How a Good Work-Life Balance Can Make You a Better Employee

It may seem like a good employee is always focused on work. And while dedication is crucial to achieving career success, complete devotion to your job can often backfire. In many ways, you become a better employee when you maintain a good work/life balance. 

This may seem counterintuitive. But becoming a more well-rounded person augments your ability to achieve success at work.

Here are some of the ways a good work/life balance can make you a better employee: 

Improved Engagement 

Working 60 hours a week makes you an engaged employee, right? After all, you’re almost always at the office. However, there’s a difference between being present and being engaged. 

Long hours and a brutal workload can cause you to check out. You become a drone, just plowing through one task after another. Your employer needs more out of you than just labor. They need creative thinking and innovation too. These become easier when you have time to relax and recharge. 

Increased Productivity 

Let’s define the difference between “production” and “productivity.” Production is how much work you can get done. Productivity is how efficiently you produce it. 

A grueling schedule can lead to increased production. But, somewhat, it also cuts into your productivity. Each additional hour you work becomes less valuable to your employer. Your performance slips as you grow tired and distracted. At a certain point, the diminishing returns make those additional hours something close to wasted effort. 

Avoid Burnout 

A hyper-concentration on work makes sense in occasional short bursts. Sometimes, you face a looming deadline or oversee a crucial project. In these cases, it’s normal to put in extra hours. 

That’s in short bursts. Over the long haul, this concentration on output can become counterproductive. It’s impossible to sustain these Herculean efforts as a routine workload. You’ll become overburdened and eventually burn out. 

Become a Better Coworker 

A happy coworker is a kind coworker. Any business involves a substantial amount of teamwork. You need to be prepared to work closely with your colleagues to get anything meaningful done. 

If your home life is suffering, you’ll bring that stress to work. It will affect your mood and, in turn, your ability to function in a team environment. Maintaining a strong work/life balance lets you become a better coworker and, by extension, a better employee. 

Encourage Longer-Term Career Success 

Getting noticed as a top performer is an excellent way to drive your career forward. However, you need to find the gear that you can maintain over the long haul. You don’t want to become a firecracker, burning out after a short, glorious burst. You want to be one of those energy-efficient light bulbs that keep shining for years at a time. 

Finding an employer who understands the importance of work/life balance can unlock a new level in your performance. A top recruiting firm, like SmartTalent, can help you find these companies. 

Contact SmartTalent today to learn how you can accelerate your career development.