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Writer's pictureJill Felska

Time-Saving Tools for People Operations Leaders: Reclaim Your Time with Confidence

At Want To Work There, we understand how a workday can easily spiral out of control with unplanned tasks, distractions, and a never-ending to-do list. For people operations managers, the challenge of juggling administrative work and strategic leadership is constant. You might feel like you're always playing catch-up, and before you know it, you're exhausted and overwhelmed. But here's the thing: reclaiming your time and productivity is possible—with a little strategy and the right support.

In this guide, we’ll share practical ways to lighten your workload, set clear boundaries, and adopt time management tools for busy people operations managers. Whether you're looking to delegate, find the best time-saving tools for HR and people operations teams, or simply take a much-needed break, we've got you covered.

Let’s dive into how you can regain control of your day and build a work life that leaves you feeling accomplished, not drained.

Reflect on Your Current Workload to Identify Opportunities for Improvement

Before we jump into the nitty gritty of time-saving tools, let’s take a moment to reflect on your current workload and what roadblocks you might be experiencing. Use the questions below to begin some self-reflection.

Key Questions to Help People Operations Leaders Reclaim Their Time

  1. How much of my day am I spending on unplanned activities?

  2. How much of my day do I want to spend on unplanned activities?

  3. What 1-2 things on my to-do list could I delegate to someone else?

  4. How can I proactively communicate my needs to avoid roadblocks and backlogs?

  5. Are there boundaries I need to set to create a more manageable workload?


If these questions sound familiar, you're not alone. At Want To Work There, we know how challenging it can be to balance planned and unplanned tasks, especially for people operations leaders. The good news is, there are ways to steal back your time, set clear boundaries, and navigate your workload more effectively.


Take a moment to pause, breathe, and remind yourself: You’ve got this. With a little confidence, some strategic delegation, and the right time-saving tools, you’ll be breezing through your to-do list. Let’s dive into some practical ways to make that happen.

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate: How People Operations Managers Can Do More by Doing Less

Sometimes the key to productivity isn’t doing more—it’s doing less. Delegating can feel tricky at first, especially if you’re used to handling everything yourself. But trust us, the stress relief is worth the upfront effort. If delegation is something you’re not confident in, don’t worry—it’s a skill that can be sharpened.

Check out these four steps to take action:

Step 1: Reflect on What’s Holding You Back from Delegating

When you hesitate to delegate, pause to reflect on what's holding you back—whether it's time pressure, lack of trust, or pride. Understanding your reasons will help you overcome them and move forward.

Step 2: Leverage Your Team’s Strengths for Better Delegation

Understanding your team's strengths, weaknesses, and goals will help you delegate more effectively. Helping a teammate grow by assigning tasks can also lighten your load.

Step 3. Document Processes to Streamline Delegation

The best time to document your work and processes is on day one, but the second-best time is today! Tools like Scribe for process documentation or Loom can help streamline knowledge sharing, speed up onboarding, and enable asynchronous collaboration.

Step 4. Define Success to Motivate Future Delegation

We often overlook the impact of past delegation because we never assessed its success. Defining a clear “success” for both the person taking over and yourself can provide the motivation needed to delegate more effectively.

Looking for more guidance? Check out our full article on delegation here.

Top 5 Time-Saving Tools for People Operations Leaders

Using the right tools can make a world of difference—in both saving you time and reducing stress. We’ve compiled a list of the best time-saving tools for HR and people operations teams, based on what’s worked for us:

Scribe for Process Documentation

If you’re delegating tasks, it’s crucial to have clear documentation. Scribe helps you create SOPs, training guides, and FAQs, making it easier to bring others up to speed without burning your time.

Loom for Meeting Replacement

Tired of meetings? Loom is your new best friend. Use this screen recording tool to explain projects, answer questions, or walk through processes without needing to meet live. Plus, it generates AI transcripts and summaries for quick reference.

Voice Memos for Quick Communication

Tools like Voxer and Slack voice memos have been serious life-savers for us lately! Especially with a remote team, all working on independent schedules, there are times where it’s much simpler to send a 2 minute voice-memo with our thoughts rather than typing out a long explanation. It saves everyone time and it gives you the connection of hearing your teammates’ voices! 

AI Tools to Speed Up Task Completion

You knew this was coming! AI can be a great place to turn when you get stuck on a task or keep putting something off. It can be easier to edit an ChatGPT-drafted email or policy instead of starting from a blank page. There are also some great note-taking AI apps, like Otter, that can allow you to focus on the meeting and will even create a list of action items.

Setting Boundaries as a Time-Saving Strategy

Don’t forget to set clear expectations around how long tasks will take and don’t hesitate to push back on unrealistic deadlines. Here’s a quick refresher on setting professional boundaries.

Expert Resources for People Operations Leaders Needing Extra Support

Executive Coaching to Avoid Burnout

If you’re on the edge of burnout (or already there), Kari’s unconventional executive coaching for women and femmes can help you reclaim your balance. Color us intrigued! Learn more here.

HR Software Matching Services to Save Research Time

If part of your role involves evaluating HR, ATS, or Payroll software, SSR will match you with the perfect platform based on your needs—saving you hours of research. Get your free HR software matching service here.

Virtual Assistant Services for Task Delegation

Looking for a virtual assistant? Trusty Oak connects you with US-based virtual assistants to help you focus on what you do best. We’ve worked with Trusty Oak before, and can vouch for their excellent service. 

Don’t Forget to Take a Break—Guilt-Free!

Lastly, don’t forget the importance of rest. We all need breaks to recharge, and you are entitled to guilt-free time off. Even if it’s just an hour unplugged from email and Slack, make time for yourself. A member of our team recently spent a weekend in a Getaway cabin and loved it; it’s the perfect way to get away without going too far. 


You don’t have to take a full week off—find the moments you can. Whether it’s an afternoon or a long weekend, prioritize you.

Use These Tools and Strategies to Build a Manageable Workload

Remember, you’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed—but with a little help, some effective tools, and clear boundaries, you can make your workload manageable. At Want To Work There, we’re here to help you create a work life that’s not just bearable, but enjoyable! Now, let’s get those to-do lists checked off!



Person holding clock for time saving resources for people operations leaders

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