Boosting team engagement before the summer holidays : 5 practical ideas

As summer approaches, team engagement can start to wane. Concentration levels drop, minds turn to vacations, and motivation temporarily slips. However, this period is a real opportunity to strengthen bonds, celebrate the year’s successes, and prepare for the new season with enthusiasm. In this article, discover 5 practical ideas for maintaining your employees’ motivation and cohesion before the summer holidays, while promoting a caring and participatory atmosphere.

Why is strengthening team engagement before summer a strategic opportunity ?

The weeks leading up to summer vacation are a pivotal moment in the life of a company. The pace slows down, projects are finalized, and employees begin to relax. As a business leader or HR professional, it is a good idea to take advantage of this summer period to cultivate team engagement. Rather than suffering a drop in motivation, turn this phase into an opportunity for recognition, cohesion, and shared vision. Companies that seize this opportunity strengthen their employer brand, limit the effects of summer “mental disconnection,” and prepare for a smoother and more motivated return in September.

Tips to boost your employees’ morale before the summer break

To strengthen bonds between your employees during the summer months, here are some key points to focus on: closing rituals, team building, recognizing achievements over the past year to reinforce a sense of belonging, strengthening manager-employee relationships, and offering activities that allow everyone to relax and bond. Teams Connect has more information here !

Create a collective and participatory closing ritual

How can you keep your teams engaged before the summer holidays ? By establishing a collective end-of-semester ritual, you allow your employees to take a step back, share their feelings, and celebrate their successes. This ritual can take several forms :

A friendly meeting in a “team review” format where everyone shares a success or something they are proud of.
A wall where employees write words of appreciation to a colleague.
The goal is to create a caring and participatory atmosphere to help employees take pride in each other’s successes and release any pressure that may have built up.

Reflect on the past year to create a sense of accomplishment

One of the main challenges in maintaining employee engagement before the summer holidays is helping them realise the impact of their work. As an HR professional or business leader, you can :

Highlight collective and individual successes via an internal newsletter or a thank-you video.
Organise an employee recognition programme before the holidays, including fun prizes, certificates or personalised messages.
This recognition boosts self-esteem, generates a sense of belonging, and adds a strong emotional dimension to the end of the semester.

Organise a tailor-made social event

What solutions are there for motivating teams during the summer months ? Focusing on a unifying, relaxed event that is tailored to your values is an excellent motivational tool. It is the perfect opportunity to offer a tailor-made team-building or corporate event.

Teams Connect offers five activity ideas that are ideal for achieving this goal :

The Urban Race : an urban rally to explore the city of your choice, designed to strengthen team cohesion in a fun and dynamic setting.
The Nature Race : an orienteering race in the countryside, to reconnect employees with each other and with nature.
The Eco Escape Game : a CSR activity in escape game format and garden party style, perfect for combining commitment and entertainment for your employees.
A Music Quiz : a musical activity that combines team spirit and fun, ideal for a summer corporate evening.

These activities are designed to strengthen bonds, celebrate efforts and boost employee engagement in the summer, in a friendly atmosphere.

Strengthening the manager-employee relationship

Strengthening the manager-employee relationship

The summer period is a time of year that lends itself to more informal exchanges: informal discussions, feedback sessions and listening time.

Here are a few simple actions you can take to strengthen the manager-employee relationship :

Spend 30 minutes one-on-one with each employee to recognise their contributions and progress.
Ask for mutual feedback (manager ↔ employee) in a relaxed and supportive setting.
Take an interest in their aspirations for the new term, training needs, etc.
Strengthening trust before the holidays promotes a smooth return and better team dynamics.

Involve teams in planning for the new term

Before employees go on holiday, it may be a good idea to involve them in planning for the new term. This could take the form of :

A collaborative workshop on September’s priority projects.
A wish wall : ‘What I would like for the team when we return from the summer break…’.
A collective vote to choose future topics for team building, CSR or innovation, for example.

This approach gives meaning, strengthens commitment and limits the post-holiday disruption effect.

As you can see, by recognising efforts, creating convivial moments and getting your teams ready for the new season, you can boost motivation, loyalty to the company and collective momentum.

HR strategies to prevent summer demotivation among employees involve concrete, caring and participatory actions. Whether through collective rituals, tailor-made events or gestures of recognition, you have everything you need to boost motivation and cohesion before the summer.

Want to discover ideas for activities to strengthen team cohesion before summer ?