In the kinetic world of technology, the burden of breakneck innovation can come with a cost, but that doesn‘t need to be the case.
Software engineers, who are all too familiar with late-night commits and early-morning stand-ups, risk burnout when the pressures of constant improvement and creation eclipse the things that matter most outside of work.
In these instances, engineering managers can tip the work-life balance scales favorably and set the expectation that one’s work life never disrupts personal wellness and fulfillment. In a nutshell, leaders can ensure that their engineers crack the code, without it cracking them.
In a 2022 academic study on the causes of burnout in software engineers, the most common causes were workplace-related. Of the 32 primary studies examined, sources of tension included control at work, job overload, specialization and demands.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Especially now, amid an unsteady and on-edge time in the tech industry, engineering managers can determine whether their developers are overworked or stable, happy and able to optimally perform.
At two NYC companies, Sisense and BentoBox, maintaining equilibrium between work and life is a purposeful effort that starts from the top down. Their managers shared how they encourage teams to take time to recharge and disconnect.
Sisense embeds analytics into any workflow to help drive business decisions.
How have you set up your team to encourage a good work-life balance for individual contributors?
Creating an environment that prioritizes a healthy work-life balance for my team of individual contributors has been a core focus. To achieve this, we've implemented a variety of strategies.
Given the diverse geographical locations of team members, we have implemented flexible work hours to accommodate different time zones. I promote flexible work hours as long as team members attend essential meetings and meet their commitments. Additionally, I conduct regular one-on-one check-ins with team members to discuss their work-life balance, listen to their concerns and address any challenges. I actively encourage team members to take advantage of their paid time off and vacations, and make it clear that rest and recharge are essential for overall well-being.
Mindful of equitable work distribution, I use capacity planning and team member input to ensure that tasks are assigned in a balanced manner. Moreover, to create dedicated focus time, I encourage the team to have specific “no-meeting” blocks on their calendars. Collectively, these practices cultivate an environment that supports work-life balance and acknowledges individual needs.
What role does an open-door policy play in making sure team members can speak candidly about their work-life balance — and position you to respond accordingly?
An open-door policy plays a crucial role in ensuring that team members feel comfortable speaking candidly about their work-life balance and related concerns. It creates an environment of trust, transparency and psychological safety, which are essential for effective communication and support within the team.
This approach encourages open communication, signaling to team members that their concerns, including those related to work-life balance, are valued and welcome. Additionally, when team members see that their manager has an open-door policy, it fosters trust in the leadership. Work-life balance issues can be personal and sensitive, so having an open-door policy allows team members to discuss these matters confidentially and seek emotional support if needed.
Work-life balance issues can be personal and sensitive, so having an open-door policy allows team members to discuss these matters confidentially and seek emotional support if needed.”
Our open-door policy aids in identifying work-life balance problems early on through regular and candid conversations, allowing the manager to proactively address these issues and create a more harmonious work environment.
How do you protect your engineers’ time to ensure they accommodate — but aren’t overwhelmed — by the needs of cross-functional collaborators?
To safeguard our engineers‘ time while fostering effective collaboration, I implement a multifaceted approach. I encourage engineers to have dedicated focus time to work on complex tasks without interruptions. I also empower engineers to communicate their workload and bandwidth honestly. This creates a culture where they feel comfortable discussing their capacity and pushing back on additional commitments when necessary.
Through the periodic review and refinement of collaboration processes, I identify areas of improvement that help streamline communication and minimize unnecessary demands on engineers‘ time. By fostering cross-functional team awareness, teams are encouraged to understand each other’s priorities and challenges, build empathy and help collaborators approach each other more considerately; open communication between engineering and other teams allows for honest discussions about workload and potential conflicts.
BentoBox’s marketing and commerce platform is used by over 14,000 restaurants worldwide to design elevated websites, drive online ordering and access data analytics
How have you set up your team to encourage a good work-life balance for individual contributors?
Our team utilizes the scrum agile methodology to help each contributor maintain a healthy work-life balance. Two-week sprint cycles with consistent point commitments ensure that each engineer knows what work they’ll be responsible for well in advance so they can plan accordingly. I generally try to limit unnecessary meeting involvement for individual contributors unless they express interest in leadership — such as feature development ownership.
What role does an open-door policy play in making sure team members can speak candidly about their work-life balance — and position you to respond accordingly?
Sprint retrospectives and semi-frequent one-on-one meetings with each of my team members ensure that they have ample opportunity to discuss any work-life balance issues they may be having. These meetings empower each team member to provide feedback for me and the rest of the team that can then be turned into actionable improvements.
Sprint retrospectives and one-on-one meetings with each of my team members ensure that they have ample opportunity to discuss any work-life balance issues.”
How do you protect your engineers’ time to ensure they accommodate — but aren’t overwhelmed — by the needs of cross-functional collaborators?
I typically position myself between each of my engineering, product and operations professionals to prevent them from being overwhelmed by new initiatives. Usually, this takes the form of myself or another tech lead planning out an initiative’s implementation at a high level before introducing individual contributions at a sprint planning or grooming session.
