ABR Blog

Feeling a little overworked? 

While some would say that “too much to do” is merely a sign of job security in today’s economy, it won’t do you any good if you can’t cope with the stress.  Sure, everyone is trying to do more with less these days.  But over time, being chronically stretched too thin can take a toll on your job performance, state of mind and physical health.

So if you feel like the pressure is too much to bear, here is some advice on effectively broaching the tricky subject of job burnout:

• Make sure you’re not part of the problem.  If you procrastinate or have other bad work habits, your boss may not be sympathetic to your plight.  So before you go pointing fingers, examine your own performance to see if you could make changes that would improve your situation.
• Do your homework.  Before approaching your boss, document your situation in writing.  Detail what your job entailed originally and contrast it with what you’re doing now.  Track the hours you work (both at your company and home).  Preparing yourself with these details will provide a clear picture of your workload and keep you from sounding like a complainer.
• Broach the subject gradually.  Your concerns will be better received if you introduce the topic of feeling overburdened as part of a series of discussions with your boss.  Keep him or her informed of your current responsibilities as well as additional work requests.  Once your boss understands what’s truly on your plate, he or she will be less likely to add more.
• Enlist the help of others.  If co-workers are also feeling the pressure, approach your boss as part of a team.  Develop and present a plan to remedy the situation by:  bringing in temporary employees or increasing headcount; reorganizing responsibilities; delegating outside your department; streamlining processes.  Offering well thought-out solutions may help you gain your boss’ support in alleviating the problem.

Fight Job Burnout with ABR Employment Services

Our staffing services for Wisconsin employers can remedy the problems caused by overwork, such as increased turnover, higher employee absenteeism and lowered productivity.  Whether you need a single employee to assist your team for a few days, or a more comprehensive staffing solution, we have the highly skilled office, professional, technical and light industrial talent you need.

“Here we go again…”

“Why does everyone else seem to have all the luck?”

“What else could possibly go wrong today?”

Admit it.  At one point or another, you’ve had thoughts like these.  I know I have.  But while it’s perfectly normal to occasionally fall prey to negative thoughts – especially after losing a job or some other stressful event - you must guard against falling into a pessimistic mental rut.

When you’re stuck in a mode of negative thinking, you miss out on opportunities to improve your day and your situation.  Negative thoughts drain your energy and can even threaten your health.  So if your attitude could use some improvement, try some of these tips to eliminate negative thinking:

1. Recognize when you’re thinking negatively.  Pay attention to your internal dialogue and send up a mental “red flag” when you’re thinking pessimistically.
2. Realize that negative thoughts breed more negative thoughts.  Remember, you attract what you focus on – whether it’s what you want or don’t want.
3. Remind yourself that the negative thought is only that – a thought.  In fact, what you’re thinking may have little basis in reality.  Instead, your thoughts could be the result of projected fears about situations that rarely end up manifesting.
4. Find a positive thought replacement.  Rather than fighting against negative thoughts, try to replace them with more positive ones.  Picture a different scenario; affirm something to yourself that’s positive and self-supporting; remind yourself of a recent positive experience.
5. Use humor and fun.  Negative thoughts stress you out.  Change the energy of the situation by thinking of something funny or doing something enjoyable.  The key is to not let your negative thoughts have power over you.
6. Try creative visualization.  When something goes wrong, close your eyes and visualize a positive outcome.  Let yourself see what you want to happen like a movie playing behind your eyelids.  You’ll stop negative thoughts in their tracks and focus your mind’s energy on potential solutions.
7. Take a break.  Even if you’re up against a deadline, take five minutes to stretch, take a brief walk or talk to a friend.  Any respite, albeit brief, will help you reset your attitude and tackle your problem from a more positive perspective.

One More Tip…

If you’re stuck in a negative mental rut because of your job circumstances, ABR Employment Services can help.  A small positive action like registering with our staffing service can break your cycle of negative thinking and start you on a better career path.  So take control of your situation by envisioning yourself in the job you really want – then contact us to turn that vision into reality.

The current economy has driven down revenues dramatically.

This is not a newsflash, of course, but a harsh reality that has triggered sweeping changes to workforce plans – plans to increase capabilities, reduce costs, and survive the economic chaos that’s likely to linger into 2010.

If your company is struggling in the current economy, here are five key action steps you should consider adding to your workforce plan:

1.  Reduce labor costs and/or headcount. 

Identify which key positions, key individuals, and key skill sets will have the most business impact during the next two years.  Once you prioritize, you can then focus on retention, redeployment, and development efforts for the most impactful positions.

Develop ways to reduce labor costs and headcount in lower priority positions.  Ideas include:  mock or temporary layoffs; designating lower priority positions as “contingent labor” positions; labor wage arbitrage; and flexible outsourcing.

2.  Redeploy key employees.

Create a proactive redeployment process to move your top performers and highly skilled individuals into the units and jobs where they can have the greatest impact.  You should strive to have your best and brightest:

• doing what they do best;
• with the right skill set for the job and business unit;
• with the right tools, resources, and motivators;
• with the right manager; and
• with the right teammates.

3.  Retain key employees.

Tough times will not automatically cause your top employees to value security over external opportunity.  And just because you’re not hiring, it doesn’t mean your competitors aren’t targeting your very best.  So make retention a priority even during a downturn.

First, identify the things that excite and frustrate your key workers.  Then provide a plan for increasing their level of excitement, challenge, learning, and opportunity within the firm.  Finally, develop a “bad manager identification program,” because bad managers are the number one cause of employee turnover.

4.  Reinvigorate your succession plan.

If your firm has experienced hiring freezes or layoffs, it has made itself vulnerable to a future talent pool gap.  By failing to hire and develop talent, there may not be enough internal talent to fill future leadership positions once growth begins again.

The best course of action in this case is to maximize your talent pool, hiring top performers while simultaneously releasing below-average employees.  This approach will foster employee development and minimize the potential for a future talent gap.

5.  Prepare to “explode out of the box.”

Ensure you have sufficient talent to capitalize on the upturn by retaining your best recruiters and having them focus on:  developing Web 2.0 recruiting tools; maintaining employee referral programs; updating your employment branding.

Develop a “boomerang” program that maintains relationships with the very best employees you’ve had to release during the recession.  Staying in touch may allow you to rehire some of the proven talent you’ve lost once business improves.

Free Workforce Planning Consultation

During times of uncertainty, workforce planning is absolutely essential.  Be prepared – not surprised – by contacting ABR Employment Services to schedule a free workforce consultation.  Our employment experts will:

• forecast your talent needs;
• examine your talent supply;
• help HR align the two by providing the right staffing and support services;
• prepare your business to “explode out of the box” once the upturn hits.