What are holiday ideas to keep your retail team happy and motivated?

It’s that time of year again. Everyone is preparing for the holiday season, which usually means that retail employees face long hours and increasing stress levels, as their employers gear up for the busiest time of the year. To take full advantage of the typical shopping frenzy, retail businesses must find ways to motivate and hold onto their sales team during this time. Here are some top ways to do just that:

Understand What Motivates Your Team

Everyone wants different things out of life, and understanding what your top retail employees want will help you hold onto them and motivate them. For instance, one employee may be saving for some large personal purchase and will be motivated by cash bonuses, overtime pay, or other monetary reward. However, another retail team member may value flexibility and be willing to work long hours around a family schedule.

If you have a few top employees you really want to keep, it’s worth customizing incentives. If you’re managing a large group of seasonal retail employees, this may not be practical. In this case, here are some ideas that can be better applied to the masses.

Be Present

If you’re a manager or an owner, be a good example by going above and beyond during this holiday season. Work the same hours you expect your team to work. Although it’s important to stay in your supervisory role and provide the tools your team needs to do their jobs, pitch in and help with whatever jobs need to be done during a hectic period. Step up if you see a team member struggling to locate inventory items. Your team will respect you and work harder for you.

Organize Schedules Thoughtfully

A long shift can be much easier if you take scheduled breaks, eat regularly, and have different tasks scheduled throughout. Don’t leave one person on a cash register for an entire shift; instead, have that individual do a job in the stockroom or some merchandising as well.

Keep It Light

Working hard is always easier when you’re working with fun, energizing people. Set up an environment that includes games, theme days, treats, and other little things that can keep the day light. Happy employees mean a happy store, which can also translate to happy customers.

Be Spontaneous

Carry around a pocket full of $20 gift cards, and when you notice an employee going above and beyond, reward them spontaneously. You might be able to trade gift certificates or cards with other local retailers who are interested in doing the same thing.

Add Flexibility to Work Schedules

Obviously, you’ll need to keep your shop well-staffed during the busy season. However, be generous with flexibility and you’ll probably find employees more willing to work additional weekend or evening shifts. Being able to take an afternoon off to see a child’s Christmas school play may motivate a parent to work the next weekend. Other employees may appreciate being able to take a morning off to do their own shopping during off-times and be happy to work the evening in exchange. Think outside the box and help your team have the ability to take an hour or two off here or there during the holiday season.

Creating Team Building Experiences

Be sure to bring your retail employees together to build relationships outside of work. This may include a paid community service project, where a team serves a meal at a homeless shelter or helps with some renovation project at a local charity.

After the busy season has passed, be sure to celebrate with a big party. A nice meal or a fun white elephant gift exchange can be a great reward after weeks of hard work.