The summer break is a time to relax, celebrate, re-energise and spend quality time with friends and family. It also allows people to reflect on their job and career.
Employees across the country have asked themselves: Is it the right job for me? Am I working for the right company?
What improvements can I make? What can I do differently to be happier at work? Or, they may decide it’s time to leave and will disengage while they look for a new job.
According to the Randstad Workmonitor report, just under a third (31%) of Australian workers will be considering a job change.
Increased mobility within the workforce is most often seen during the first quarter of each year – it is then that people tend to resolve uncertainties and change jobs to progress in their careers. Employers must identify negative feelings after the break and develop plans to inspire their workforce.
Employers must quickly identify loyal, high performers and flight risks to reduce the risk of movement within the workforce. The right strategies must be implemented to ensure the best talent is retained, motivated, managed and attracted, giving employees a solid start to the year.
As a starting point, employees must return to work from holidays feeling welcomed, comfortable, valued in their role and confident in the year ahead. With Australia Day marking the end of the Silly Season, people must understand it as the final ‘hoorah’ before everyone gets back into full swing.
Post Australia Day, business leaders should focus on getting employees on board, reminding everyone of short and long-term goals and setting people up for a successful and rewarding 2015.
Here are a few tips to help fire up your workforce post-Australia Day:
officially kick off the year
Kick off the year with an ‘Astraya Day’, themed breakfast meeting. Share the 2015 plans - demonstrating where they can contribute to help achieve business and team goals, making every employee feel valued for their role.
Encourage brainstorming and sharing ideas for how you can take the business forward and improve on what you did last year. If the first meeting grabs people’s attention and is fun and creative while also setting clear expectations and getting people revved up, it’s a job well done.
laser focus individuals
Everyone is different, so treat them as such. One man’s motivation can be another person’s nightmare. Sit down with each employee and discuss their goals for the year and what they want to achieve. Do they want to expand their knowledge, upskill in critical areas or receive a promotion?
Put plans in place to help them achieve their goals with key performance indicators they need.
A motivated workforce has a target to hit.
work hard but remember to have fun
Some of us will take a bit longer to get back into the swing of things at work, and many will long be outside in the sun. So while the weather is warm and the sun is shining, go out for lunch or a coffee break with the team to reconnect with each other as you head into a busy year.
Remember, a happy, lively, supportive and dynamic environment is a great way to maintain job satisfaction and prevent staff from looking for greener pastures.
