June 23, 2025
Can you feel it? Summer is officially here, and along with the sunshine and luxuriously long days comes the familiar juggle of vacations and keeping operations running smoothly when key team members are OOO. Hopefully, you’ve already asked your employees to plan ahead with vacation requests so that you can arrange for coverage and/or cross-train staff to step in seamlessly.
If you’re in leadership or a management position, it’s important for you to take time off yourself, not only for your own well being, but also for demonstrating that rest and recharging is valued at your organization. As the panel of business leaders made clear at a recent Mainebiz health care forum, investing in employee wellness improves engagement and productivity, and burnishes your employer brand – outcomes that can make a tangible difference over time. Check out our key takeaways and insights from the Mainebiz event here.
Supporting our working parents during the summer school break is another way to foster an inclusive, employee-centered culture. We love Jill Osborn’s people‑first philosophy, as highlighted in our recent Q&A with her. Throughout her career in recruiting and HR, Jill has looked for ways to honor employees’ lives beyond the office, including offering critical support to those with caregiving responsibilities, and she has built trust and loyalty in the process.
Many of our clients like to get creative with summer perks, offering half‑day Fridays, every‑other‑Friday off, or an extra holiday around the Fourth of July or Labor Day, for example. These initiatives not only reward your team and create a culture of caring, but also strengthen your employer brand, a point underscored at our recent Breakfast Brief on enhancing the candidate experience for long-term success. With nearly 20% of new hires leaving in the first week and 17% departing by month’s end, investing in innovative perks and benefits can pay dividends in employee engagement and retention.
It’s graduation season, and to help new grads navigate this pivotal moment, we asked the KMA team to share their best advice, from practical tips to words of encouragement. If you know anyone on the job hunt – first timers or experienced professionals – encourage them to bookmark KMA’s Career Center, and to check out the opportunities KMA is currently hiring for here
We’re all acutely aware of how fleeting summer is, so let’s make it count! Encourage your team to balance work and play. Whether it’s scheduling lunchtime walks, throwing a company picnic, taking meetings outside, hosting an ice cream social, or setting up friendly matches in volleyball, softball or pickleball, even small efforts can deepen connections among your team members and keep your organization refreshed and rejuvenated long after Labor Day.
I hope you’re able to fully soak up everything you love best about summer – for me it’s beach days, island life, and my summer community – and don’t hesitate to reach out to KMA for more ideas on creating a people‑first workplace all year round.
Warmly,
Kim Anania
President and CEO
KMA