5 Tips for Avoiding Employee Burnout
One of the most common problems employers face is dealing with employee burnout. When employees are feeling overworked and underappreciated, it can lead to poor performance, often caused by burnout. Unfortunately, a burned out employee can hinder a company, as it can cost the business time and money.
One of the best ways to solve the problem is to curb burnout before it gets too severe. Here are five ways to avoid employee burnout:
1. Create a mission
Many employees start to feel burned out when they feel like their work has no meaning or purpose. If they aren't given direction, they can lose sight of a company's goals and culture. If you begin to notice that an employee is starting to lose sight of the big picture, or that their performance is slacking, they may not feel like their work is meaningful anymore.
Many times these feelings of insignificance or a lack of purpose stem from deeper issues, such as a midlife crisis, a personal issue, etc. If this is the case, consider looking into companies like ComPsych, which offer help and guidance to employees who might be having trouble separating work and their personal life, allowing one to affect the other. These types of employee assistance programs can help your office and employees stay happy and healthy.
2. Set attainable standards
Another reason for burnout is setting unattainable standards for employees. While it is important to challenge employees so that they will grow and strive to better themselves, standards that are too high can actually hurt self-esteem. A lack of self-esteem can lead employees to feel like their best is not good enough, which can eventually lead to them not trying at all. Employee burnout and poor performance will hinder your company from growing.
3. Communicate clearly
Oftentimes one of the biggest culprits for burnout is miscommunication. If an employee is under one impression and you are under another, there is bound to be a misstep somewhere along the way, and this can lead to an employee feeling unsure on how to rectify the situation. Do your best to offer employees clear and concise directions on how to succeed.
4. Recognize achievements
If employees constantly feel like their achievements are being ignored, they can feel like their work is undervalued and not worth it. Taking the time to recognize employee achievements and giving credit where credit is due can significantly raise employee morale. Being recognized and rewarded for their contributions can help employees feel more motivated to continue working to their highest potential.
5. Relaxation
Even though many businesses have fast-paced environments, it's important to give employees a chance to relax and rejuvenate. Whether it is setting up an office retreat, giving them one day a week or month to work from home, or creating a relaxing space in the office, giving employees a chance to have a bit of downtime will keep them motivated to perform at their best.
These five tips can help alleviate employee burnout, but you also have to be especially diligent about paying attention to your employees. Detecting when burnout might be coming on is a crucial for nipping it in the bud. Even if you utilize these techniques, employees may still burn out for various reasons, both related and unrelated to the job.
