Twenty percent.

That’s how much employee engagement tends to drop during the summer months, as the warmer weather, school breaks, vacations, and other seasonal distractions kick in. Can you blame people? But at the same time, you need to keep your workforce focused and your business on track.

Employee engagement is closely linked to productivity, as well as people’s loyalty and commitment to your company. What steps can you take to keep things running smoothly for the next three months?

Keeping Your Employees Engaged This Summer Season!

Keep Work Passion High

Employee work passion is best described as a positive emotional state of mind resulting from people’s perceptions that they’re doing worthwhile work, have autonomy in their roles, are members of strong, collaborative teams, and are consistently offered growth opportunities and recognition. Needless to say, a high level of work passion, regardless of the season, is closely tied to engagement.

• It’s important to help employees develop their passion while maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Don’t let this priority slip away during the dog days of summer.

Check-In Regularly With Your Employees

Keep dialogue and two-way feedback flowing by checking in regularly with your team members. It doesn’t have to be formal or overly structured; in fact, a casual conversation at an employee’s desk can often be extremely helpful. They give managers an additional forum to assess and respond promptly to issues, questions, and any other performance issues that may arise.

• Keep in mind that summer may present its own unique challenges, as more people tend to be on vacation or taking personal time off – leaving their colleagues to pick up the slack. Or, employees may be struggling to juggle childcare during summer break. Through ongoing two-way communication, you can identify these issues and put the necessary motions in place to resolve them at an early stage.

Summer Can Be a Great Time for a Pulse Survey

Pulse surveys differ from traditional, 360, onboarding, or exit surveys in that they are not as long and target specific aspects of an employee’s experience. An optimal time for a pulse survey is shortly after a management check-in. By asking the right questions, you can gather actionable information and data in real-time and use it to address any seasonal lulls in performance or engagement.

Celebrate The Season

Make the very best of summer at your company by keeping schedules as flexible as possible and ensuring that employees take their vacations. Even the most ardent workaholics – in fact, often these workers in particular – need a break and a chance to refresh. Other ways for seasonal fun, relaxation, and balance include:

• Meeting for drinks after work.
• Having a company picnic
• Sponsoring teams and competitions.
• Planning field trips to sporting events and other venues.

Looking to Continue Building a Winning Workforce? KeyHR Can Help!

KeyHR is committed to helping you build your winning workforce and keep your employees engaged, productive, and loyal, year-round. To learn more, contact us today.