HR executives are now expected to accomplish more tasks and be more versatile than ever. Here are some tips for time-poor HR directors.
According to a recent article in HBR, senior executives receive more than 200 emails a day and dedicate two workdays per week to meetings, many of which were later deemed “ineffective” or “very ineffective.”
While corporate leaders typically excel in managing organisational resources, there is one in which many fall short: time.
Five steps that HR executives can take to boost productivity and maximize workday hours include:
- Creating a productive mindset – research indicates that people are most productive in the morning, so experts advise setting aside a couple early hours to focus solely on work, at least two or three times per week. In order to maximize this window, executives should disconnect from the internet and avoid checking their emails.
- Organising the technological workspace – clutter is distracting, even when it’s in the digital realm. To alleviate this, clean out old mailboxes, erase old appointments, and ensure that computers are performing efficiently by conducting a disk cleanup and hard disk defragmentation.
- Utilising technological tools – learn shortcuts for both operational tools such as MS Office and Google Docs, as well as HR software such as Taleo and SuccessFactors. Also, maintain a speed dial for conference call-ins and frequent corporate contacts.
- Becoming savvy with devices – this could entail downloading task management applications such as Google Keep or Microsoft OneNote, or learning how to optimise Google requests through Advanced Search.
- Practicing good habits – although distractions are rife, committing to a goal-oriented, productive work style can require weeks of learning new habits. Keep reinforcing them until they become the norm.
Finally, an HR leader can also aid in productivity of their employees. Some ways they can facilitate this include outlining a clear agenda for every meeting, distributing handouts in advance for workers to review before discussion, and ending conferences the minute they are no longer fruitful – even if it seems abrupt.
