Christmas is a time of joy and gift giving, a time of office parties and bonuses. But what will you do for your employees to make sure that they return in the New Year motivated and ready to increase performance and move your organization forward? How will you show appreciation for your staff's loyalty, especially in January when the days are cold, short, and dark, and pay day seems like light years away?

Here are some tips:

Consider giving part of a reward before Christmas and the other part early in the New Year, along with a motivating message. Tie the reward to a theme

Consider how you will word your message, perhaps reminding them of highlights of the year and get them excited about the future

Conduct an informal research to find out what reward your workers would appreciate the most.

Look into appreciation options, such as gift cards, vouchers, or cash.

Remember, it's important to build engagement to increase productivity and if carefully planned, rewards before and after Christmas can achieve this.