We know your job is challenging. On top of all your hiring and recruiting responsibilities, you may be tasked with employee training, development and engagement as well. Let’s just say you have a lot on your plate and sometimes it may feel like the workload can get overwhelming.
Even though you strive to create a stress-free work environment for employees, you may find yourself stressed out when managing your many HR responsibilities. Here we share eight effective ways to manage that stress so you can focus on the essential HR processes that drive your business forward.
1. Eliminate Interruptions Throughout the Day
No matter what role you are in, it’s easy to get distracted at work. Sometimes it seems like the influx of emails, phone calls and immediate deadlines just never stop! At the same time, you may even encourage distractions to mitigate the overload of responsibilities. However, constant interruptions can cause even more stress by hindering your productivity. It’s important to find a balance between work and permitting distractions—Forbes stresses the importance of taking responsibility for your own time by closing your email or turning off instant messenger so you can focus on specific tasks. Another tip for eliminating interruptions is to not initiate the distraction. “If you don’t want people to interrupt you, don’t interrupt them,” adds Chrissy Scivicque. “You have the power to train others on how you want to interact with them simply by demonstrating the behavior.”
2. Take Full Advantage of Your Lunch Break
We are all guilty of eating at our desks more often than we’d like to admit, and sometimes we may skip lunch altogether. While it may seem like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to step away, taking full advantage of your lunch hour to fuel up or relax in other ways will help you de-stress throughout the day.
3. Talk Yourself Up
Confidence can be your strongest weapon against HR-related stress. Take the time to reflect on your successes and set hiring and recruiting goals you’ll look forward to achieving. This will give you the mental boost you need to power through the creeping, draining stress you may be feeling. You are who you make yourself out to be, and positive thinking inevitably leads to a positive work environment.
4. Prioritize Your Priorities
Stress can easily be avoided if you know what you need to accomplish and how to handle it accordingly. Make sure you know what objectives take precedence over others. Prioritizing your deadlines and staying organized will reduce confusion and ultimately streamline your workflow. Jenna Goudreau recommends re-organizing your to-do list “by focusing on those projects that will have the most impact and are best aligned with your goals.”
5. Talk It Out
Another key element of reducing stress at work is being able to discuss it with your boss or coworkers. By openly addressing the HR challenges you’re facing, you get a chance to listen and observe your obstacles from a different point of view. After a reciprocal conversation, you can take a step back and pinpoint what issues are most likely causing workplace stress. Respectfully venting your stressful situations can be a welcoming weight off your chest.
6. Automate Administrative Tasks
It’s easy to get caught up in the manual tasks associated with recruiting, hiring and general HR administration. From collecting paper applications to writing individual follow-up emails to candidates, these manual processes rob you of precious time you could be spending on more strategic HR tasks, like employment branding and the candidate experience. Automated solutions, like applicant tracking software, can help reduce stress by handling the administrative tasks associated with hiring and recruiting so you can focus on attracting and engaging the right candidates.
7. Relieve Stress with Laughter
You’d be surprised how a good laugh and a smile can turn your day around. According to a study by the American College of Sports Medicine’s 56th Annual Meeting in Seattle, laughter is an effective stress reliever. When you laugh, the brain releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins that circulate through your body. These endorphins naturally reduce stress, increase blood flow and even strengthen your immune system.
8. Talk About Your Needs
Be honest and open about the resources you need to get your job done and meet your personal needs along the way. For example, if you need positive reinforcement from your boss, let him or her know. If you need more time to complete a project to the best of your ability, say something about it. By depending on others 100 percent of the time to meet your needs, you may slow yourself down and leave yourself vulnerable to a stressful situation. Be clear, be transparent and communicate your needs thoroughly.
Cloud-based applicant tracking software is an effective ways to reduce time and human resources spent on administrative hiring and recruiting tasks.Contact us to learn more about the stress-reducing capabilities of Hyrell’s automated hiring solution.
