There are two kinds of people

As the festive season is once again upon us, it is a time to reflect on the year gone; plan for the year ahead; and partake in some traditions.

I only have two traditions at Christmas: the first is going to see Pete Tong on the last Saturday of his annual tour; and the second is watching Die Hard with our dog, Basil.

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who think Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and those who are wrong.

A TIME FOR MIRACLES

There’s something very festive about a rogue cop (Bruce Willis) saving lives on Christmas Eve. In fact, the villain (played by Alan Rickman) says himself: “It's Christmas… it's a time of miracles.”

Ever since he came into our lives, Basil has been joining me on the couch.  I’m pretty sure he looks forward to watching the film every year too.

IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE

Many employers have traditions in business too.  The office Christmas party; a meal with the team; secret Santa; and festive lights on your computer monitor.

However, I am always telling my clients to treat their teams as individuals – Christmas isn’t a great time for everyone, and we all have our own personal opinions about the festive season.

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IT’S BEEN A LONG SIX WEEKS

During the football season, there are often memes flying around about how to keep busy during the international break (visit your in-laws; speak to your wife; etc).

The last Premier League match was on 13th November.  When it restarts on 26th December (another tradition), there will have been a six-week gap.

The impact of this would have been lessened if England had progressed further in the World Cup.  However, my Fantasy League Team, ‘Trickies Are Back’ (it’s a Nottingham Forest reference) has been chopped and changed, and I can't wait for the season to restart.

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SAME STORM, DIFFERENT BOAT

The pandemic was a great leveller, in terms of thrusting us all into the same situation.

However, the pandemic also taught us to be flexible, particularly when it comes to remote working. I believe this was a key driver in treating people as individuals, as we are in situations unique to us.  Not everyone could work from home; not everyone wanted to work from home.  Employers had to become mindful of forces beyond the usual 9 to 5 day.

As the now popular cliché states: we were all in the same storm, just not necessarily in the same boat.

YOUR EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES

As an employer, the key is to know what your staff feel.  Do they like Christmas?  Do they want to take time off?  Do they resent having to work, or even resent having to take a break?

It is a very difficult time of year for many, made worse by external factors such as the cost-of-living crisis or the onset of winter.

In any case, people need a rest, regardless of how they feel about the season, so this is something that should be factored in, especially in client-facing roles – the downtime should be communicated to everyone.

As I always say, your people are your biggest asset, and you should treat them as such.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2023

In the new year, I believe the hangover of the pandemic is really going to hit us.

We have had a couple of years of uncertainty and leeway, and 2023 will be the first full year of things returning to normal.  This includes things like workloads, office rents, staff numbers, and client work.

However, we have also discovered new ways of working and many have streamlined their businesses, which means we have to concentrate further on things like remote working and managing outputs.  

The biggest issue will be mental health, and ensuring that we treat our staff as individuals and not just numbers.  If I could give you just one piece of advice, it would be that regular performance reviews are one thing, but talking to your teams on a human level will be much more important.  

THANK YOU

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my team – starting with Jess Pilling who is just finishing her first full year with AJB HR Consultancy.  Also thanks to my VA Louise Roberts and marketing support Gus Bhandal, to both of whom I outsource parts of my business.  

I would also like to thank my business coach Hana Smiddy who is helping me to make sure 2023 is even bigger (starting with hiring a new member of the team).

This is also a great opportunity to thank you, the readers. Thank you for reading my blogs, reading my emails, and engaging with my social media posts.

Thank you to all my wonderful clients, both new and long-standing - it's been a great year and I look forward to seeing what the new year brings for us.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife Denise for her unwavering support and love.

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YIPPEE KI YAY

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I wish you all a safe and happy festive season, and see you all in the new year.  Now as I head into the Christmas and the new year, and look forward to the Premier League returning to our screens on Boxing day, there’s only one thing left to say…

Yippee ki yay mother… actually, I’ll just let you Google the rest of that.

If you do need any HR support in 2023, whether it be recruitment, contracts, or handbooks, right up to workplace processes and culture change, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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