Work, we all have to do it, like it or loath it. Here’s our latest blog on how you can make work more enjoyable…
With most of us working on average an 8-hour day, 5 days per week (obviously not recruiter specific stats) we spend a whopping 109,980 hours working during our lifetime. We spend more time at work and with our colleagues than with any of our nearest and dearest, so how can we make ‘work’ more enjoyable and less of a daily grind?
1) Work friends and colleagues. Sticklers out there will preach ‘I’m here to work not to make friends’, we spend more time with our colleagues than our own families, so getting along can be the difference in hating the job itself and not minding Mondays. Now, we’re not promoting in-work relationships, but it helps to have that common ground and make an effort with those around you. After all they’re the ones that are most likely to affect your day and the mood you go home in.
2) The road ahead. While you might not wish to live your entire life in the office you are now, it never hurts to set goals and plan ahead. Most companies love to boast about promoting from within to get you through the door but after that it is often down to you. Set your sights high, be realistic and tap into whatever training and development programmes and support are on offer. If it doesn’t lead to something right away it will only be a plus on your CV in the future.
3) Plan like a boss. Plan and structure your day, week, month, quarter… you get the idea. Plan and plan some more. Be flexible but set goals with realistic time scales. All this can lead to a more productive working day and a feeling of achievement and overall happiness at the end of a busy week.
4) Work life balance. Many will say ‘do a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life’, but realistically we all have one reason for going to work and that’s the life that it provides away from the office. Whether it’s the partner, kids, holidays, the roof over your head or in some cases luxury cars and private jets, we all work for a greater purpose than a love of the job itself. So, while some employers will (never saying it aloud) make you feel almost married to the job, many will appreciate your right to a life outside the four walls. Trying to balance work and life is a constant challenge for most of us but finding an employer who respects that this is a fundamental aspect to your health, happiness and well-being, in turn will reap the rewards in your loyalty to the business, along with your better frame of mind and increased productivity and creative input.
5) Reward and recognition. Some CEO’s I’ve had the pleasure of meeting will state that working for them is reward enough (few and far between thankfully) but most in our industry will use commission structures and bonuses alongside creative benefits packages to get the most out of their staff and attract the best in their field. Money aside, recognition where it’s due, is the difference for most of us between feeling truly valued and unappreciated, it can be worth far more to our overall wellbeing long term and make work more enjoyable. Working for a company that not only promotes from within but also enjoys banging the drums about their top biller will always be a happy place to be. I enjoy nothing more than taking a quick snoop at a company Instagram account and seeing genuine pictures of happy employees with bottles of champers for a job well done or a shout out on their birthday complete with a decked-out desk of balloons and cupcakes.
All in all, loving (or at least liking) where you work really can make all the difference to your happiness and overall health and well being. Remember some relationships aren’t meant to be, however rosy they may have once seemed. So, if you’re fed up of swiping left or right on generic job board adverts, ready to dump your boss but you’re worried about a dodgy rebound, then get in touch… We might just have your happy-ever-after to help you make work more enjoyable.