What Causes Burnout
Stress. Some of it can be positive and motivating (think of an urgent deadline or a fun yet challenging project), but too much stress on the other hand can lead to what is commonly known as burnout.
Employee burnout is becoming a more common side effect of today’s fast-paced, complex, and demanding workplace, and many employees are starting to feel overwhelmed by competing demands and conflicting expectations. Burnout ultimately diminishes a person’s desire to learn and grow, and when they are experiencing burnout, their energy and focus will be spent on trying to survive instead of thriving in their seat and developing for the future.
Burnout has been linked to several behavioral and physical symptoms. We recommend that you regularly check in and watch for these signs in your employees so that you can address and help them before they reach their burnout point.
Symptoms of Burnout
Behavioral Signs of Burnout:
- Feelings of incompetence
- Cynicism about one’s job
- Reduced work performance
- Distancing themselves from work
Physical Signs of Burnout:
- Exhaustion
- Irritability and mood swings
- Worry and anxiety
- Sleeping problems
- Chronic headaches or migraines
Beating Burnout
Some of the top reasons cited for employee burnout were unfair treatment at work, an unmanageable workload, lack of clarity and communication, lack of support in the workplace, and unreasonable time pressure. We’ve put together a few ways that can help you address these points and beat employee burnout before it’s too late.
Unmanageable Workload
If your employees are feeling overworked and overwhelmed at work, they will find it more difficult or sometimes impossible to complete their day-to-day tasks. As their manager, you have the ability to decide which tasks need to be completed and when.
You can encourage your employees to sit down at the beginning of each workday and review all the tasks that need to be completed. It can also be helpful to have them organize their tasks by level of importance. There will always be things that will need to be handled at the beginning of the day, versus things that can wait until the end of the day, the next day, or even later in the week.
Lack of Clarity and Communication
When managers don’t provide their employees with the information they need to do their job effectively, work can become difficult and frustrating. When performance expectations and accountability are inconsistent or unclear, employees can become frustrated and tired, just by trying to figure out what you want from them.
In order to avoid employee burnout, you should explain role expectations, partnerships, processes, and the impact of the employee’s work. The best managers consistently discuss responsibilities, priorities, performance goals, and expectations with their employees, and they collaborate with their team members to ensure that expectations are clear and aligned with team goals.
(We actually have a whole guide that can help you out with this one. Check it out here.)
Unreasonable Time Pressure
Unreasonable deadlines and time pressure can create a negative snowball effect. After employees miss one aggressive deadline, they tend to fall behind on the next thing they are scheduled to complete, and it doesn’t end there.
As a leader, you must ensure that the expectations for their role and their performance standards are fair. It is also important that when a particular employee steps up to work overtime or take on extra tasks under tight deadlines, they are recognized for their willingness to go the extra mile.
Lack of Manager Support
Last but certainly not least, manager support is a key component in preventing burnout. The root causes of burnout are within the span of control of managers. Employees want to know that their manager has their back through the good and bad. To be a supportive manager you must be there for your team members as a consistent resource for coaching, listening, and encouragement.
On the other hand, employees can also feel a lack of control if they are micromanaged, so it is important to find the balance between manager support and employee accountability.
Beating Burnout with Etho
Burnout is harmful not only to your employees but also to your business. It doesn’t have to get to the point of burnout if you are proactive. If you know the warning signs and you catch it early, you will be able to beat burnout in the workplace.
The best way to avoid employee burnout is to design a healthy work environment where employees are positive and motivated instead of stressed and burned out. A people-first performance management software like Etho can help you do just that. Contact us today to schedule a demo and learn more about how Etho can help you.
