The Tribune

Christmas is finally and officially here. A time of joy, celebration, food and festivities. The most effective and successful companies are continually finding ways to give back through corporate social responsibility as well as spreading Christmas cheer to employees. This week’s column focuses on some last-minute suggestions for how small businesses can participate in the holiday spirit.

1 Give the Gift of Giving

Think out-of-the-box for a productive holiday season. Christmas is the perfect time of the year to engage the team in a special charity project. We do not have to look very far to find many companies and people in desperate need of support.

2 Personalise Gifts for Employees

Personalising employee gifts adds an element of genuine empathy that simply cannot be matched by a one-size-fits-all gift. The only note of caution here is to ensure that each of the gifts are close in value as employees will be comparing them.

3 Consider a holiday ‘off’ day

Nothing beats allowing employees time to spend with family. A free paid day goes a long way in telling staff how much you appreciate them and value work-life balance. Remember... a happy worker works harder.

4 Bring the Team Together

Find the true meaning of Christmas by bringing employees together to celebrate what they have accomplished together professionally, as well as on a personal level. People love to eat, especially during the holidays. So do something special at the office to enjoy all the delicious goodies that are available during Christmas. Do all in your power to make the office celebration fun and exciting.

5 Make a Human Connection

One of the big advantages of Christmas, which promotes goodwill to all, is that employers have a pretext to wander around having non-work-related conversations with all staff. Now is the time to demonstrate that companies see employees as human beings rather than units of labour by asking about their families and holiday plans. There are few things more motivating for an employee than knowing their employer has a genuine interest in their lives, and there are few better opportunities to demonstrate this than during the festive season.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organisations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@ coralwave.com.