Financial teams are constantly under pressure to work quickly, accurately, and efficiently in their roles. After all, time is money, and the financial professional knows that a moment wasted can mean disaster for the entire company. Staying productive is crucial to a successful day.
Many financial professionals are struggling to make the most of their time in a competitive landscape. The challenge of staying productive is even more significant as new working styles change the way we approach our daily schedule.
With remote working schedules to navigate, new technology to come to terms with, and to change expectations in the financial sector, your productivity strategy may need to rethink. Fortunately, the following hacks can help you regain control of your time, no matter where your financial career might take you.
1. Prep Your Environment for Productivity
Your surroundings have more of an impact on your workflow than you’d think. Numerous studies indicate that everything from noise conditions to lighting and air quality can change how we work. Wherever financial teams will be dealing with complex tasks, they need to ensure they’re in a place that facilitates productivity.
For team members working from home to have a dedicated room for work/life balance. Having a room in your home to shut the door and block out external distractions is crucial to maintaining focus. This strategy can also reduce some security and privacy risks associated with financial professionals working from home.
Employees working either in the office or remotely need access to the right amount of heat, fresh air (from an open window or vent), and plenty of water for rehydration. A good internet connection will also be essential to ensuring you can stay productive wherever you are.
2. Bring Structure to the Workday
Around 25% of UK finance workers have said they’d prefer to continue working entirely remotely in the years ahead. While remote work can offer numerous benefits, like fewer commutes for employees and lower overheads for business leaders, it can also suffer from a lack of structure. Without the right daily plan in place, it’s easy for procrastination to get in the way of productivity.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to bring structure to the remote workday, including:
- Starting with a “commute”: Start the day by having a shower, travelling downstairs, making a cup of coffee, then walking to your office and shutting the door. You can also walk around outside to get some fresh air before you begin.
- Prioritising critical tasks: Make a list of crucial tasks at the beginning of each day or the night before, and organise them by importance. Tackle the most challenging tasks at the beginning of the day, and the rest of your schedule will feel much simpler.
- Putting an end to the day: Decide on a time to finish work each day, and stick to that rule. Even if you’re not done replying to emails, it’s important to know when to call it a day and start again tomorrow.
3. Use Breaks to Refresh the Brain
Financial professionals spend a lot of their time on mentally exhausting tasks. Sitting in front of a computer dealing with numbers for several hours at a time can be extremely overwhelming if you don’t approach the day properly. Regular breaks might not seem like the most productive way to manage your day, but they’re crucial to keeping the brain working correctly.
The Pomodoro technique is a popular way to break up your day. It involves setting time aside for a quick pause at the end of every 25-minute task. Your breaks will help you to open your mind and relax in between periods of complicated work.
It’s also helpful to use your breaks for exercise when possible. Walking around your house or office, going outside and changing your scenery will get your blood circulating again, and help you feel more energised, so you don’t have to deal with the mid-day slump.
4. Don’t Try to Multi-Task
If you create your to-do list at the beginning of the day and realise there’s more to tackle than you originally thought, it can be tempting to try and work on multiple complex tasks at once. Multitasking seems productive because we’re constantly jumping from one challenge to another. However, studies show focusing on one thing at a time makes you far more efficient.
Multitasking splits your attention into multiple directions, so it’s harder to focus on one thing completely. Not only does this reduce your chances of getting work done quickly, but it can also increase your chances of mistakes when you’re working with figures and calculations in finance.
Instead of jumping between tasks, check your to-do list and organise your time based on when you know you’re the most productive. Some people will find it easier to do their toughest work first thing in the morning, while others will leave those jobs until after lunch.
5. Use Your Finance Recruiting Partner
Financial teams work best when they’re made up of a diverse selection of high-quality professionals. A financial recruitment team can help businesses hire people for their team that complement, support, and supplement the other staff in the existing workforce. When you and your colleagues know you have the support of a fantastic team to assist you, it’s much easier to be productive.
Everyone in the modern financial workforce should know how to delegate tasks when necessary, ask people for assistance, or seek support from their colleagues for specialist help. Ensuring a team is ready for anything starts with management hiring the right professionals.
What’s Next?
Creating a productive financial team starts with hiring the right employees. Rebus recruitment can help business leaders to find the candidates they need to fill their skill gaps and improve workplace efficiency. For candidates ready to be part of a more productive workforce, we can also help you find the perfect position to put your skills to the test.
You can contact our team by email or reach us on 01282 930 930
Thanks
Rachel Mitson
About Rebus Financial Recruitment
Rebus Financial Recruitment provides a specialist and focused recruitment service to its customers, which historically range from various organisations, including SMEs, to large PLCs.
We strive to offer both the client and candidate a seamless recruitment experience. Using our expertise, we get to the heart of employer and employee needs, and, in doing so, we match the two perfectly. To find out more, get in contact with one of our team today, or you can call us on 01282 930930.
