How to achieve a perfect work/life balance

By recruitment expert CLINTON MOORE, Director, RecruitR

Do you work to live or do you live to work? If it's the latter perhaps your work-life balance needs some adjustment.

But work/life balance is not a "one size fits all" arrangement. Employers must ensure staff are happy and contented but also make sure they are achieving their business outcomes.

In the past business outcomes have always come first to the detriment of employee happiness.

There's a great quote from leading NRL coach Wayne Bennett: "If you do what you've always done you'll get what you've always got." As an employer, you can afford some flexibility to ensure your staff are happy and motivated and able to maintain a work/life balance, as long as your business objectives are being met.

One of the problems is that employers profess to have a work/life balance policy at their business, but don't realise that one size does NOT fit all. Often there is no investigation into the individual needs of employees. What do employers actually mean when they say: "we have a work/life balance policy"?

Helping employees maintain work/life balance should be tailored to the individual and achieved through collaboration - preferably through open, honest and trusting discussion with employees to see what can be done better.

It's not all one-way though. Employers should be honest and upfront with their employees about business targets and requirements and how this may limit workplace "flexibility."

Work/life balance is sometimes seen by older employees and employers as pandering to younger generations. But it's not just Gen Y's and Xers who can benefit from a greater emphasis on work/life balance. That's why when employers are developing work/life balance programs it's important to take all their employees on the journey.

It's essential that employers really understand their own business values when they develop their work/life programs. They must not be contrary to the values of the business. All these issues involve discovering and discussing these values with the team to ensure everyone is held accountable for upholding the values of the business.

Work/life balance means different things for different people. For example, for a mother of three it could mean flexible working hours to pick up and drop off kids, short notice leave to get days off when kids are sick or for parent/teacher interviews, sports days and the like. For a Gen Y'er, it could mean flexibility to work from home occasionally, or an early finish or late start so they can hit the gym.

One way of working toward a work/life balance is discussing with employees the objectives of their role and alternative ways of achieving those objectives. You must ensure your employees understand what the requirements of the business are that must be met.

Creating the ideal work/life balance is essential to our future happiness. Work satisfaction has become the key to life satisfaction and to recruit and retain top talent, companies today have to offer employees an attractive path to work/life balance.

Many companies are now offering a variety of work/life balance measures to attract and retain staff and such measures rarely focus on job security or tenure, but rather flexibility arrangements. And yet, work/life balance still eludes most of us. More than 50 per cent of the people who took part in one study were not satisfied with their current work/life balance. The majority expressed a need for more leisure time and more than 25 per cent said they didn't spend enough time with family and friends. A large percentage were dissatisfied with their work hours.

So what is work/life balance?

The expression "work/life balance" was first used in the late 1970s to describe the balance between an individual's work and personal life. It consists of the implementation of working arrangements and policies which assist workers in combining employment with other aspects of their lives.

Recent studies have shown that work/life balance is the No 1 factor of job attraction and retention - even above salary. Employers can benefit from developing these policies too as they can help to develop a more committed and productive workforce.

Flexible work and family arrangements can assist both employers and employees to improve the way their workplace operates. Maintaining the "perfect" balance between work and life should be everyone's goal.

Work/life balance doesn't necessarily mean spending fewer hours at work, but more and more people are now seeking employment that offers "flexibility". Contrary to popular belief, Australians are working longer and harder than ever-- the laidback "she'll be right mate" image is long gone. It's not uncommon for Australians to now spend up to 60 hours a week at work. The challenge for most Australians now is to balance work, family and lifestyle commitments according to their needs and goals.

There is a feeling amongst some that work-life balance is a one way street, but that's not the case. It might mean working harder or working longer hours on certain days to have shorter on others. But less time at work doesn't automatically equal work/life balance. In fact it can be a harmful way of looking at it, because it's taking the focus away from creating an environment where people are happy to go to work, and love where they work. Job satisfaction, the sense of achievement is much deeper and significant in achieving work/life balance than just a list of associated benefits.

Employers sometimes tend to treat work/life balance as being a uniquely HR issue and feel like if they throw a list of benefits at the problem, it will go away. Ultimately though, this is trying to treat the symptoms rather than the greater management issues at hand.

Employees are your greatest ambassadors. Staff retention is a fantastic advertisement for any business, not to mention the significant savings for business on staff replacement.

There is no perfect, one-size fits all, balance to strive for. The best work/life balance is different for each of us because we all have different priorities and different lives. The one common thread, however, is Satisfaction and Enjoyment-- and this is something both employees and employers should both work together to acheive.

Work/Life Balance Employee Tips

Start as you mean to continue. When first negotiating a workplace contract or agreement with an employer take into account vital issues such as flexible working arrangements, overtime, weekend commitments, childcare assistance or parental leave.
In today's high-tech society, many employers are now happy for employers to work occasionally from a home on a laptop or desktop computer. But regardless of your situation, we can all make the most of technology to help free-up our valuable time and create a better work/life balance for ourselves. Banking, paying bills, and grocery shopping can all be done electronically, cutting stress and providing more leisure time.
Every extra hour you spend with family and friends is a bonus, but only if you're really spending it with them, and them alone. Resist the temptation to let work spill over into your personal life.
A happy worker is usually a healthy worker. It is important to stay motivated and focused at work, so make sure you get enough sleep, maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly. It's also important to make time for your favourite hobbies, such as golf, tennis or social events.
Be flexible! Remember, work/life balance does not mean equal balance. It's finding the right balance between work, family, friends and self. Your best individual work/life balance will vary over time -- the right balance for you today will probably be different for you tomorrow. The right balance for you when you are single will be different when you marry, or if you have children. It may change when you start a new career or when you're nearing retirement.

Work/Life Balance Employer Tips

Get your team involved in outlining their needs for a work/life balance.
Find a way of creating a workplace that is fun, where your staff feel happy to work they enjoy the company of their peers.
Avoid a one-size fits all approach to so-called 'work/life balance' policies - work/life is an individual process.
Make the time to clearly understand and communicate to your staff the values and objectives of your business so they understand how their work/life needs will fit into the role.
Remember, work/life balance is not a one way street-- it's up to both employees and employers to work together to make it work.

About the Author

Clinton Moore is a director and co-founder of leading Australian recruitment firm RecruitR. He has 9 years of international recruitment experience in Australia and the UK.

www.recruitr.com.au