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Employee burnout is a serious problem that affects all kinds of businesses. Whether the burnout results from boredom with the job, workplace conflict, or personal problems from home, management needs to recognize who the burnt-out employees are and offer significant solutions that benefit and motivate the workers and keep the company thriving.
Management needs to set up protocols to spot signs of worker burnout. While not all signals may be visible, the most common symptoms of burnout include lower productivity, frequent fatigue and absences from work. Burnt-out employees tend to show mental exhaustion as well as physical and become irritable with coworkers and show less enthusiasm for their work. If employers don't step in to help burn-out employees, it hurts more than just the workers. The company's productivity goes down which typically leads to more absences and even workers quitting their jobs.
One key element to motivating burnt-out employees is to have continued dialogue between management and workers. Employers should encourage workers to admit when they're overwhelmed. If workplace issues are causing the burnout, employees need reassurance that there won't be repercussions for sharing their complaints or taking time off. If they ask questions about the quality of their work, give the workers realistic expectations of their job performance.
Management should also encourage co-workers to help each other deal with burnout and stress. They should promote a positive work environment, where workers shouldn't be too negative when someone makes a mistake, but offer constructive feedback instead. If one employee is overwhelmed with the workload, other employees should consider briefly taking some of the workload until the burnt-out employee has recovered. Teamwork often does relieve stress and lower the severity of burnouts.
Another important factor in reducing burnout among workers is to break up the monotony of work duties and meetings. Instead of having a non-mandatory meeting, use that time block for something different. Consider bringing in motivational speakers and mental health professionals to give talks once a month on improving office morale and alleviating stress. Ask the mental health professionals to leave their contact information behind for those who might need the additional help.
Employers should host an office party or awards ceremony every other month or every quarter. The parties are an exciting way to build camaraderie among coworkers and relieve the stress and awards are essential to boost employees' morale and validate their worth to the company.
For more information on how to motivate burnt-out employees, please contact one of our representatives.