Employees must 'improve motivation' over winter months

Date: 13/11/2009

Winter can be a notoriously impactful time on an office's motivation, particularly in light of an often overlooked consequence of darker mornings and evenings, according to one organisation.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects around seven per cent of the UK's population, according to Personnel Surveys, which then used it as part of a wider point: that businesses, alongside incentive and recognition, ought to use other things in order to enhance employee morale.

The company said that brighter colours around the workplace are always a good start, while ensuring that breaks outdoors during the day are taken by employees may also aid the creation of a better environment.

Furthermore, making Christmas into a team-building corporate event will also improve things hugely, Personnel Surveys continued.

It said to embrace the cheesiness of it, adding: "Play music in the run up to Christmas. Have an advent calendar with special treats behind each door, with the most successful employee of the day getting to open it.

"Moods will instantly rise when Christmas is brought into the workplace."

Earlier in the month, McKinsey Quarterly revealed that employees sometimes prefer non-financial motivators instead of monetary rewards, meaning businesses ought to be more creative with their incentives and recognition schemes.

Posted by Michael Ewing

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