Business leaders are all too familiar with the epidemic that is employee burnout. In fact, 77% of employees say they’ve experienced burnout at their current job, with more than half citing more than one occurrence. Whether it’s due to the effects of COVID-19 or seemingly all fields of work being short-staffed, employee burnout appears to be increasing in nearly all businesses.
Understanding how to manage burnout within your company is key in retaining top talent and maintaining a conducive workplace for all. Stay ahead of the curve and know what to do to lessen internal fatigue in your business with these tips:
Know the Symptoms
Too often, company leaders aren’t even aware of employee burnout within their department until their team, or even one individual, hits a breaking point. Being able to identify and take preventive measures early on is the most effective way to reduce the effects of burnout and, ultimately, limit job dissatisfaction and turnover in an organization. The symptoms of burnout may include:
- Loss of productivity
- Irritability
- Emotional fragility
- Feelings of energy depletion/exhaustion
- Decreased satisfaction & sense of accomplishment
Identify the Cause
What causes burnout for one employee may hardly affect another. For example, some employees may thrive with a lot of work on their plate while others may crumble under pressure. This individual experience can create difficulty in finding an overall cause.
Analyze your team and take note of how each member is feeling and what may be causing their exhaustion. Helpful questions to ask your team members include:
- Do you feel that your workload is manageable? If not, how can I further assist you?
- Do you feel excited and motivated about your job? If not, why?
- Have our leaders/management teams been contributing to a supportive atmosphere?
- Do you feel we support taking time for mental health/personal wellbeing days?
- Do you believe we provide resources you can utilize to help with this fatigue?
Find the Solution
The best solution to minimize workplace burnout is to take every preventive measure possible. However, in the case of trying to manage active employee burnout, you must be proactive in offering yourself as a supportive resource for fatigued employees. In fact, employees who feel unsupported by their managers are 70% more likely to experience burnout. Some tips to lessen its effect on your business can include:
Make mental health and employee well-being an absolute priority. You cannot expect quality work when employees feel maxed out. An easy way to implement this is to encourage people to utilize their vacation time and completely unplug from work obligations.Regularly acknowledge and praise achievements with no concurrent announcements. Everybody stands to benefit from feeling appreciated with no addition to their workload.Implement a respected and valued contact point outside of HR for employees to use as a resource. This “employee whisperer” of sorts can be a manageable, approachable step before needing to reach out to HR directly.Consider employee’s obligations and activities outside of work. Whether it’s recreational time or taking care of a family, work should not be anybody’s entire world.A Healthy Culture Starts at the Top
A key way to prevent burnout is to hire leaders who will succeed in your specific workplace environment. Our talent and compensation experts partner closely with client organizations to find, attract and recruit high-level talent with the right mix of skills and experience needed to create and manage a thriving culture. If you’d like to consult with a professional on this topic, please connect with us.