Boost your productivity: 5 tips for time management at work

How many tasks do you have to handle daily at work? Do you usually complete them in 8 hours of work time? Nowadays, the professional world is very demanding and the number of responsibilities for some positions might seem overwhelming. In those cases, you need to improve your abilities of time management at work. At T2W we are experts in recruitment and talent management and we can give you a hand in such an important endeavor. 

Having time management skills in the workplace is one of the traits that let us recognize productive professionals. That’s why this is part of the criteria recruiters look for. In this article, we will show you some ways to improve time management at work.  

1. Schedule your work day 

In theory, you only have 8 hours to complete all your responsibilities. You have to make every minute count! That’s why the first step to have effective time management at work is to plan your day and each task in it. That way you can make the most of each hour. 

Create a list with all tasks you have to complete on the day. Then, set reminders in your calendar and assign a specific time for each task, even for those that seem too small. It’s better if you schedule the most difficult or important chores at the beginning and leave the minor ones for the end. 

Why should you start with the difficult ones? It’s mostly because of your energy. In general, after lunchtime, energy starts fading away and the fatigue affects our performance. That is something natural. For that reason, it’s always better to start with the big tasks. Once you complete them, you will remove that weight off your shoulders. 

2. Handle one task at the time 

Many people think that multitasking is a big skill at work. That is far from the truth. It’s scientifically proven that our brain is not made to handle many tasks at the same time. In fact, multitasking affects our performance, makes us waste time and leave us with nothing but incomplete job duties.  

This is why it’s so important to schedule all your tasks and try to focus in just one task at the time. That exclusivity you give to each task offer two benefits: first, you pay more attention and care to each duty; second, you can follow in order the plan you created as a part of the previous advice. If you really want to improve your time management skills, avoid multitasking at all cost. 

3. Get away from distractions 

Ok, this is easier said than done, especially if you work from home. Your house can be an infinite source of distractions: irritating noise, conversations with family, home chores and an infinite etcetera. That’s why, if you work from home, do it from the quietest room in your home. However, more often than not, the biggest distraction source is your own phone. 

One innocent notification can take you to a social network where you will spend the next 15 minutes wasting precious time. Yes, it happens to us all. For that reason, you must fight that urge of checking your phone every 5 minutes. Turn off all social media notifications during working hours. If you are facing a very important task, use the flight mode on your cellphone. 

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4. Use digitals tools 

Another time management tip at work is using the many benefits technology offer us. For example, there are many time management tools for employees that can help you a lot. The best part is that many of these are free. Here we give you a short list with some of the best: 

Todoist 

This app was created to keep track of time in tasks that are part of big projects. Also, it connects with project management and messaging apps. 

Toggl Track 

This is a great tool to keep track of time in independent tasks. You can also add it in your Chrome browser to keep an eye on the time spent in each task. 

Any.Do 

This app will work great with your cellphone. It allows you to connect the events in your calendar with your daily tasks. If you are having constant meetings, this is the app you need. 

5. Use the Pomodoro technique 

The Pomodoro technique is a method created in the 90s that lets us have an effective planning and time management. The method segments work into pieces divided by small breaks. The best part is that with this method you can apply all the tips and tools we gave you above. 

First, create a list with all your tasks for the day. We have seen this step previously. Then, use a clock and schedule 25 minutes of work. The reason for setting only that time is that our brain has a short attention span. This is where you can use one of the time management apps we just recommended you. Once the timer is set, you can work. 

After 25 minutes of working without distractions, take a short 5-minute break. During this time, try to move to a different room since you need to clear your mind. Then repeat the process. After 4 periods of 25 minutes and the respective breaks, take a 15-minute break. This method allows you to focus on your work and make a better use of your time. 

This are the main time management tips you have to consider to improve your productivity. If you make them part of your work habits, your productivity will improve significantly. 

At Talent2Win, we strive to align your company’s business objectives with the best Talent Acquisition strategies available. If you want to learn more about the services we offer, do not hesitate to contact us.