During the summer, companies experience a slowdown in productivity. Learn how to take advantage of the summer season to boost productivity and handle the “back to school” season more efficiently.
Productivity in the Summer
During the summer, many businesses – apart from, those specializing in tourism – experience a decline in activity. Customers, suppliers and employees take time off and the whole life of the company is affected! The heat that usually marks the months of July and August also has consequences on the morale and motivation of employees. In fact, high temperatures tend to cause increased fatigue as well as decreased alertness and concentration.
According to a survey conducted in 2015 by the recruitment firm Robert Half, 89% of Administrative and Financial Directors believe that July and August have an impact on the smooth running of business and 32.5% note a slowdown in work. A study conducted by Captivate Network supports these results and reveals that, during the summer season, employee productivity drops by 20%. As for the level of distraction, it reaches 45%!
4 tips to boost productivity during the summer months
1- Take care of your employees
To compensate for the drop in concentration caused by the heat, the first thing to do is to take care of the working environment in which employees work. It should be noted that the Labour Code requires employers to make fresh drinking water available to employees and to renew the air in the work premises in order to avoid an excessive rise in temperatures. The installation of a fresh water fountain and a fan or air conditioning system are essential to making sure employees don’t suffer from the heat. Green plants can also help make offices more pleasant during the summer months.
2 – Use your time wisely
Instead of suffering through the downturn in activity, it can be interesting to use it to your advantage. The absence of certain colleagues means that one is often less solicited during this period. This means you can take advantage of that extra time to take care of tasks that you might tend to neglect during the year and stay updated on upcoming work. Sorting e-mails, putting away files, working on an abandoned project or putting your desk in order are all things you complain about not having the time to do! Using that spare time wisely could help you become more efficient a daily basis.
3 – Work on your professional relationships
Summer can also be a good time to strengthen your professional network. When sunny weather arrives, we tend to take longer work breaks. Those moments are the ideal time to build relationships with employees you don’t know as well and invite prospects or customers to lunch.
4 – Prepare for “back to school”
Boosting productivity during the summer season to ensure a successful return to work isn’t unrealistic. The summer gives us the chance to review organizational formats and set up new more efficient habits. It’s the perfect time to plan new projects and develop a vision for the coming year so that we can be ready for that first day back from the summer holiday. It is also the perfect time to take up a training course to acquire new skills before work picks up again in the fall. Finally, you can take advantage of this slow period to reorganize business intelligence by finding new sources and choosing more precise axes by identifying new influencers and keywords.
Holidays are an essential breather for employees
But “what is the use of holidays“, that everyone is always looking forward to? This is the question Taïna Cluzeau asked herself. She explains that holidays guarantee workers’ efficiency, quoting sociologist Jean Viard, who states that, “taking breaks is necessary for productivity. To believe that we produce a lot because we work a lot is absurd.”
A study carried out by the Society for Human Resource Management revealed that 77% of HR managers note that employees who take the most holidays are also the most productive. This is why the concept of unlimited holidays is attracting more and more companies and start-ups. By offering employees the possibility for better work-life balance, employers can improve overall efficiency.
In conclusion, boosting productivity during the summer also means giving yourself a moment to take a breather which will, without the slightest effort, naturally serve your interests when work picks back up again.
What are your tips to boost your productivity? Tell us in comment !
