workforce.
Ensure you’re aware of any legal obligations which you might have towards your employees, such as ergonomics, insurance policies, or compassionate leave.
Start by swatting up on anything you’re legally obliged to provide for employees. This can help you to differentiate between what is genuinely expected of you as an employer and what can help you to go above and beyond for your employees.
Escaping the Spring Slump Can Save You Loads in Revenue
A survey conducted by Deloitte found that 78% of professionals have experienced ‘workplace burnout’ and believe their employers should provide more tools and support to combat stress.
Workplace stress, according to recent research, costs US businesses up to $300bn a year and remains one of the biggest health issues found within the workplace.
Navigating the spring slump and taking actionable steps to empower your employees will save you money. Healthy employees = happy employees; it’s as simple as that.
To learn more about how software can help you achieve your employee motivation goals, make sure to hop by our corporate health software page .
