Ask any of your staffers and they’re likely to tell you their job description is getting bigger — even if their paycheck isn’t. Companies of all sizes and in all industries are tightening up.
Certainly can challenge you to get more efficient. It can also leave your people feeling a bit overburdened.
If you suspect anyone on your team is shouldering a lot more than they used to, try these steps, courtesy of the staffing folks at OfficeTeam:
- Check the real stress levels. Before you start reshifting tasks, have a heart-to-heart with your people. Maybe they’re actually handling their increased workloads just fine. You don’t want to jump the gun.
- Try some time tracking. When responsibilities shift, so can priorities. You might have employees keep an activity log for a week or two so that you can see just how mush time staffers are devoting to each task. Too much time going to a non-pressing task? You can quickly redirect.
- Spot ’em working smarter. Pats on the back don’t go to the staffer who comes in earliest and leaves latest. It belongs to the person who comes with the best problem-solving or streamlining idea.
- Know when to ask for help. Even if it’s for a short window of time, consider enlisting the help of another department or even a temp or intern when you feel the waters rising. That sends the message to your team that you know when “enough is too much” and you’re willing to get them a little leg up when it’s needed.
