How To Ease Employees Out Of Their Summer Slump

Employees at all levels—from individual contributors up to the C-suite—have likely fallen prey to the doldrums of summer…

It can be a good time for a bit of rest and recharging. But with most organizations’ busiest time of the year just around the corner, leaders and managers need to put their own summer slump behind them to get their workforce motivated for success.

It may be tempting to take advantage of the changing job market to pump the brakes a bit on the people strategy; after all, the Great Resignation is gradually fading into the background as talk of the “Big Stay” emerges. If workers are more inclined to stay put, especially with economic uncertainty abounding, people leaders may not be as motivated to break a sweat reaching their recruiting and retention goals. However, that could be a costly mistake.

Employees today want to work for a company with strong purpose and values, with empathetic leadership, with a clear investment in employees and their growth. Even if they may be more hesitant to leave for greener pastures, the events of the last few years have fundamentally changed what the workforce wants—and if employers aren’t meeting those expectations, engagement will plummet, which can hurt the bottom line. After all, when workers feel they’re contributing to a greater mission, have their voices heard, and can see a path for themselves, they’re going to do their best work—and that benefits both the employee and the organization!

So, how can people teams shake their workforces out of the summer slump to finish off the year on a high note? Here are a few actionable ideas:

Set Q4 Goals

Even though we’re not quite done with the third quarter, Q4 will be here before we know it. And that reality can be a great motivator to get your workforce back in the game this fall. Start laying out what you want your teams and individual workers to accomplish for the last quarter of the year. Knowing what’s expected of them—and how those goals connect back to larger organizational objectives—can help reignite the fire that may have dimmed over the lazy summer months.

Invite Feedback

Engagement and empowerment go hand in hand. When employees feel invited into the business process, they’re going to be more likely to invest in it—and give their best work! Invite workers, for instance, to help envision how to carry out those Q4 goals or share suggestions for the next best recognition strategy. And importantly, listen! When workers can see their ideas come to life, they’re going to feel more connected to the company and be more inclined to stay engaged with their work, their team, and the organization.