By Kayla Cure
In last week’s blog, we discussed the difference between burnout-the-buzzword and burnout as a syndrome and the importance of telling the difference between the two. If you missed the blog or wanted to refresh your memory, please follow this link.
Earlier, we talked about how burnout affects an individual’s mental and physical wellbeing. But if your employees are feeling burned out, it can also take a significant toll on the wellbeing of your organization as well.
Research has shown that employees who are burned out are 63% more likely to take a sick day and are 2.6 times more likely to be actively seeking a different job, which costs you 18% in productivity, or more should they leave the organization. This costs your organization 34% of the employee’s salary.
Below are several tips you can use to manage burnout before it negatively impacts your organization:
- Foster your employees professional development and growth
- Prioritize employee wellbeing
- Discover how your individual employees prefer to be recognized
- Encourage employees to recharge – this starts at the top (if the employer isn’t taking vacations, or worse, they are working while on vacations, then employees will feel like they have to do the same)
- Give your employees tools to build resilience
- Increase their self-awareness through tools like Hogan, 360 and other assessments
If you have employees who are already suffering from burnout, it may require additional work in addition to that suggested above. The first thing you’ll want to consider is creating a safe space for your employees to air their grievances. Allow for open and honest communication free from retribution. It will be difficult to re-earn your employees’ trust, so you’re going to have to lead the conversation. Start by asking your employees what they need to be successful, whether it’s a vacation, smaller workload, or even a slightly higher wage. Then, listen to your employees. Don’t just hear what they are saying, but listen deeply to what they are telling you.
36% of employees say their organization does nothing to prevent burnout. Be the organization that contributes to lowering that number. The most important thing you can do to prevent or mitigate burnout, is to talk about it.
