Hiring ‘failures’ can result in a win-win situation

Published on Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009

Sandeep’s skill set matches your job description to a ’T’. He is well qualified with impressive work experience to match. Everything spells eligible! Yet, as a hiring manager you refuse to touch him with a barge pole.

Well, there are certain taboo categories of job applicants that almost every recruiter shies away from. Even the hint of having been fired, laid-off, job hopping, having gaps in employment history, being out of the job market for a while or some other wrinkle in a job record puts the candidate out of the reckoning.

Whenever such a resume crosses an employer’s desk, it arouses suspicion, is labelled a ‘failure’ and discarded without a second thought.

But, hold that for a minute. With the deepening recession, employee recruitment is actually becoming more difficult than earlier. There may be numerous jobseekers in the market, but the real high-performers that you need and will fit your job opening prefer to be safely ensconced in their existing jobs rather than taking the risk of changing jobs.

Then again, the alleged ‘failed’ candidate may have been a top performer earlier only to suddenly find himself thrown into the job market for no fault of his own.

So, is it not worth taking at least a shot at this pool of mainly ‘failed’ candidates instead of dismissing them blindly? Not only will they form a new and welcome source of eligible candidates, but you may also find your next perfect candidate in this lot itself!

Hard look: It pays to keep an open mind, be proactive and take a long, hard look at the so-called taboo candidates before making a decision either way.

You have to carefully review the candidate resume, whether he will fit your job profile and the possibilities of success, before beginning the screening process.

Then, dig around a bit to determine whether any extenuating circumstances were playing behind the scenes that led to the candidate being tagged as a ‘loser’.

For instance, a job-hopper may actually just be guilty of bad judgment or fact may be that he just took up a series of ‘unfit’ jobs in a desperate bid to earn money and support his family. So, try to decipher whether the candidate truly has trouble holding on to a job.

Then again, an otherwise good employee may have been fired because of a clash with the company culture/manager or may have borne the brunt of a change in top management.

And, we very well know that a rocky job history marred by a gaping hole or two may be due to various reasons like time off for higher studies, personal ill-health, caring for a sick relative or simply needing a change of pace. To interpret such ‘non-working’ gaps as a lack of stability or reliability may not be good judgement.

Coming to the huge market of laid-off candidates, most are obviously corporate victims of cost cuts and downsizing. With employees being laid-off in droves, we cannot really blame them for appearing as ‘failures’.

The trick is to find the true circumstances behind the lay-off – was a high-performing, talented employee let go because of business reasons or was it the case of an average employee facing the axe in the first round of cost cuts.

What’s more, with the changing conditions, many progressive companies are actually turning back to the candidates who had actually failed in their own previous recruitment interviews. As GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd. claims, “We see far more ‘failed candidates’ than successful ones.”

What you have to do is try to understand the circumstances under which such a candidate can be successful and whether you can offer the same. This calls for careful questioning and screening.

Pay-off: Recruiting from taboo categories may appear like a challenge, but it also presents great opportunities!

It is worth taking a chance with a ‘failed’ candidate as it may very well turn out to your absolute advantage.

You will gain the benefit of earnest employees who have reached the end of their rope and with no way out of the family responsibilities, have no choice but to win at the job. This will bring sincerity, determination, dedication, perfection and hard work into your fold.

As a top recruiter observes, “The best thing you can possibly do for a person who has been laid off is give him a job. They’ve been to the bottom and like a super ball they will bounce back.”

Not only are such candidates fast learners who can hit the ground running, but also bring new skills as they may have spent the free time updating their qualifications. And what’s more, they are also willing to settle for lesser pay than earlier!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Perseverance pays in cold-calling in job hunt

Published on Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009

Cold-calling is one of the time-tested techniques of job hunting. Traditionally, jobseekers have always tried to cold call various companies for possible job openings. Not only does this work as an effective networking tool and widen your contacts, but can also generate successful employment opportunities. What’s more, if you are persuasive enough, you can even get a job custom-created specifically to your skills and experience!

To begin with: You need to list out the companies you want to work for. Make a nice, long list as the more you ask, the more are your chances of getting lucky.

Then, use your contacts or directly call the company to get the name of the hiring manger or executive in your targeted department who can get you a job. You have to doggedly seek information on the decision-makers and not get sidelined by HR who does not possess real hiring powers.

Next gauntlet: As intimidating as it may seem, you have to overcome your fear of calling and try to get in touch with the decision-maker.

Here, you can either choose to send an introductory cover letter/email or directly get on the phone and contact the decision-maker. Experts advise that you should not send a resume beforehand or request an interview/job; your goal is to simply arrange a ‘meeting’.

Get the ball rolling: Once you have initiated the contact, always address the contact by name and introduce yourself. Be well prepared to make ensuing conversation as it does not make sense to ask for a job outright.

The hiring manager will instantly dismiss you as a desperate jobseeker and most probably bang down the phone. A smooth entry is the operative word.

So, do your homework so that you can knowledgeably speak about the organisation’s history, needs, challenges, goals or future plans. Illustrate a well-planned value proposition to prove the benefits that you offer like helping solve a current problem, assisting in specific goal achievement or even being a recognised expert in the field. Explain your background and experience before requesting to meet him in person.

Else, you can warm up the cold call by mentioning the name of a contact that knows the manager or even begin enthusiastically with some good news about the company.

Preparing such a sales pitch beforehand will arouse interest and make the person more receptive to listen to you.

Smooth talk: Cold calling calls for good communication and people skills. Being shy or timid will not do. You have to be aggressive and persistent in your approach, but without appearing rude or pushy. Be friendly, polite and warm so as to establish a good rapport.

Rejections: The contact is obviously not expecting your call and may refuse you saying there are no immediate openings or try to sidestep you by directing to HR. You have to be resourceful and say that you only want to speak for a while.

Try to tenaciously angle for a meeting, yet be prepared to receive umpteen rejections.

You have to maintain a positive attitude and not let the rejection get to you. Believe in yourself and your abilities and persevere in the cold calling, as your goal is to contact as many employers as possible. And remember that all it may take is one positive response to strike gold.

Further contacts: Even if the call reaches a dead end, you can either seek an informational interview to gain more knowledge/advice of the field as well as source job leads and referrals to other departments/companies that may have job openings available. Also, continue to network with the initial contact as a future resource.

To sum up, cold calling is not fun; the hard work can be tiring and frustrating. You will be discouraged more often than not. But, such unsolicited job prospecting should form an essential part of your overall job hunt strategy as it helps you to bypass HR and get a foot in the door of organisations on your way to your dream job.

Not only will it get you face-to-face with decision-makers but if you are lucky you may even reach them just before they make a public hiring announcement!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Tap power of emails in job hunt

Published on Wednesday, Jul 15, 2009

In your quest for a new job, email can be a valuable tool that helps you better manage the job search. In fact, phones and snail mails are mostly on the way out, as email is fast becoming the primary medium of employee contact.

Emails come in handy at various junctures, be it networking with your contacts, finding a mentor and meeting new people or sourcing job leads and getting in touch with recruiters or contacting previous employers/co-workers for references.

But the prime utility comes into play when you are contacting potential employers right from the first contact to regular correspondence to thanking and follow-up, sometimes even to the extent of negotiating compensation packages.

Employers are making good use of emails and so should you! But you also have to be careful and use them appropriately to harness the full power of emails. Take them casually and you will only end up messing an otherwise great opportunity!

In general, while email serves as an effective medium, you have to take your cues from the employer and follow his preference for contact - be it telephone, post mails or emails.

Point of first contact – Many jobseekers routinely send out unsolicited emails to different employers/recruiters in the quest for job opportunities. But, when responding to a particular job opening, it is advisable to first send a hard copy of your resume and cover letter unless the employer specifies email contact in the job advertisement, website or a private conversation.

Follow up - Thereafter, if the employer continues to use email, you can respond likewise. This will also serve as a useful written record of interview date, job offer and acceptance etc. thus eliminating any confusion or misunderstanding.But when following up on an interview or job offer with a thank-you, it is always better to send a physical note or letter. Also, salary and benefits negotiations should be done in person, but you can always email the employer saying that you have questions or would like to speak to him.

What goes in – Your email should always be brief and focussed so as to grab attention. Think of it as a letter and not a face-to-face conversation. So, never start with a casual ‘Hi’ or ‘How you doing’.

Instead, preface the email with information about yourself like ‘I am a resourceful software professional interested in the position of…’ or ‘my experience includes… and I am seeking…’ Then show what you have to offer and what’s in it for the employer so as to make him sit up and take notice. Yet, avoid making too many ‘I’ statements.

The key is to quickly and powerfully communicate your value while demonstrating that you amply suit the job requirements. This will also ensure that your email does not appear like a form letter that is blindly forwarded to numerous companies.

Follow instructions – When sending across your resume, strictly abide by the preferred format like ASCII file, Word document, pdf file or simply text embedded in the email itself. In addition, name the attachment appropriately and provide a short description of the attachment in your email.

When replying, read the employer’s email carefully to understand the instructions like to whom you should reply and how. Also, never change the subject line or delete earlier emails so as to maintain both continuity and ease of checking previous correspondence.

While you should always use a professional email username for work purposes, it becomes all the more crucial during a job search. Also avoid using your work email and opt for a dedicated job search email account preferably with your full name.

The subject line is what will induce the employer to open/discard the email right away. So, steer clear of flimsy phrases like ‘Please see’, ‘Important information’ or ‘Your dream employee’. Instead, concisely summarise your purpose/objective as a compelling reason to read the email. Like, ‘Financial Analyst applying for…’ or ‘Follow-up to…’ Never ever leave the subject line blank as it can easily get marked as spam! Apart from this, regular professional email rules still apply:

• Try to address the employer by name with an appropriate salutation

• Adopt a business-like writing style that is clear, concise and professional. Never ramble with pointless banter

• Provide accurate information of your abilities and experience, as the email will form a written record that can be forwarded endlessly

• Carefully proofread the email for spelling, grammar, punctuation or other typing errors

• Avoid fancy fonts, emoticons and flowery words. In fact, KPMG recently stated that one in every ten emails received from jobseekers contain smiley faces that are very irritating!

• Include a professional signature block at the end of your email stating your full name, contact information, email address and phone numbers. If needed, you can also include your job title or important certifications, but do avoid fancy graphics, quotes or opinions

To sum up, always remember that a well-written e-mail can quickly impress an employer. But the opposite is very well true!

PAYAL CHANANIA

In crisis time learn to make hard decisions

Published on Wednesday, Jul 08, 2009

All bets are off in today’s murky business environment. Chaos reigns supreme as the economic situation is rapidly deteriorating into unpredictability.

Danger looms on every front pushing us into survival mode. The ambiguity clouds our managerial ability and makes decision-making an extremely daunting proposition.

Imagine having to decide about cost cuts, lay-offs, continuing/discontinuing research and development activities, keeping customers satisfied or cutting prices to increase sales while still keeping your head above water mixed with strategic planning requirements.

But this is not to say that we can conveniently drift into decision inertia either. In fact, taking and executing hard, courageous decisions is the most demanding need of the hour.

As a manager you have to be all the more effective during a crisis by rising to the uncertainty every single day.

What’s more, you can no longer hope to get away with wrong/flawed decisions anymore. One poor decision could very well drop the axe on your job itself.

The choices are difficult and the stakes are high. Yet, there are some well-established tools that can still help you to navigate the adversity as well as prepare you for what’s coming next.

There are ways to deal with this uncertain environment.

When it’s no longer ‘business as usual’, managers have to take the call by being all the more decisive.

Here are a few tips on how to strategise into responsible leadership:

Connect the dots: You have to understand what is actually happening to be able to stay on top of the change. So, do not rely on wishful thinking or hearsay at all. Start compiling detailed information on what is new, what are the challenges and how needs are changing.

This will help you to identify trends and get a basic picture of the complex problems before taking any decisions.

Also, try to get a grip on the potential wrenches and other negative variables that can affect the possible opportunities and solutions and adjust your plan accordingly.

Think now: Things are changing fast. You can no longer afford to think in terms of quarterly plans or annual figures. Concentrate on weekly and monthly strategies when trying to decide on the new challenges.

Yet, do not completely ignore the long-term view, as it will help you to plan and position yourself for the phase of recovery.

Fast and slow: Speed is the key to tiding over the confusion; you need to make fast decisions and execute them quickly. Yet, do take the time to mull over and analyse the situation instead of rushing in with hasty decisions. Along with swiftness, you also need to expend greater thought over your actions.

Be flexible: The old assumptions are no longer sustainable and you need to be flexible enough to change your attitude, thinking and actions. Also, when it comes to meeting the new challenges, do not rigidly stick to a planned solution. Build a flexible approach that can change quickly with the fast-moving demands of any situation. This will help you to adapt yourself according to the requirements and experiment innovatively when coming up with the necessary solutions.

Focus: Effective leadership and decision-making during the recession requires you to be determined, confident, resourceful and systematic. You have to build a sharp focus, discipline and discerning skills on the way so as to be able to handle whatever the future throws at you.

You cannot expect to tide over the adversity in a single-handed manner. Collaborate with your team to analyse the problems, brainstorm solutions and develop successful plans in a collective manner.

There may not be any easy answers, but getting a better handle on the decision-making process will help you to both flourish and emerge stronger from the trying experiences.

Now you are ready to lead your company from a downturn into the beginning of an upturn and will be on a roll when the good times shine again!

After all, remember ‘It is only when the going gets tough that the tough get going’

PAYAL CHANANIA

CRM must not be sacrificed even in downturn

Published on Wednesday, Jul 08, 2009

Every company big or small needs to maintain a personal level in their customer service. This is the ultimate key to keeping existing customers loyal and satisfied as well as developing new ones.

Yet, it so happens that while most companies do start off with good customer service, as they become bigger they tend to lose touch with the all-important customer. Alas, the first sacrifice towards growth is personalised customer service.

But, there can no excuse for providing less than top-notch customer service. In fact, it has become all the more important during the current rough economic weather. With every company outdoing the other in price cutbacks, your number one differentiating factor can only be stellar customer service.

What’s more, creating a favourable impression on customers will not only influence their future purchase decisions and win them over for life, but also induce them to spread the word. On the contrary, customers are becoming smarter and any glitches in the level of service will immediately push them to move elsewhere often right into the lap of your competition!

Therefore, companies should never even think of skimping on their customer service budgets. Keep investing in customer resource management solutions and look for cost cuts elsewhere. As Mr Nelson, Vice President of research and advice firm - Gartner says, “Just because times are tough and budgets are being cut, companies should not think that this means no CRM investment!”

Planting a culture of personal service: What is actually happening is that companies are becoming more and more distant, impersonal, mechanical and sometimes even menacing. Most customers complain that customer representatives are just for namesake, as they appear too busy to be bothered, sometimes not even acknowledging the presence of a customer.

Again customers have to jump through endless hoops to get their voice heard, let alone solve complaints. They have to wait through inexorable telephone queues, navigate twisted automated phone systems, bounce around from department to department only to receive robotic replies that are anything but satisfying. Most often, complaints go unanswered, as the company never even bothers to respond.

Little wonder then that the disgruntled customer reaches the end of his rope and dejectedly chooses to walk away from the company forever.

The only recourse left for companies is to go back to the basics and re-start personalised customer service.

Putting ‘personal’ back in your customer service requires very simple things like greeting with a smile, politely saying, ‘Hello’, ‘Please’, ‘May I help you’ and ‘Thank you’, giving courteous replies or maybe just opening a door. Now that isn’t much to ask for and yet it can transform the most routine interactions to friendly, engaging and infinitely memorable.

So, start being proactive at every customer touch point and provide dedicated support wherever possible. Like, when a customer approaches you face-to-face, endeavour to understand his needs and then offer the best thing that suits him instead of blindly pushing the most profitable product for sale.

Create a simple company website that is easy to use and also provides straightforward information. Also, automated phone systems may save time and money, but they can be customer-unfriendly.

So, as far as possible try to ensure that there is always a real person to answer customer calls and he does so in a warm, friendly and helpful manner. He should also be knowledgeable enough about the company and products to be able to satisfactorily answer questions and solve problems, without sending the customer on a wild goose chase around the company!

Then again, keep in mind that every customer query deserves an answer even if it spells trouble. Make it a point to respond immediately to all customer calls, letters and emails. Also, ensure that your response is clear, satisfying and personal instead of resorting to stock replies or sidestepping the blame.

Apart from this, maintain regular communication with all customers to keep in touch as well as keep them informed. Show that you appreciate the support even if a customer has purchased only once. Another tip comes from Peggy Morrow, author of Customer Service: How to Do It Right! “Calling customers by name is critical. You serve many people, but when you name someone, it tells them you still care about them as an individual.”

Towards this end, it will help infinitely if you have a dedicated customer service team that is purely focused on customers and their needs. All they have to do is come across as sincere, caring, competent and always willing-to-help to leave a lasting impression.

Therefore, customer service should form an integral part of every company as personal service instantly filters down to the bottom line. This can be tough for a growing company especially during today’s trying times.

Yet, as it has been rightly said, “Don’t get so busy as you grow that your customers feel unimportant. Personalised service is probably what made you grow in the first place!”

PAYAL CHANANIA

Maverick talent can be moulded from pain to gain

Published on Wednesday, Jun 24, 2009

Every company has at least a handful of ‘troublesome talent’. They are the best and brightest talent in your entire organisation. Blessed with top skills, creativity and passion, they always come up with constructive ideas, innovative arguments and clever insight. Being ambitious and determined, they tend to meet targets and achieve goals easily. In fact, they are the ones who bring in maximum customers, profits and ultimately success.

Yet by refusing to blindly toe the line, they also spell trouble in capital letters. Their way of working can never fit in with the established norms as they are prone to challenge the status quo and question authority at the slightest provocation. They constantly buck trends and never do the expected nor do they hesitate to ask ‘why’ for anything and everything.

And it is this blunt, aggressive style that rubs both managers and colleagues the wrong way. So much so that by coming across as brash, indifferent and even bullying, they end up infuriating co-workers, lowering staff morale and even causing people to leave the organisation.

Those who said that ‘Talent and trouble always goes hand in hand’ couldn’t have been more right!

Such troublesome talent has been rightly labelled ‘mavericks’ as they are hugely talented but quite difficult to manage. By doing things their way, they upset company values, create havoc and exasperate managers no end.

Problems reach such a head that ultimately the maverick is either sacked or head for the door. Either way, the organisation is losing its top talent.

Taming them: The mavericks may create problems, but it’s obvious that an organisation cannot afford to lose them either. After all, they are the ones who over-achieve, over-deliver and even keep customers happy.

As Judith Germain, founder of ‘Dynamic Transitions’ that provides strategic mentoring, coaching and training programmes especially for maverick individuals explains, “They tend to make up as much as 20 per cent of your talent pool, but they also cause 80 per cent of your problems. Again, they are even bringing in about 80 per cent of your profit.”

What managers have to realise is that they cannot treat these ‘unconventional’ individuals like other employees. As they bring new challenges, they need to be led in a different way than the rest of the workforce.

As a manager, you have to learn to accept that such people have some unique traits and understand their true nature. They can be fiercely independent, confrontational, wilful, impulsive, restless and quite impatient.

They have an inherent dislike for rules and abhor structure. Very often, they are singularly focused on the task at hand, sometimes to the exclusion of all else. Moreover, they will do what they want to do, when they want to do it.

This can make them appear uncompromising, indifferent and even irresponsible, yet this eccentric approach itself is the secret to their success.

You should also attempt to understand what drives them and what are their needs and motivators. They crave to be recognised for their talent and get immensely frustrated when their shrewd insights are not even considered. Also, realise that they tend to break rules, not out of spite but because the rules don’t work. Only such a sensitive approach can draw out their positive aspects and help you exploit their vision, drive and strength of purpose.

Therefore, what you need is flexibility – a willingness to change and even bend the rules on occasion. This will make you open-minded to their radical ideas, opposing assertions and innovative solutions. As a strategic coach advises, “To fully embrace these mavericks, companies will have to be brave to be different, flexible in their approach to management and be prepared for some pain, to achieve the pleasure of better performance.”

Moreover, remember that such talented individuals just want to be left to do what they want. So, do not try to control them or force them to conform. Providing complete autonomy will work like a charm. Just ensure that you establish agreement on the direction and end results. This will also align their needs and wants with the business objectives for a successful outcome.

Again, mavericks are easily bored and disengaged once they achieve their gaols. The key is to constantly engage them with new challenges that will ignite their passion. Another issue is that mavericks are often quite oblivious to the disruptive effect they have on others.

You can attempt to change their behaviour by making them aware of the cost and consequences of their actions.

This will polish out their rough edges and improve their interaction with others.In short, realise that your top talent is troublesome only because they are not being led properly.

Special leadership skills can help an organisation harness the skills of its mavericks, making them flourish with impressive performance, competitor advantage and less disruptions too!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Reference check: never hide information

Published on Wednesday, Jun 24, 2009

The erstwhile straightforward task of providing references for departing employees is getting more convoluted. While earlier employers never had to think twice before speaking their mind, now the fear of litigation hangs like a Damocles sword over their heads.

The respondent company is literally caught in the crossfire, as former employees do not hesitate to file defamation lawsuits even if they are just angry over missing out on a job. Similarly, they also run the risk of negligent reference claims from the requester employer.

Little wonder then, managers either totally refuse to respond to reference check requests or at best, resort to tricky responses.

Employers do want to assist their former employees in landing a job.

They are also open to helping prospective employers evaluate and validate candidate potential so as to prevent unfit hires.

But the inherent perils have effectively tied their hands and make them shy away from honest, insightful and detailed answers.

However, keeping the following recommendations in mind will help you curtail the risk, yet provide useful references:

Company policy: Most companies are trying to cover their back by establishing clear policies on references. Following this will minimise the chances of litigation and also keep your job out of jeopardy.

For instance, most companies require their managers to notify the HR department about reference requests, as they will know how best to respond. Therefore, when you receive such a request, instead of responding immediately you should take down the requester’s contact information and return the call after reviewing the company policy and contacting HR. If you get the go-ahead, always follow the company protocol in your responses or consult with HR about what you can disclose.

Consent form: When you receive a reference request, always insist on a signed release from the former employee that authorises disclosure of employment information. This will be your immunity from all claims if the information provided is accurate and in good faith. Some companies even choose to directly obtain the waiver during the exit interview itself.

Professional manner: Tempting as it might be, a reference check is not the time to give vent to your malice or get your own back against the former employee. You should stick to a factual, unbiased and accurate evaluation limited to the work-related aspects of the employee’s behaviour.

Never offer judgmental opinions, voice subjective ideas or misleading/incomplete information. Also, restrict yourself to areas where you had direct contact with the employee and not resort to hearsay.

If asked specifically, you can comment on the employee’s performance, attendance, conduct and reasons for termination, but never volunteer any information on your own. Also, refrain from rating the employee’s characteristics on a scale or predicting his success/failure in the new job, as it is both prejudiced and unfair.

No discriminatory issues: Discussing sensitive information like age, religion, race, marital status or disability of an ex-employee is asking for trouble. Similarly, avoid personal and inappropriate issues.

Exercise caution: On balance, you should always disclose both positive and negative traits of an employee’s performance and not omit any information that is relevant to his suitability for employment.

For instance, if an employee was fired because he was unmanageable, unfit for the job or failed to contribute, you have to be careful when answering about his termination. Do not hide facts, but do not degrade the employee either. A standard ‘performance did not meet requirements’ can suffice.

If an illegal act or wrongful deed like theft or violence is involved and you fail to disclose this information during the reference check, you are vulnerable to a negligent reference claim if the employee repeats the act while employed at the new company. It’s always advisable to seek legal advice before responding in any such unusual circumstances.

Not all: As a rule, only answer questions that you feel comfortable with. You can decline with a simple ‘I would rather not comment’ or at best, concede to confirm the bare minimum requirements like job title, salary, dates of employment and job responsibilities. Also, beware of sly and unprofessional questions that can land the company in hot waters.

Document it: It is advisable to avoid giving oral references and communicate only in the written form. Else, ensure that you note down the conversation details like what was disclosed and other supporting information to protect yourself from litigation.

This way, you can safely help both the former employee and the potential employer without getting sued for your efforts!

PAYAL CHANANIA

Long hours not a good measure for hard work

Published on Wednesday, Jul 01, 2009

The recession is taking its toll on the best of us. With the mounting economic distress, simply having a job seems like a blessing.

Moreover, being able to hold on to a job during a series of cost-cutting and layoffs forms a major triumph.

In fact, this tremendous pressure on job security is pushing people to work harder with gruelling hours and crazy schedules.

They have no choice but to put their career first, and work/life balance has become the principal sacrifice at the altar of recession.

What most people fail to realise is that the constant battle for survival brings its own physical and emotional toll, making them a walking recipe for disaster.

Gaining at least a semblance of balance between your work and the rest of your life is more important now than ever and is the only way to manage the chaos.

Besides, it will enable you to do your job better.

Yet, while striking a work/life balance was never easy, today’s challenging times have made the prospect harder than ever.

This is not to say that you just cannot lead a full and rewarding personal life at all. There are lots of places to start once you realise the need to maintain a balance to outride the stress and tension.

Get priorities right: There will always be various things competing for your time and attention. You need to attend a meeting, complete a project, instruct a subordinate, reply to your emails, negotiate with a client and so on.

Similarly, on the home front, you have to attend your son’s cricket match, help him with his homework, care for a sick parent, spend some time with your spouse and also read that new book. These numerous demands pull you in different directions and scatter your attention, making it tough to get almost anything done.

Take an honest look and figure out what you really want and what you are willing to give up. Then either postpone or entirely eliminate the extra obligations that are counterproductive and wastefully eat into your time.

This will free you for the more important tasks and let you focus on making the top priorities happen.

Use technology: Numerous flexible options like telecommuting and flex-time have emerged that can make your working life infinitely easier.

What’s more, the recession has made employers more amenable as they can conveniently cut costs and overheads.

So, check your company policy on the flexible options offered and remember that you will not lose anything by asking for accommodations. If your boss is diffident, explain that job-sharing or working from home at least on some days will make you more productive while letting you meet your personal responsibilities. Even if it entails a smaller pay cheque, the extra time can often compensate for the lost money.

Draw line: Experts opine that there is no direct correlation between the number of hours you work and your chances of holding on to the job.

So, pause and reflect a while on both the choices and sacrifices you have made.

There is no gripping compulsion to work longer hours and you should draw the line when it comes to your personal time. Schedule sufficient family time and keep your blackberry, laptop and other devices sacrilegiously off-limits.

Explain to your boss that you will mostly be unavailable during weekends or will not take work home.

Also, instead of working round the clock learn to work smarter by managing your time and scheduling work tasks over a reasonable period of time.

Life outside work: Never make the mistake of devoting yourself entirely to your work.

It will ultimately reduce your productivity and overall satisfaction. Build a healthy network of family and friends that will work both as an outlet as well as a support system.

You can also talk to different people in your circle and discuss tips on how they are managing to maintain a balance during this downturn.

Therefore, a mix of discipline and smart choices will enable you to free up at least a few extra hours in your life!

PAYAL CHANANIA