For most business owners, the holiday season can be a chance to boost revenue by offering special bundle sets and gift card deals; but for some business owners, this can also be a challenging time. In addition to facing days when your business will be closed, there is also an increase in staff vacation requests which can make holiday employee scheduling more difficult.
One subject not often talked about this time of year is employee appreciation. There is no time better than the holidays to show your loyal team members you value them all through the year. Not all employee appreciation efforts need to be extremely costly, either.
This month, I have a few suggestions for ways you can reward your employees for their hard work and dedication to your business.
A Paid Day Off: The holidays are a busy time for everyone, and that includes your employees. One of the nicest things you can offer them is a day off with pay. If you are short-staffed right now, then offer a day they can take off in the first quarter of next year. Your team members will appreciate the opportunity to have a “free day” they can take without needing to give the boss an explanation.
Spa Day: Treat your staff to a mani/pedi! The guys and girls alike will enjoy the time away from work to chat and be pampered while you, as the owner or manager, will get some quality bonding time with your team. Plus, who doesn’t want their nails done before the holidays? I recommend doing this on a Sunday when you can close your doors a little early (don’t forget to let your customers know!) and schedule the services ahead of time with a local nail salon so they have the staff needed to accommodate your group.
Break Room Bonus: This is fun to do and much appreciated by your staff any time of year, but you can make it extra special for the holidays. Surprise them by stocking the salon break room with snacks, drinks and decorations. If you want to take it a step further, you can wrap gift boxes with little prizes inside that correspond with retail sales incentives. For example, if you are offering a holiday lotion bundle, you could wrap a gift with a gift tag attached that reads “TO: The salesperson who sells ____ (number) of holiday lotion bundles!” They will be excited to open the gift and find out what they can win. It can be anything from a cute Starbucks cup, a gift card for a restaurant your team members frequent or even the lotion bundle itself. Having multiple gift boxes like this to correspond with different deals you offer throughout the month of December will keep your staff engaged, plus give them extra gifts to open!
We all know that engaged and motivated staff increase profitability. There are always ways to show our employees that we value them – without breaking the bank. Sometimes, you just have to get a little creative.
I want to wish everyone a safe and fun holiday season!
