For many companies, January is a downbeat month. After festive celebrations the reality of long dark nights, December’s credit card bills, and seasonal sickness all bite staff.
However, a new year is a new opportunity for employers to set out their plans for the next 12 months and engage with their team.
Forget ping pong and pool tables – how can employers really connect with their staff in 2023?
Even in the best of years, January is a tough month for many. Throw in strikes and a cost of living crisis, and January 2023 may be the epitome of a winter of discontent. For employers wishing to spark momentum though, there are plenty of tactics to energise a team. Rachel Widden from The HR Dept for South East London & North Kent shares some of her best ideas.
Rachel begins: “Plenty is written about Blue Monday and the mental health aspect of mid-winter. It’s a valid topic, but not what I am talking about here. Just as in our personal lives with New Year’s resolutions, January can be a time to set company targets and start leading a team towards meeting them.
“You may well have the goals and a vision sorted – part of an annual routine. Easier to miss is the comms’ part, where you share it all with your employees – the very people you’ll need in order to be successful.
“This may be done in a team meeting, at an event like a group lunch, or even through email or a video call. For it to make a deeper impact, follow up with 1-2-1 meetings outlining how each individual employee can grow and contribute towards wider success.
“With better comms’ flowing, use the opportunity to gauge what staff really want in 2023. This could be during those 1-2-1s or via a staff survey. We all know how quickly the world is changing and what was popular a few years (or even months) ago may not be so desirable, especially when this cost of living crisis is biting.
“This may mean fewer office quirks like an onsite foosball table or yoga classes, and more paid overtime; or a focus on environmental, social and governance matters (ESG). Given how much it costs to heat homes, some may want more of a return to the office after a year or two of flexible working.
“Conversely, maybe they cannot get enough of flexible working and want to explore concepts like the four-day week. This is not to say that you have to bow to every whim. Just make sure you are tuned in to what employees want so you are not wasting money on empty gestures.
“Training and development are perennial winners. They allow employees to feel they are progressing as individuals, whilst you get the productivity benefit of having upskilled staff. Build learning plans into your January discussions with employees as a meaningful way to foster good will and kick-start the year.
“Another way to add energy is to look at how you can introduce further tangible and intangible recognition. Something as simple as a thank you for a job well done is powerful. Why not turbo-charge it by giving employees an opportunity to thank co-workers visibly during team meetings?
“Getting more tangible, if you have the budget, you could offer some cash or gift voucher reward for an employee of the month, or something similar. It will be especially appreciated while everyone’s purse strings are so tight. But remember, any gifts exceeding £50 per head will need to be reported to HMRC and will be taxable under the normal Benefit in Kind rules.
“Feel something more immediate is required? A January social or charity fund-raiser will help bring people together, just when they thought all the bonhomie had ended with the festive season.”
