Work/life balance has always been a tricky tightrope to walk. If you go into the office every day, you’re challenged with leaving at a reasonable time, beating the traffic home, and reversing your mindset as you do so. If you work remotely, work/life balance poses unique challenges of its own; namely, how do you stop working and settle back into your personal life when you don’t physically go to work?
Either way, the dividing line can often be far from black and white. Here are some tips for navigating successfully through the gray areas, and helping your employees do the same:
- Take advantage of your productivity peak periods. Are you at your best early in the morning? Or do you not hit your stride until after lunch? Structure your highest priority tasks for your most productive times.
- Take breaks. As you’re mapping out that daily workload, build in break times. It’s way too easy to get away from doing this, regardless of where you work from.
- Stick to set working hours. Find the schedule that works best for you and gets the job done, and then stick to it. For instance, don’t answer emails at 11 p.m. – unless that fits into your set schedule, of course. Let people know when you are and are not available.
- It’s okay to ask for help. This goes for you – and your team. If you feel overwhelmed, reach out to others – coworkers, managers, professionals, whomever it takes – to share the load or relieve the burden. This includes revamping work tasks and requests, as well as addressing – never ignoring – mental health needs.
Especially for Managers
If you’re a manager, a successful work/life balance for your entire team starts with you. Be sure to:
- Treat every employee as the unique individual they are. Each has different life priorities and situations and therefore, different expectations around work/life balance. WIthin reason, accommodate everyone; for example, through flexible work options.
- Lead by example. If you send emails on Sunday afternoon, not only will your team members feel pressured to respond ASAP, but how will they ever stick to their own work/life balance? Walk the talk. Leave on time at the end of the workday – or even earlier. Yes, you can!
- Regularly revisit your policies. Does your PTO policy need to come up to speed? What about your EAP or related services? Assess things on a regular basis and make any changes or upgrades as needed, Yes, you can! And it will be well worth your ROI in the long run.
Need more help keeping your career as a recruiter on track? Working in talent acquisition rarely equates to a 9-to-5 schedule. And that’s okay, but you still need to maintain work/life balance, or risk serious burnout. For help and guidance to improve in your current role, or find your next great one, contact Search Wizards today.