FinTech Futures Jobs: When to say no at work, and how to do it
We are in an era of overload. Whether you’re back in the office on a hybrid basis (where office chatter can derail all good intentions) or still working remotely, there are an overwhelming number of things to tick off your to-do list every day.
Click on the image to see all the vacancies on the FinTech Futures Jobs portal
From Slack messages to meetings, not to mention endless emails, it can be hard to find time to do the actual work. According to the most recent Work Trend Index from Microsoft, 64% of people say they struggle with having the time and energy to do their job.
In fact, it’s now estimated that workers are spending the equivalent of two workdays each week in meetings and on email.
When you are constantly reacting to messages and ad hoc requests, it can be difficult to be creative. It is unsurprising that Microsoft’s survey also found that when people are struggling, they are three and a half times more likely to struggle with innovation and strategic thinking too.
2022 research conducted by LumApps amongst 1,000 employees in the UK, who worked in both desk and non-desk-based roles, found that 88% of workers had experienced at least some level of burnout over the previous two years.
Workplace stress
With UK workers experiencing so much workplace stress, compounding the strain is the fear that if you say no to a specific request or task, you’ll be marked down as someone who isn’t a ‘team player’.
But it is important to be able to push back on unreasonable requests, tight deadlines, or work that regularly takes you away from your core responsibilities.
And it is also OK to say no at work when you are already managing a heavy workload and the request is unreasonable within this context, the task or project is outside of your area of expertise or job description, or you have a prior commitment or a personal obligation, such as a medical appointment, that you can’t reschedule.
Prioritising your own mental or physical health is important not only for your own wellbeing, but also to preserve your ability to do good work. Additionally, you should be able to push back if your manager regularly oversteps, so that they can begin to understand that you have reasonable boundaries and won’t just say yes to everything that’s being thrown at you.
How to say no
While it’s acceptable to refuse work or tasks, the main thing to note is that successful refusals are all about how you deliver them. A flat no isn’t likely to get you far, but explaining that you’re currently at capacity will help your manager understand that you can’t add anything else onto your slate––at least this week.
If you’re asked to do something that’s out of your remit or comfort zone, you can decline on the grounds that you’re just not the best person for the task. Trickier still are requests that eat into your personal time or previously agreed annual leave.
You can smile and say you are more than happy to complete any requests within your working hours for the former, and for the latter, simply state that you will be on leave, so you’ll be unavailable to take on that task or attend that meeting.
Of course, some managers won’t take no for an answer and will push you to accept what they are asking. Politely reinforcing your reasonable refusal can help, but if you feel that this behaviour is happening regularly, you’re not being listened to, and as a result you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, you may consider looking for a new role.
If this is the case, then the FinTech Futures Job Board is a great starting point, containing thousands of open roles, like the ones below.
Klarna has a Business Developer role on offer in Manchester. You will work to accelerate the business and evolve its go-to-market strategy by engaging with partners, developing existing accounts, and landing new business opportunities. To be considered, you’ll need to be an adaptable, successful, and experienced business development manager. In return, you can choose between working from the office, remotely within your employment country, or even in a different country for up to 20 working days per year.
Credit card company Capital on Tap is seeking a Lead DevOps Engineer to lead and mentor other engineers, helping them to grow and thrive. You will be a product and system evangelist, coaching and mentoring both the immediate team and the wider IT department on DevOps best practices. One year of experience as a DevOps Team Lead, plus experience with Kubernetes Docker, Azure DevOps, Octopus, and other CI/CD tools, is required.
A fully remote Frontend Engineer role is on offer at Jobbio for an experienced JavaScript developer who is proficient with React.js. You will also be responsible for profiling and improving front-end performance and documenting the front-end codebase. Previous experience as a React.js developer is required, as is in-depth knowledge of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML.
For hundreds more opportunities across fintech, visit the FinTech Futures Job Board today.
