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Accounting and finance professionals face a lot of workplace stress. It isn’t surprising when considering the professional demands which can range from heavy workloads, pressure from leadership, regulatory compliance, and evolving business demands. While stress can be a good thing in small doses that brings your team together to meet deadlines and produce quality work, it can also lead employees to feel burned out.

Burnout is costly. Employees who are burned out are often unhappy and work less effectively. And if the situation isn’t corrected, it won’t be long until they begin looking for a new job. However, employers can do a few things to help reduce stress and help employees feel confident in their work. Before your team hits its limit, here are some practical strategies you can implement to minimize workloads and excessive job demands.

OFFER FLEXIBLE OR REMOTE WORK OPTIONS

Remote work options, or other flexible working arrangements, are a great way to reduce workplace stress. Employers can offer the option for some employees to work from home a few days a week or set specific work hours that revolve around their personal schedule. Working from home and having flexible hours allows employees to have more freedom and can eliminate the stress of heavy workloads by minimizing the time they spend commuting and with distractions around the office.

PROMOTE WELLNESS AT WORK

To reduce workplace stress, many employers are introducing employee wellness initiatives—resources which empower their workforce to maintain and improve their physical and mental health more effectively. Companies are providing a variety of resources for employees – such as:

• Gym memberships
• Days off to focus on wellness
• Discounts on healthy foods
• Access to counseling services 

Aside from wellness benefits, many employers are simply taking a more proactive approach to creating a culture of wellness. One of the most effective trends we’ve seen is how many employers are destigmatizing mental health issues and, in tactful ways, encouraging conversations or providing a safe space in which employees can be open about their struggles. 

By offering a comprehensive workplace wellness program, you can help your team maintain their health and motivate them to meet the challenges their workday will bring. Workplace wellness initiatives are a great way to improve employees’ performance and health while still supporting your company’s goals. Bettering your employees’ work-life balance can help increase productivity and motivate your workforce to stay with your organization for the long term.

CREATING A MORE POSITIVE WORKPLACE CULTURE

In a world where most employees spend 8+ hours per day at work, it makes sense that companies would work to create an environment in which people want to work. To accomplish this, many organizations begin with their work culture.

Creating a positive workplace culture is a vital step in building team morale, giving employees a sense of purpose, building camaraderie with their coworkers, and creating an environment in which employees can do their best work. On the other hand, a negative workplace culture can make employees feel unwanted, less inspired, and more stressed.

A positive workplace culture is not just a great tool for increasing retention rates amongst current employees, but it’s one of the most effective ways to make your company more attractive to potential hires. A positive culture can be created by taking these steps: 

• Establish clear and relatable core values that are then communicated and discussed with your team.
• Encourage collaboration and communication between employees and management.
• Ensure your workplace is inclusive so everyone on your team can feel valued, supported, and appreciated.
• Establish clear goals that your team can work towards and incentives for meeting those goals.

INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY INTO COLLABORATION

If you have a remote or hybrid team—something becoming more and more common—your team needs to have access to technology that will connect them to their coworkers. Tools such as Slack for group chat, Teams, or Zoom for video conferencing with screen sharing capabilities are all great ways to keep your team members engaged even if they’re not physically in the same space. This also allows your team to feel more connected and invested in their job and with each other.

AVOID WORKPLACE STRESS BY ADDING TOP TALENT TO YOUR ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE DEPARTMENTS

At Crester, our team specializes in locating top talent quickly and effectively. Whether you need a permanent placement for your growing department or interim help for a special project, our team will find the perfect fit for your needs. Contact us today to find top accounting and financial experts that can assist your organization in generating growth, managing expenses, and navigating change.