Paaras Parker, CHRO, Paycor.
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Finding a healthy work-life balance has always been a challenge. At one point, we thought tools like email, smartphones and AI would tip the scales, freeing up time people used to spend in the office. But in reality, that kind of tech is a double-edged sword.
On one hand, technology can automate tedious tasks, revolutionizing the way we think about HR. But on the other, this has created higher standards for productivity. Because we can do more, we expect more from our employees, our managers and ourselves. While this spurs innovation in the short term, constant growth can be unsustainable. We don’t need to do more, anymore—and I’m not sure we can. Instead, we need to do better.
Don’t Fan The Flames Of Burnout
It’s no surprise that burnout has become a buzzword in the past few years. Between the pandemic, political tension and economic stress, it’s hard for employees to get a real break both inside and outside of work. Industry leaders cite burnout as a top risk for the workforce in 2024, and it can lead to high rates of turnover. So how can leaders help?
First and foremost, take responsibility for your employees’ workload. You can’t do their work for them, but you can control their deadlines. Sometimes that means managing and prioritizing. your own high expectations. If you had to choose, would you rather have that report done by Friday or have Bob stay with your company for another five years? If an employee is on the edge of burning out, you might have to pick just one.
Second, don’t underestimate the power of communication. Whether you’re setting a schedule or asking someone how their day was, take the time to listen to your people. When employees feel they have a voice—in the company at large or just in a conversation—they grow more confident. Empowering your team is one of the best ways to fight burnout.
It might seem counterintuitive, but working too much actually lowers productivity. When you define clear expectations, you invite employees to set better boundaries between work and their personal lives. That’s good for business.
Flexibility Has A Broad Definition
A lot of people hear “flexibility” and think “working from home.” Quite often, that’s exactly what it means. In fact, "71% of remote workers said remote work helps balance their work and personal life." This is especially important for employees with ongoing family commitments, like parents of young children or adults who care for aging parents.
But location is just one aspect of flexibility. Plenty of industries, like healthcare and food service, just can’t go fully remote. That doesn’t stop employees from wanting more freedom at work. Specifically, frontline workers want more scheduling flexibility. In-person employees mostly want to decide which days of the week they work. They care less about their exact hours and even less about work-from-home options.
This may sound like a headache at first. But with a little creativity and attention to detail, your team could easily accommodate this need. Here are some examples of potential actions to take.
• Discuss scheduling during the hiring process. Let candidates know your policy, and ask if there are certain days they would or wouldn’t be willing to work. If you need someone to open every Saturday, there’s no point in hiring someone who can’t work on weekends.
• Use tech tools to open lines of communication so workers can easily request schedule changes and managers can fill in the gaps.
• Track metrics like sales or foot traffic to see which days of the week need the most hands on deck. Then use that info to prioritize the company-wide schedule.
• Give employees plenty of notice about schedule changes; in some states, this is mandatory. Regardless of whether it’s a compliance issue for your business, this strategy boosts morale and engagement.
Company Culture Is Key
There’s more to company culture than the sum of its parts. Sometimes I think building a positive culture is HR’s only job. All the details of our work, from compliance to scheduling to interfacing with the C-suite, are in service of that goal. And our team members can feel it. It’s no wonder that employees with a positive perception of their work-life balance are 10% more likely to stay in their current role. In other words: Company culture has a direct impact on employee engagement and retention.
As leaders, we can boost these numbers when we lead by example. Self-care really is community care, and sometimes supporting your employees means taking a step back and reviewing your own work-life balance. That could mean using up your PTO each year or being transparent with your team about why you check your email on Saturdays. This kind of self-reflection will make you a better leader.
The important thing is to set clear expectations and hold yourself and your employees accountable. But remember, expectations shouldn't be applied universally. Don't hold entry-level workers to the same high standards you'd have for more-senior workers.
More Versus Better, In Practice
Every healthy relationship has boundaries. In some situations, they’re incredibly obvious. Your librarian can recommend your next great read, but they can't (and shouldn’t) prescribe you antidepressants. But in the context of work, boundaries can get complicated. How do you maintain a professional atmosphere without pushing your employees too hard? How do you give them great benefits without bleeding revenue?
These questions are trying to balance two things: empathy and big-picture planning. The magic happens when HR leaders realize those aren’t competing goals. Empathy informs big-picture planning and vice versa. For example, will your company go under if Suzie goes on vacation? If so, it’s probably time to hire her an assistant (and give her a raise). Supporting your team’s work-life balance isn’t just about engagement or retention. It’s also a good business strategy.
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