Here at Recruit UK we specialise in recruiting for roles within the Financial Services. We often come across Financial advisers who are miserable and overburdened in their role. A healthy challenge is different from a mountain of work that affects your performance, work-life balance, and overall health.
If you’re like many working professionals, your full-time job will take up most of your waking hours. Most of us spend 40-60 hours of our week working. Have you ever stopped to think how your role may be affecting your health? Some work-related habits and behaviours can take their toll on your overall physical and mental welfare. This brings about three questions: Is your unhappiness really about the salary you’re earning, or would you be happy with the same pay doing a different job? Have you ever thought about what stress is doing to your health, career, and happiness? And why haven’t you done something about it already?
Many people believe if they enjoy the job they do, they aren’t working hard enough. After all, the only way to establish a successful career is to work ridiculously long hours with no work/life balance, right?
But what if you aren’t around in the long run to reap the benefits of your labour? Job satisfaction makes you more productive, as well as helping you to attain long term success. Being miserable in your job, and the stresses associated with the role, can cause mental and physical illnesses.
From commuting into work, to over bearing bosses, some work stresses are unavoidable, however knowing how to make things easier is the first step to making yourself happier and healthier in your career.
Stress, stress, and more STRESS
One of the most common effects of a negative work situation is stress. This comes from being over-worked, or from working too many hours. Many people struggle to separate work from their home life, meaning they lack that all important work/life balance. When this happens, our minds continue to work, even when we are off the clock. We may struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or even when we are asleep, we’re probably dreaming of work.
Workaholics come in two forms, some love their jobs and can’t stop working, and some hate their jobs but aren’t allowed to stop working.
Excessive workload
Who hasn’t been overwhelmed by work at least once or twice in their work life? No-one will be surprised that ‘excessive work load’ has made it on the list, it is also not surprising that it causes health concerns. Not only can a heavy workload be tiring, but it also drives you to work longer hours than planned, and means you are working when you should be resting.
The weight of a heavy work load can sometimes be unbearable and leave you feeling out of control.
Workplace limitations
Have you ever sat down at 8pm at night and realised that you have very little to show for your work efforts that day? Unfortunately, many of us can relate to the feeling of a lack of accomplishment. Is your job stopping you from getting your work done? Are you dealing with incompetence, interruptions, lack of proper authority or insufficient technology in your current role? Is this down to poor management?
Poor management skills mean that your leader may not be communicating exactly what they want to be communicated. You may be dealing with bosses who are micro managers, or who are so hands off that you end up doing their job as well! This causes stress on top of work load stress!
Role ambiguity
Was a full outline of your role described to you when you were hired? Have your responsibilities evolved? Whatever the reason, uncertainty of your responsibilities is not a situation you should be in. Employees should be clear regarding the goals, expectations, or responsibilities associated with the performance of their positions.
In order to be proficient in your role you should be aware of the obligations and the actions necessary to fulfil the positon, and the effects that your role has on yourself, your co-workers and the organisation itself. A vague, or ill-defined job description may leave you feeling dissatisfied with your work tasks and job involvement. This, in turn, is related to manifestations of poor mental and physical health such as anxiety and depression.
Time for a change?
There is no reason why you cannot enjoy your job. If you’ve been on the fence about making a change, now is your chance- you owe it to your health!
If you are looking for a new role within the Financial Services, then speak to us about how we have helped candidates find amazing new opportunities that involve great benefit packages and a work/life balance.
