3 Ways To Boost Employee Engagement During Ramadan

3 WAYS TO BOOST EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT DURING RAMADAN

The sacred month of Ramadan is an auspicious occasion for Muslims, as they usher in charity, joy, and religious reflection. It is therefore a month of peace and celebration, not to mention discipline and resilience that come along. Employees might find it very difficult to maintain their normal levels of productivity and efficiency since they will be trying to figure out a balance between their professional duties and religious requirements.

However, this brings in an opportunity for the managers and team leaders to support their employees and raise their engagement levels to have a positive effect on their participation and satisfaction even in the long term. Utilizing and implementing strategies such as corporate team building, that will improve their morale and make them feel supported and valued, can keep employees motivated and engaged throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

 

Here are 3 such ways to boost employees’ engagement levels during Ramadan:

1- Be Sensitive to the Ramadan Culture

Ramadan is a peaceful and holy month full of spiritual connections and personal reflection. Line managers and other stakeholders need to be aware of the personal and religious sensitivities of their employees during this period.

Implementing policies that accommodate those employees who are fasting and need to engage in prayer more often can only lead to nurturing mutual trust, better morale, more effective teams, and greater productivity in the organization. For example, for fasting team members who are working remotely, try and avoid booking meetings for late afternoon and evenings. If high concentration levels are expected from the employees, try using the morning slots.

2- Try Flexible Working Hours

Being a month of religious observance, Ramadan requires Muslims to fast from sunrise to sunset. This means that the initial work hours can be particularly stressful for your employees, as their energy levels will go lower as the day progresses. This can result in decreased productivity and efficiency.

However, having an honest discussion with the employees about their workload and work schedule can guide you as you help them prioritize their tasks, eventually formulating realistic expectations for them. Try out flexible working schedules to check and see if allowances can be made for employees to work during lunch hours and breaks in return for an earlier finish. Given the current circumstances, with many employees working from home, it shouldn’t be a problem for employers to allow a significant level of flexibility for employees. Employees could also be given the option to split the day into morning and afternoon shifts and let them have their pick of working hours, depending on the type of job role they perform.

3- Improve Team Dynamics

Try using Ramadan as a platform for greater understanding and improving team dynamics. Something like a ‘Virtual iftar’ could allow employees to share a part of their culture with colleagues or engage through a virtual team building activity, to strengthen team bonds and encourage collaboration.

Ramadan is also characterized by charitable acts and is also synonymous with introspection and giving back. To show support in this period to your employees, this is a great time to encourage and organize company-wide contributions and charitable drives to give back to society. You can ask employees to choose the charitable cause they’d like to give back to or charitable act they’d like to engage in for example through distributing clothes, setting up a food camp, clean up initiatives, etc. Volunteer work acts as a way of corporate team building and will promote teamwork and boost employee engagement.

 

At Rush-A-Way we have helped over 200 organizations build stronger team bonds. Now we have combined our award-winning concept with unique and creative online team games to provide a fun and effective virtual experience which engages and motivates remote teams. Our sessions are 99% effective in strengthening bonds between team members and boosting team morale, based on participant surveys.

Connect With Us

Make work a happier place! Contact Rush-A-Way for fun and engaging team-building events in the UAE and KSA, as well as virtual and hybrid activities globally that promote team bonding, enhance creative thinking, and boost workplace productivity!

    Get in touch to build a happier workplace!