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CAREER CORNER
A workplace culture valuing balance boosts retention [Michael Kinsman] Time and again, career coach Nancy Helgeson meets people pleading for help in taking control of their work demands.
“Certainly for managers, how to say ‘no’ is
and their personal life, or lack thereof, is
“Unfortunately, some corporate cultures
one of the biggest issues they face,” says
irrelevant. Let me bluntly say that if you think
send the wrong message, and the programs
Helgeson, a psychotherapist. “They know
this way, it will harm your company.”
are wasted.”
they need to draw boundaries in their jobs, but they’re not sure how to do that.”
Whether the workload has increased from staff cutbacks, increased expectations or
Some of the workers faced with surging
workers simply sensing they need to be more
workloads and expectations that they can’t
productive, Helgeson sees the resulting
meet have figured a way to resolve the
stress as a growing problem.
demands: They look for other jobs. A recent survey by the Pittsburgh-based business consulting firm Key Group found that 18 percent of workers plan to switch jobs this year specifically to bring a better work-life balance to their lives. “Balance really is a bottom-line issue,” says Key Group Chief Executive Joanne Sujansky. Her company’s survey of 1,727 workers ages 18 to 64 revealed an almost desperate feeling among many. While the respondents worked in a variety of positions, a majority identified themselves as middle management, office and administrative or professional.
Helgeson is encouraged by Gen X workers, who she says have staked out their personal time better than preceding generations. “They’re the ones who are much more likely
“You hear that companies say they have to
to say that they have to leave at 5 p.m. for an
compete in the global marketplace and that
aerobics class and mean it,” she says. “They
they have competitors breathing down their
just come with a different value system. To
necks,” she says. “That translates directly to
them, work and their careers is important,
the workers who are expected to do more.
but they also know their personal time is
“But the demands of companies are always going to be consuming. It’s up to individual workers to take a stand and put boundaries on how much of their lives they will devote to the job. The companies won’t do it for you.” Career counselor Virginia Byrd has been pushing companies to provide more work-life balance for more than a decade. she says that companies endorse work-life balance in cycles.
important, too. They just seem more willing to draw a line between them and hold to that than many baby boomers.” Sujansky cautions employers that instead of workers today feeling lucky they have jobs, an impending labor shortage means the best workers will find other work opportunities that match their expectations more closely. “My theory is that in difficult times, people rethink their priorities,” she says. “They
The surprise is that so many workers
“When the economy has been good for
feel overwhelmed that they think finding
focus on what really matters to them. And
quite a while, companies seem interested
another job is the best solution. With the
you know, working long hours for a job that is
in helping their workers,” she says. “But
U.S. unemployment rate at 4.7 percent
unfulfilling isn’t going to make the cut.”
as soon as things tighten up, you see them
- its lowest level in more than four years -
backing away from that.”
employers might find it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain talented employees.
Even when some companies offer programs to make workers more comfortable, they
“I see this as an early warning of a huge
undermine those programs with subtle
turnover issue soon to face the U.S.,”
pressures not to use them.
Sujansky says. “Many companies simply don’t have a culture that emphasizes work-life
“A key issue is whether people feel
balance. There’s a prevailing attitude among
comfortable enough in their jobs even
employers that employees are there to work
to ask for these programs,” Byrd says.
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Sujansky urges employers to pay attention to this cry from their employees and to find ways to make them feel that they don’t have to sacrifice their personal lives for their jobs. Do that, she says, and you probably won’t find many looking to move on. © Copley News Service