As the year draws to a close, it’s natural for employees to experience a dip in motivation. This is especially the case given how challenging 2021 has been. While it’s understandable for staff to feel like shifting into a lower gear, keeping the energy levels (and productivity) up right until the end can be a real challenge for managers.
To help your team round out the year on a high note, here are five leadership tips focused on how to motivate employees during the final weeks of 2021.
1. Revisit Goals
One of the most effective team motivation ideas is to spend some time reviewing the goals or targets that need to be hit by the year’s end. Consider what is essential and whether there is anything that can be carried over to the next quarter. Then try to break up the bigger goals into smaller manageable milestones, daily ones if possible. This allows employees to achieve a goal each day, which does wonders for their confidence, motivation and productivity.
Keep in mind that having the right people in place is just as crucial for reaching goals as motivating your existing team – especially in the digital transformation space, where specialist skill sets are imperative to project success. Here at First People Recruitment Solutions, we’ve just launched our Technology & Business Change division, so if you’re in urgent need of contingent or contract Technology Leadership, Project Services or Business Transformation staff to help you hit those end-of-year goals, be sure to reach out to us for support.
2. Set Expectations
Once you’ve revised goals or set new ones, it’s important to clearly communicate what is required to your people, especially when it comes to responsibilities. This establishes expectations from the start, so employees understand exactly where they need to go and what is required of them for success.
3. Provide Employees with Regular Feedback
If you don’t provide your staff with regular feedback, now is a good time to increase these intervals. This can help them identify where to focus their efforts to stay on track as they tackle the home stretch, along with giving them a much-needed confidence boost about where they are performing well.
4. Recognise and Reward
The end of the year is an important opportunity to reward staff for the daily efforts they put in to achieve those bigger goals. A survey of HR workers across Australia, the US and the UK by Reward Gateway (a global employee engagement company) found that 63% of employees would rather work for a business where people were regularly thanked for their good work, than for a business that paid 10% more but offered no praise or thanks.
As such, it’s a good idea to find ways to recognise and reward employees often during this last month of the year. It will go a long way towards helping them feel valued and motivated to continue doing their best work.
It’s worth noting that these needn’t be grand gestures. Smaller acts of appreciation, such as a handwritten ‘thank you’ card or email, often matter just as much as the bigger ones.
5. Lead by Example
It’s hard for employees to remain motivated if those around them are flagging too. As a leader, you will likely be looking forward to a break as well, but it’s important to keep modelling to your team that you’re willing to go that extra mile to help them hit those year-end goals.
Seeing the energy and dedication coming from those at the top can give people the encouragement they need to make that final push to the Christmas break.
Summary
We hope these five employee motivation tips will be beneficial in helping your people remain focused on achieving their goals in the last weeks of the year.
If you’d like to chat further about any of this advice – or if you’re in search of hardworking people who will see your business through in 2022 – feel free to get in touch with our team of and non-Indigenous recruitment specialists today. We’re here to assist you in securing some of the best talent in Australia, so you can build a skilled and dedicated team that will help your organisation achieve its goals all year long!
