At the same time, expectations are high for accounting and finance teams as companies turn to them for strategic advice for surviving the recession. To keep up with these demands, financial leaders must find a way to maintain employee productivity at a time when morale may be declining.

 

Asking existing staff to accomplish more is a common starting point. However, if workloads remain excessive over time with little chance for reward, employees may burn out – or, worse yet, decide to leave. As conditions start to improve, top performers who feel overworked and underappreciated may jump ship at the first opportunity. So, what alternate options do managers have for maintaining productivity during challenging times? Here are a few other approaches:

 

Beef up communication efforts. When helping your staff cope with modifications to the familiar, there is no such thing as too much information. Regular communication is always important, but it is critical during times of transition. If employees decide to postpone decisions or interactions until more is revealed about what’s ahead, it can seriously affect productivity. When explaining why changes are necessary, you should be as straightforward as possible. Employees need to be confident that their leaders have a solid plan for navigating what may now seem like stormy seas.

 

Too many closed doors and hushed conversations increase their anxiety. To reduce the chance of uninformed gossip, information should be shared with the staff as a group. Between meetings, openness should continue to prevail. Rare is the manager who has time to spare, especially in these times, but maintaining a tone that invites questions and unscheduled drop-ins will do much to smooth a transition.

 

Re-prioritize. Start by recognizing that fewer staff members simply cannot do everything the group did before. Ask your team to rank order all of their current work deliverables and focus on those that they (and you) consider mission-critical. Non-essential work should then be prioritized separately based on its relative importance to your group’s contributions to the company’s continued profitability.
 
Bring in support. Managers faced with hiring freezes or downsizings often believe they have no staffing options, when that’s not always the case. A cost-effective solution is bringing in temporary accounting professionals to supplement full-time employees. Project staff can provide the resources to deal with cyclical demands, specialized initiatives or increased workloads, allowing otherwise understaffed teams to be productive and able to achieve objectives.

 

Temporary professionals can be brought in only for the period they’re needed. There’s flexibility to easily add or subtract contract personnel, so companies can make quick adjustments as business conditions and priorities shift. This staffing strategy can give firms an edge over competitors who rely solely on full-time employees and have limited personnel today. It also gives you the ability to access skills and experience you may otherwise not be able to find, or that is only needed for periodic or nonrecurring tasks. The use of temporary staff also can help organizations reduce overtime costs and the risk for burnout that’s common when workers are asked to take on too many additional responsibilities.

 

Bringing in extra support also shows employees that you recognize the stress their workloads are generating for them. The end result can be greater motivation, loyalty and productivity.

 

Reward excellence. Make sure employees know that you value their hard work and sacrifices during these times. Allowing someone to leave work early one day or providing thanks during a meeting are just a couple of easy ways to provide meaningful recognition.

Create stress-breakers. When workloads are at their worst, it’s easy to postpone social activities at work. In fact, they may not be scheduled at all. However, this is when they’re needed most. Holding teambuilding exercises at a local park or taking a break to recognize employee birthdays with a cake celebration can give people a chance to recharge.

 

There’s no doubt that the current economic crisis is putting companies to the test. To receive a passing grade, leaders must adopt a flexible mindset about the way they manage their staffing resources. Those who are savvy about their use of personnel will not only help their organizations survive the recession but also find themselves well positioned for any sudden upswing in business when conditions improve.

 

For more management and career advice, listen to Robert Half’s podcast series, The Management Minute, at www.rhi.com/podcast.

 

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Andy Denka is the executive director of Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. For more information about Accountemps, a division of Robert Half International, visit www.accountemps.com.