Summer has officially arrived! Just like school kids, we’re all excited to go on vacation and to leave our jobs and responsibilities behind for a bit. But for most employees, instead we have to stay focused and driven at work, even during the beautiful days of summer.

So how do you keep your employees motivated during the summer months, when all they want is to be outside in the warm weather or dreaming of their summer vacation plans? Here are a few ideas to keep everyone on the right track.

Flexible Summer Schedule
Does your office have summers hours? We recently began a summertime flexible schedule here at Dittman Incentive Marketing. Employees have the opportunity to come in to work an hour earlier and to leave one hour earlier. This allows us to enjoy the longer days of summer. If you have kids, this is a great opportunity to spend more quality time with them before beginning the daily routine of dinner, shower, and bed. Or take those sixty minutes to run some errands and still make it home at a “normal” time. Imagine what you could do with an extra hour every day!

Summer Sales Contest
Why not run a summer sales contest to keep the team motivated? The Olympics makes for a perfect tie-in to motivate and engage a sales force during the summer months. For example, run a Go for the Gold  sales contest themed around the Rio Games. Your team stays motivated and focused on their goal while watching their favorite sporting event during the Summer Olympics. They’ll win Gold, Silver or Bronze rewards if they hit their mark!

Summer CSR Week
Dittman Incentive Marketing started a tradition back in 2011 (inspired by the NY Yankees HOPE Week) We give back to the surrounding community for one week in August. The entire company comes together and works as a team to bring HOPE to people who aren’t as fortunate as we are. It may be volunteering at a local non-profit, or donating clothing and food to those in need. Any company can start a similar tradition. It adds a twist to the daily grind of the work week.  Your teammates stay motivated, help others, and – the best part – have a little fun while at work.

Summer Outing
Step back and get out of the office for the day. We recently had our summer outing to the Monmouth Race Track. It took place on a Friday to give employees a jump start on the weekend. Lunch was served and the entire office spent the day having fun in the sun, not just as a company, but as friends. We even sponsored a race, and the Dittman Annual Award winners got five minutes of fame in the Winner’s Circle! It’s great to work at a company that realizes you just need to get out of the office once in a while, even if it’s only for the day. And the time to socialize together makes our team stronger in the office.

No matter how you choose to keep your employees engaged and motivated during the summer months, remember to have some fun with it. Your employees will definitely appreciate it!