How to help your remote employees get back on track after the holidays


Holidays are everyone’s favorite part of the year. It is a time to relax, spend days with your family, buy everyone presents, and enjoy some quality time in the festive atmosphere. It is also a time for employees to take a break from work, refill their energy, and get ready for new victories. However, there is always the danger of “relaxing too much”, especially now that everyone is working from their homes. It is a fact that employees often lose efficiency and productivity when working out of the office. With that in mind, let’s see how to help your remote employees get back on track after the holidays style=”text-align: justify;”> without losing on their performance.

Set reachable goals

No one likes to come back to work after a vacation, especially after the holidays. We all spent a few days eating and relaxing, but now it’s time to get back to work. The most important step that will help your remote employees get back on track after the holidays is to set reachable goals. Having a lot on their plate right after a break can affect their mood. With that in mind, it is crucial to give them something they can complete fast. After all, one of the vital qualities of all great leadersOpens in a new tab. is assessing their employees’ capacity.

Get the team energy up

Everyone feels lazy after the holidays. To get their efficiency up, it is essential to raise the team’s energy level. You can do this in a couple of ways:

• team training or team-building exercises

• 1-on-1 meetings with everyone

• recognizing their success

• providing them with an end-of-the-year bonus

Team training or team-building exercises

The best way to get the energy up is through some team-building exercises. You can set an online meeting to talk with everyone, share holiday experiences, or maybe even play some online games. This does not have to be a business meeting, but simply an event that will have everyone participate and bond.

Another good idea is to schedule team training, where they can work on a project together. Give everyone simple assignments and let them cooperate. This can be a good exercise for them to bond and develop some skills that will make them shine in the workplaceOpens in a new tab..

Schedule 1-on-1 meetings

A 1-on-1 meeting is an excellent way to have some alone time with every employee. Talk about how they spent their holidays, and if everything is well. Try to find out if there are any issues and if they are fully ready to come back to work.

Furthermore, you can introduce their work plan for the next period and go over any possible issues. That is a great way to make sure they have enough workload to be productive.

Recognize their success from the previous period

The ultimate way to raise every employee’s energy is to let them know you are aware of their successes from the last period. Recognize them as valuable coworkers. They all spent the entire year working hard, and there is nothing better than a positive word to get them ready for the next year.

A bonus goes a long way

There is nothing as good as getting a financial boost at the start of a new period! If your team had a successful year, this could be an excellent way to help your remote employees get back on track after the holidays. If your budget allows you, that is.

Organizational tips that will help your remote employees get back on track after the holidays

Now that we have covered a couple of good ways to help your employees get their energy up, let’s see what the next steps are.

Start slowly and then get up to speed

We already spoke about setting reachable goals, and this is a great strategy. Even if there is a lot of work to be done, try to divide it into chunks and spread the tasks across a few weeks. If you feel that your employees are ready for more, you can add more assignments. However, it is best to start slowly and then get up to speed.

Help your employees organize their workspace

Change is good, especially after the holidays. It marks the start of something new, something better. If you know some clever ways to refresh the spaceOpens in a new tab. that your employees use for work, share them with the group.

The number one factor that affects the productivity of remote workers is the workspace. If you are looking for ways to boost their efficiency and get them back on track after the holidays, improving that area is the way to go.

Help them organize their work assignments

When you are conducting 1-on-1 meetings, spend some time going over their assignments. Sometimes people need a piece of advice or a suggestion on how to organize their work time, especially after the holidays. The best idea is to ask if they need any help.

Remember to let them know there is no rush for anything and that they have enough time to finish all assignments without pressure.

Build up a relaxed atmosphere

Everyone will feel better if they know there is no pressure after they come back to work. As a leader, you should work on creating a relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable.

Add new useful tools they can use to do their job more effectively

There is nothing better than having all the tools you need to do your job. Speaking from experience, when there is an outage or an application crucial for work is down, there is a lot of pressure between employees. The longer they wait for it to be fixed, the more work piles up. That’s how employees get time issues.

With that said, a good idea is to think about possible tools that could be added to their work environment.

Work on fixing issues from the previous period

If a specific problem needed a solution, make sure it is fixed when the new period starts. That is another excellent way to deal with any pressure or stress your employees feel.

Communicate, communicate, communicate!

In the end, let’s underline the importance of communication, not only in this period but in general. If you wish to help your remote employeesOpens in a new tab. get back on track after the holidays, all communication channels must remain open. Answer any questions or concerns they have, and communicate assignments swiftly and clearly. Let them know you are available whenever they need you. Furthermore, if there is a problem, try to solve it as soon as possible. It is crucial to be transparent about everything. Good luck with leading your team to new victories!

Photos used 

https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-two-person-using-their-gadgets-4065144/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/2021-pink-organizer-with-office-supplies-on-table-5717479/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-diverse-colleagues-stacking-hands-together-during-training-in-office-3931607/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-black-and-white-stripe-shirt-looking-at-white-printer-papers-on-the-wall-212286/

Steve Todd

Steve Todd, founder of Open Sourced Workplace and is a recognized thought leader in workplace strategy and the future of work. With a passion for work from anywhere, Steve has successfully implemented transformative strategies that enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. Through Open Sourced Workplace, he fosters collaboration among HR, facilities management, technology, and real estate professionals, providing valuable insights and resources. As a speaker and contributor to various publications, Steve remains dedicated to staying at the forefront of workplace innovation, helping organizations thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

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