A day in the life of a HR professional is a busy one. It’s common to have a backlog of tasks that each require your time and attention. However, you shouldn’t have to overstretch yourself to meet expectations – there are ways you can better manage your workload to free up your time and get more done.
First things first, you’ll want to make use of a visual timer for effective time management with minimal distractions and stress. But how else can you organize your task list to make your schedule more manageable? Here are three time management tips that’ll help you to stay productive.
Delegate and outsource where you can
While you may have a lot of work on your to-do list, there may be some tasks that can be delegated to others on your team, or even outsourced to workers outside of your organization. This would help to free up some of your time to focus on tasks that need your expert attention.
When deciding whether or not to delegate or outsource, weigh up consider the capacity of other team members to take on the additional tasks. If you simply don’t have the internal resources to manage the work, outsourcing may be a useful strategy.
Automate routine processes
Similarly, some of your tasks may not even need to be completed by a human. AI automation tools can help with tasks like this, allowing routine processes to be completed easily and efficiently.
Consider automating processes like payroll, onboarding and offboarding, time and attendance tracking, training, and recruitment tasks. These are repetitive tasks that can take up a big chunk of your time, so if AI can complete the tasks to the same standard, it’s worth utilizing it. Do remember to take data privacy into account, especially for HR tasks when you are likely to be dealing with sensitive information
Set clear boundaries
As a HR professional, it can be easy to take on more than you can manage. You’re responsible for overseeing all the human-related aspects of the company, and trusted with sensitive processes and information as a result. Team members may come to you with all manner of concerns, but they may not always be your responsibility to resolve.
It’s best to set clear expectations and boundaries where you can when it comes to taking on any tasks. You might be eager to help other employees, but you will only have the capacity to support with tasks that are within your job description. Make sure to signpost employees to other resources and sources of support if you’re not able to help. This will not only save you time, but it’ll also support your mental wellbeing at work.
Tools for effective time management
As a HR professional, no two days at work are the same, and your workload can really vary, so it’s a good idea to keep these three tips in your back pocket for effective time management. With the help of small tools such as a timer, along with automating your processes, delegating and outsourcing, and setting clear boundaries, you can work more efficiently and save yourself plenty of time to work on important tasks.
