Societal norms in many countries indicate that the harder someone works, the more successful they become. As a manager or entrepreneur, you’re likely familiar with the concept of demanding employees to produce more output in less time with fewer resources—but this is just madness.

Why working smarter is better

One of the top productivity hacks for an efficient workforce is to work smarter, not harder. Remember that people, your team included, are working to live rather than living to work. Not only does this increase creativity but also saves precious energy for things that matter.

Besides what have been mentioned above, here are some other advantages of smarter working:

It reduces stress levels

Too much stress eventually leads to burnout, which affects energy levels and mental health. Working smarter means being more mindful of how you’re using up your energy, be it on hiring Filipino remote workers or finding new clients. It enables you to connect your goals with your values.

It increases concentration

As stated previously, it helps you spend less energy and save it for more important things. It teaches you to reduce your to-do list through proper planning and to prioritise high-value tasks. Work days are focused on more income-generating activities instead of repetitive tasks.

It arranges for rest

Now that your schedule is arranged more efficiently, you have more time for all sorts of rest. These include taking a nap, practising meditation, or even going on a short holiday. Talking about naps, they’re said to improve moods and strengthen memory.

It balances work with life

Instead of being consumed by your career and working longer hours, you have time for your personal matters. Smarter working is an excellent means of time management that enables you to hit deadlines on schedule while allowing greater flexibility for off time pursuits.

It improves motivation

Your motivation increases because you feel positive and productive regarding your work. You’ll notice that the changes are helpful in continuing your growth and meeting your objectives. You will be motivated to set more goals once you finish what’s already on your list.

It boosts worker value

Businesses constantly look for ways to accomplish more with less effort. When you hire a Filipino VA who’s able to do this, they’re going to become a more important part of your workforce. You’ll want them to teach their teammates how to work smarter like them.

It fosters self-esteem

When an employee is able to produce better quality output with less effort, they begin to feel better about themselves as a professional. They start to gain confidence, making them more willing to take on challenging tasks and take calculated risks. They also begin to face your clients with greater sincerity.

How to start working smarter

Working smarter rather than harder means finding ways of using time and energy at work more efficiently. This is what allows your workers to finish tasks at a faster rate. Explore the following strategies for implementing this concept in your organisation:

Establish clear priorities

Categorise the tasks on their to-do lists according to their importance and urgency. High-importance and high-urgency tasks affect key business results. High-importance but low-urgency tasks have a similar impact but don’t have the same time pressure.

High-urgency but low-importance tasks include attending meetings and answering phone calls. While there’s pressure to do them, they don’t offer much value to operations. Low-urgency and low-importance tasks are the time-wasters encountered throughout the day.

Consider their energy levels

Forget about multitasking because, contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t work. It’s better to arrange tasks according to the energy levels of your employees. For instance, if your HR manager is productive after lunch, have them hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines during that time.

To put the most challenging work during the time periods when they have the most energy, you must observe your employees. See when they tend to submit more tasks or ask them when their energy usually spikes. Put the easy tasks when they tend to drag their feet.

Delegate more tasks

One thing every leader or manager must master is the art of delegation. This is going to be a challenge if you’re more of a micromanager, perfectionist, or control freak. However, understand that delegating to real or even AI assistants increases your productivity.

A study shows that CEOs who delegate experience fewer cases of burnout and decision fatigue as well as generate more revenue. If you think your team is already packed with assignments, hire remote staff in the Philippines through a reliable offshore staffing agency.

Use time-blocking techniques

It’s a good idea to include breaks in your team schedule. That’s made easier when you chunk similar tasks together while keeping their energy levels in mind. Batching tasks is more efficient since your workers don’t have to switch back and forth between different kinds of work.

For instance, it’s beneficial to chunk tasks that require creativity together then tasks that require analytical thinking together. This also allows you to block off time for distractions such as 10 minutes for scrolling social media, 15 minutes for chatting with co-workers, and so on.

Limit the notifications

The key to better concentration is by turning off notifications so you may focus on the task ahead. This holds true for your team so allow them to set Do Not Disturb modes when they’re at their busiest. Also, teach them to close tabs and windows that aren’t relevant to what they’re currently working on.

Make sure that each member of the team is aware when their colleagues are busy too. It may help to have your team schedule posted on the cloud for convenience. This way, you and your employees are aware who’s in a meeting, who’s logged out for the day, and the like so they know when to time their communications.

What productivity tools to use

To get more done without doing more, rely on the many tools available on the market. After all, technology was designed to make our personal and professional lives much easier. Here are examples of tools you’ll want to integrate into your operations:

AI productivity tools

There are many applications for artificial intelligence in the workplace so look into AI-powered productivity solutions for your specific industry. Some software are designed specifically for streamlining workflows with AI while others are generally for maximizing efficiency with AI.

ChatGPT by OpenAI, for example, is a type of automation software that responds to users using a natural language approach. It’s currently based on GPT3 but will be upgraded to GPT4 when it’s released. It’s an AI model that answers all kinds of queries, from how to hire a Filipino freelancer to why scale your business.

Time management tools

If you want to juggle deliverables, resources, and deadlines more efficiently, you’re sure to benefit from dedicated time management software. They’re designed to keep teams on track like ProofHub which is used by leading organisations like Taco Bell, Disney and even NASA.

Timecamp is another great option that helps you to bill clients, measure project profitability, and pay your workers at the end of the week or month, depending on your arrangement. You’re probably also familiar with Hubstaff which tracks the time spent on work and leisure.

Productivity apps

To improve efficiency among teams, both in the office and remote, there are tools that don’t rely on artificial intelligence too. The best and most recognisable one is Microsoft 365 which is the latest iteration of the Microsoft Office Suite. With Outlook, Powerpoint, Excel, and Word, it covers the most crucial office needs.

There’s also Asana which is a veteran in collaboration and is used by TED, Pinterest, Uber, and Intel. It allows you to make to-do lists, set reminders, assign comments, and send requests to colleagues within the app. All of your projects may be organised in board or list format for visual organisation.

Where to hire a VA in the Philippines

No matter how much planning, organising, and delegating you do, there are times when you simply need more people to increase the productivity of your company. You have the option to hire office-based staff too but it’s easier to hire a freelancer in Philippines or anyone else working remotely.

When you need help to hire a Filipino virtual assistant, Remote Workmate is ready to address any of your staffing needs. We understand that there are some sectors where it’s not possible to rely on automation software so you need a reliable human employee to fill the gap.

Rest assured that all of our Workmates have been carefully screened according to our stringent standards. We will perform additional screening according to your preferences or requirements too. In some cases, we replace your new hire Filipino VA with someone who better suits your needs.