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Posted: Thu 1st Jan 2026
Last updated: Thu 1st Jan 2026
5 min read
Returning to work after the festive season, a long wait until payday and more uncertainty for the year ahead. It's no surprise that January is one of the worst months for low morale.
It's also one of most popular months to look for new jobs. With a reported 69% of people considering changing jobs in the coming months, this is a serious concern for employers.
If you employ staff, how do you keep them motivated after Christmas? Here are some of our tips…
Since hybrid and remote working boomed, communication with employees has been vital, both in the workplace and remotely. Keep them informed of your business plans for the year ahead to provide reassurance.
Working from home, hybrid working or fully back into the workplace? We're all now accustomed to things changing at the drop of a hat. The key is to be prepared for these instances and understand what your staff want.
Do they want to remain mostly working from home, or do they need the workplace interactions? Speak to them all individually to understand their circumstances and how they want to work.
What lies ahead for your staff this year? What are their aims and aspirations? This doesn't have to take the shape of a formal appraisal meeting but could just be a discussion or chat.
Cover off any potential worries or issues and set goals for the year. This gives staff something to work towards and a way for you to monitor how they're progressing (particularly if they're working remotely).
A staff survey is also a great way to understand what they want to get from their development. It will also help you to understand what they need from you as an employer.
The start of the year is the ideal time to map out training and where it's needed most. This will help staff shape their personal development for the year ahead too.
Bite-sized Lunch and Learn sessions throughout January can be a great way to get staff motivated without overwhelming them too much.
We all need things to look forward to in the next 12 months, and your staff are no exception. If they're a remote team, look into virtual team building, or getting them together a few times next year.
It can be a great morale boost to regroup. If you schedule something for the end of January, it will give the team something to look forward to, and keep a bit of the Christmas spirit going!
Staff recruitment and retention is set to be a major challenge for employers this year. A great motivator and staff retention tool is a well-thought-out benefits scheme.
For many years, only larger employers typically offered benefits packages. However, compulsory auto-enrolment has now forced many small businesses to consider how else they can reward their staff.
Research shows that offering staff additional benefits can help you improve employee engagement, retain staff, boost morale, and ultimately position your business as a good employer, ahead of the competition.
January is typically the time for new goals, and many staff will be returning to work with resolutions for the new year.
Last year, workplace wellbeing became an increasingly important element of HR and we saw businesses introducing incentives in the office. With staff who are working from home, consider the incentives you can offer.
It's also important to check in regularly on your staff to make sure they're doing well and staying productive.
Daily or weekly team meets are the only way to keep the team connected and let staff know that they're part of the business.
