During the holidays, employee morale and productivity can either dip or it can skyrocket. If you’re a business owner or a manager, it’s up to you to ensure your employees stay engaged in their everyday tasks. The holidays can be rough on some, but there’s also no better time to show your team they are valued. If your employee feels valued, they will take pride in their work. Here are 7 easy ways to keep your employees engaged through the holidays.

1. Holiday Gift Exchange

Everybody enjoys giving and receiving gifts during the holidays. This doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. Host a holiday gift exchange between coworkers. Everybody can come together with an inexpensive, silly, or even meaningful gift to exchange. This is a great way to build employee morale and forge connections between coworkers.

2. What Do Employees Really Want?

When thinking of holiday gifts, think of what your employees really want. Have they been working early hours and late nights? Gift them something that shows you see and appreciate their efforts. It doesn’t always have to be a tangible gift. It can be something as simple as an extra PTO day or a grocery store gift card to help feed their families.

3. Themed Party or Potluck During Work Hours

The holidays are a fun time to boost employee morale by hosting over-the-top holiday events. There are a variety of different themed parties you can host that bring employees together. They can pass dishes and get dressed up. It’s a great way for you to learn about your team. It’s also a great way to bond a team together. When a team feels connected, they’ll feel more passionate about the tasks at hand.

4. Give the Gift of Your Time

During the holidays, employees just want to be heard. They want to know that they’re loved and cared about. It can be hard for people to spend time away from their families and at work during the holidays. Their work tends to suffer along with productivity during this time period. A little appreciation can go a long way in keeping employees engaged and focused.

5. Think of Their Families

Most employees have families of their own. It means a lot to an employee when a boss or manager takes time to learn about their family and home life. Oftentimes, people are at work because they are building a foundation and a life for themselves. When a boss acknowledges this and makes that person feel special, it really shows because that person now has a greater sense of pride in what they do.

6. Create Friendly Competition

During the holidays, productivity can decrease, but thankfully there are ways to counteract this. You can create friendly competitions and even offer prizes to keep employees connected to their work and to each other. This is a great way to give employees something easy to look forward to at work each day. You can switch things up daily and weekly to keep employees entertained while simultaneously working hard.

7. Let People Enjoy Things

Above all else, let your staff enjoy things during this time. You can embrace the giving spirit of the holidays by allowing them to have a little fun. There are so many easy things you can do from decorating a small office space to hosting holiday competitions between coworkers. Be kind to your staff and let them have a bit more grace during this time period. It will show in productivity overall.