As the holidays approach, your senior care workers will get busy with festivities. From planning, to shopping, to socializing and everything in between, work starts to take a back seat to the holiday season. The problem is, your residents still deserve a high level of care, and it’s up to your senior care workers to deliver it. So what can you do to help your employees stay engaged with their work as their motivation slips?

Five ways to encourage hard work during the holidays

The key to staff productivity is to balance equal parts fun, management support and clear expectations.

make it easy for your staff to understand what you expect of them, provide the feedback they need to do a good job, and introduce opportunities for fun and work-life balance into the workday. Consider any of the following:

  1. Plan ahead for time off. Everyone wants time to spend with their loved ones during the holiday season. Being stuck at work and unable to do this can be incredibly demotivating. So, in advance of the holidays, have a meeting with your senior care staff to ensure everyone gets some time off, and all shifts are covered.
  2. You can put employees and residents in a festive, upbeat mood by decorating your facility. Everyone can take part during regularly scheduled breaks, or take short rotating breaks to get the job done. It’s something fun and lighthearted, and a good way to spread holiday cheer—helping your staff love where they work.
  3. Don’t skimp on regular meetings. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, don’t let your 1:1 meetings with your workers fall by the wayside. Feedback on their performance is how your workers can measure their progress and know whether they’re doing a good job so they can take steps to improve their performance or keep up the good work.
  4. Bring treats. The holidays usher in piles of delicious treats loved by all. Coffee and pastries, cookies or a special employee lunch shows your workers you care and you want them to be happy year ‘round. This can add to job satisfaction and productivity.
  5. Encourage wellness. The added stress of holiday commitments on top of work can cause your workers to get run down. This can lead to decreased performance and sick leave. So during the holidays, more than any other time of year, encourage your workers to take good care of themselves through nutrition, hydration, stress management and plenty of rest.

Looking to staff up for the holidays?

If you need to cover employee leaves of absence or simply need more workers, contact Clinical Resources. We’ll help you find and place the right candidates for your open job opportunities. To learn more, contact our experienced staffing experts today!