You probably already know that the festive season is the most profitable yet challenging time of year for retail and hospitality businesses, with over 50% generating their highest revenue during this period.
If you didn’t know that, looking at the crowds in every high street and shop would probably draw you to that conclusion anyway.
Sounds superb, from a business owner's point of view. But with pressure heightened, managers must motivate teams, so service standards don't slip. They must also ensure their teams don’t suffer from burnout and support their staff in a more hands-on way than they probably would the rest of the year. Here's how to retain staff engagement and support those hard workers this festive period.
Firstly, leaders must demonstrate empathy and support. The festive rush is intensely stressful as staff graft long hours on their feet to meet heightened customer demand. Managers should regularly check in one-on-one to see how employees are coping with the extended hours and additional workload. Simply taking the time to ask, "How are you doing?" and "What support can I provide?" shows you care. Also, remember to show appreciation and validate teams' efforts with a simple "Thank you for all your hard work".
Additionally, ensure thorough training is provided so staff feel capable of meeting targets. With temp employees hired, all team members need substantial product knowledge and customer service training before the December rush. Build in refresher coaching sessions leading up to peak trading days like Black Friday and the days before Christmas. Confident, well-equipped staff will provide better service.
Next, incentivise great team performance by collaboratively setting realistic targets with rewards like service-related bonuses, extra holiday allowance and complimentary breakfast during busy shifts. Perhaps offer a team night out when things calm down a bit if targets are hit? A mixture of individual and team-related targets works best for maximum effort. Engaged, motivated teams strive for targets when there are meaningful rewards.
Finally, reassure staff they have long-term backing. Provide personal development plans for each employee leading into 2024. This shows people they are invested beyond the festive season as retained talent is vital for companies year-round. Offer training courses to help develop their skills. This has the added bonus of boosting their resilience for the upcoming year – they’ll soon be taking the holiday season in their stride.
The key is showing staff support through open communication, validation, and appropriate training so your team stays upbeat and engaged these challenging few weeks. Empathy, time to breathe, and quality training really help. Follow the advice above and your team will feel motivated and valued throughout this festive season and beyond.
To help equip your staff over this profitable yet demanding season, consider downloading our free Festive Productivity Power Kit below!
We’ve created a bundle of useful resources and bitesize training courses in our Festive Productivity Power Kit that you can download for FREE today. They only take a few precious minutes and can help your staff be prepared for whatever comes next. Get yours now! Get in touch with us or try iAM Learning for yourself - get started today!
