Do you see work-life balance as a myth, or is it something you constantly strive to achieve? Research from Gallup shows that 61% of U.S workers are seeking a more improved work life balance, a desire brought about by the increase in flexible working caused by the pandemic.

The picture is broadly the same in the UK. Recent research from HR and payroll software company Ciphr discovered that more than over two-thirds of people – specifically, 70% of women and 65% of men – rated work-life balance as more important than pay.

The discovery of flexibility in how and where we worked during the Coronavirus crisis offered a realisation that careers could, and perhaps should, fit around our lives instead of the opposite approach which had become the norm. 

However, while the majority of us desire a greater balance, only a minority know how to achieve it; or so a study from Harvard Business School carried out among mid- and senior-level workers would indicate.

It found that when trying to achieve work-life balance, those that believe they have it, view it as a cyclical thing rather than a hard and fast life rule. They appreciate that reactivity is needed and hard decisions need to be made. The study showed that a work-life balance comes from an understanding that sacrifices will need to happen both at work and home, decisions must be definite, and support is needed from all sources.

How can you develop a greater work-life balance? Read on.

Define success for yourself

What does a successful work-balance look like for you? It will certainly differ from that of the person sitting next to you. It will be a mix of personal and professional goals and be heavily influenced by the controllables and non-negotiables in your life. Once you have defined what your win is, then you can start to make definite decisions on what you sacrifice in order to achieve it.

Manage technology

How can technology help you achieve your success? Hybrid working is now the norm for 84% of corporate workers according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), so what can you do with that freed-up commute time?

Can technology – everything from email to SLACK and WhatsApp to Zoom – make your working day smoother? On the flip side, it’s important to acknowledge what aspects of technology it might be time to cut yourself off from; email threads you don’t need to be on or remote meetings you may not need to attend. Technology should save time, not make it easier to waste.

Build support networks at work and at home

Delegation at both work and home is imperative if you’re to hit goals without working around the clock. At home, outsource time-consuming tasks. While at work, look to the future and start to empower those around you to make decisions without you. The retention of key talent is essential for successful teams, and 70% of workers will remain with a company if they’re promoted within three years. 

Ready to put it all into practice? We’ve found three hybrid cloud-based roles on the FinExtra Job Board below.

HR Systems & Data Analyst, SaltPay

The Role: The HR Systems & Data Analyst will be responsible for leading systems and data projects that include understanding needs, creating a plan, serving as a liaison with other departments, and ensuring results.

The Responsibilities: You’ll optimise the use of the available tools, as well as search for new tools that are appropriate to the organization's objectives. You will constantly search for automation of tools and processes associated with the people team, whether in tools or processes.

The Requirements: Proven working experience working with people-related systems, strong familiarity with project management software tools, methodologies, and best practices as well as experience seeing projects through the full life cycle is required.

Apply for the HR Systems & Data Analyst role or explore other opportunities with SaltPay.

Senior IOS Engineer, Monzo

The Role: The Senior IOS Engineer will work in a small, autonomous product squad on core personal banking experience, paid products, lending products, business banking, and internal operations as the need arises.

Responsibilities: With the potential to work remotely, you’ll be responsible for an overall company goal, rather than building a specific feature – you'll have the opportunity to have impact on both what Monzo builds and how Monzo builds it.

The Requirements: You've shipped and iterated on at least one app in the App Store, have an understanding of the principles of computer science and are comfortable working in a team that deals with ambiguity.

Apply for the Senior IOS Engineer role or explore other cloud based roles at Monzo.

Senior Backend Engineer, BVNK

The Role: The Senior Backend Engineer will work within a small team to build the bridge between crypto and traditional finance, with a specific focus on BVNK’s business account functionality.

The Responsibilities: You’ll collaborate with the product team to iterate fast and deliver results while translating from technical to non-technical with other stakeholders across the business.

The Requirements: Ideally you will have experience working in Fintech with a desire to work in the crypto space. You will have received highest honours at university within a software engineering degree or STEM discipline.

 Apply for the Senior Backend Engineer role or explore other cloud opportunities at BVNK. 

For more exciting career opportunities in the Fintech space, check out the Finextra Job Board.