HR Holiday Mindset

It's holiday season everyone! Yay!!! This means decorations, holiday music, charity events, lights, holiday work parties, and lots and lots of cookies. I for one have always been in a happy mood during this time of year. I love bundling up in comfy sweaters, watching movies with family, enjoying home cooked meals, and drinking hot chocolate like it’s my job.

Speaking of jobs… who is excited for working during this season? If you are holiday obsessed like me, you will be anticipating the holidays with a huge smile every day at work. However, in all seriousness, the holidays can be difficult for people who have family members serving overseas, have lost loved ones during this time, or who just don’t enjoy this time of year. From an HR standpoint, I think managers must be more mindful, self-aware, and emotionally intelligent during this season.

As HR professionals, we must display our appreciation for employees. We can do this by expressing gratitude through a reward and recognition program or a casual conversation. The holidays are hectic for everyone, so this is a good time of year to make certain employees know they are valued despite busy schedules and deadlines. Let’s invest in, attract, develop, and retain our talent with a promise to make this time of year more exciting! Part of the retention process involves having candid feedback conversations about employee values, personal or professional hindrances, and growth. During the holiday season, we must become self-aware of our actions, words, and how they affect our employees.

Let’s make a conscious effort to ensure a happy holiday season for employees by keeping them engaged and positive!

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Megan Peiffer is a Graduate Assistant in the Graduate HRD program at Villanova University. She serves as the Director of Corporate Relations for VUSHRM. Connect with her on LinkedIn!