Anyone with a bank account knows that as happy as the holidays are, they certainly aren’t cheap. With the holiday parties, gift giving, and traveling upon us, it’s more demanding than ever to “bring home the bacon.” For many people, a “9 to 5” job is not the pinnacle of what they look forward to. However, most people wake up every morning, put a smile on their face, and head to work. Although work is a necessity, there are ways to make going to work an enjoyable experience for your employees. In light of the season, here are a few Christmas songs that lay out some of the ways I’ve seen my current employer, American Name Services, develop happy employees.
“All I Want for Christmas is You”
Make your employees feel like they are exactly the person you want on your team. From day one, I knew that my manager had hired me because she believed I could be a contributing member. I knew that I had value to my manager and to the business. This type of reception doesn’t just fill an employee with warm fuzzies. It also sets the stage for a reciprocation of loyalty and commitment. Because you feel valued and wanted, you’re willing to give your position extra effort with a sense of ownership.
“I’ll be home for Christmas”
More than being home for Christmas, businesses that encourage a healthy home-life balance and personal development will have happier employees. I was shocked on my first day at American Name Services to see that the moment (and I mean moment) the clock struck five everyone stopped working, said “have a good night,” and headed home. This commitment to the schedule was reinforced by managers and coworkers who encouraged hard work while on the clock, but then leaving that work at work. As employees consistently focus on being fully present at home or at work, they will perform better in both circumstances.
“Frosty the Snowman”
Frosty was obviously quite an extraordinary snowman, but what really made him special? It wasn’t his perfectly pointy carrot nose or his remarkably large upper third—it was that old fleece hat. Without it, he was like any other snowman. But given the right tools and resources, he was able to do quite spectacular things. Employers who provide their employees with the resources to succeed will find they are happier and produce “Frosty” caliber work. These resources can be physical things such as competent computers and communication platforms but also includes resources like adequate time to learn and develop. I’ve felt my skills sharpen at American Name Services as I am given the time each week to develop skills and learn about new subjects to grow professionally.
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
Are you the type of person who starts thinking about the holidays and playing festive music right after Halloween? Then you know the energy and excitement that builds as things begin to look a lot like Christmas. In the same way, giving employees things to look forward to will increase their enthusiasm for work. At American Name Services, this is in the form of company-wide Friday activities, daily bingo, and employee BBQs. This could also be in the form of incentivized sales goals, after work get-togethers, and more. Ultimately, giving your employees something to look forward to will help give them a year-round pre-holiday buzz.
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
Something about knowing “Santa Claus is coming to town” gets people excited and definitely on their best behavior. It may be the fact that there’s a behavior list being checked twice, but also just the excitement of the arrival of the one behind it all. Likewise, an employer who regularly “comes to town” to interact with and get to know individual employees will find that the time spent with employees is motivating for the employee and certainly keeps everyone on the nice list. At American Name Services, the executives, and even the owner, are regular visitors and personally engage with each employee—from the marketing manager to the part-time intern.
Although not everyone is going to love working, it is possible to help your employees love their job. By doing simple things like showing your employees how much you value them, enabling a healthy home-life balance, providing needed resources, giving positive incentives to look forward to, and regularly interacting with your employees, you can have employees as giddy as kids on Christmas morning. Happy Holidays!