In today’s fast-paced culture, employees are bound to handle a lot of pressure. And to survive within the deadlines, people work very hard and it eventually leads to burnout. Employee burnout is a type of work related stress which leads to various unfavourable employee conditions including less productivity, frustrations, reduced efficiency, absents, etc. Employee burnout is an important issue and immediate steps should be taken by the employers or managers to work out ways to overcome employee burnout and inspire & motivate them to be productive.
Employee burnout cases are more common in IT firms, particularly with software developers. In multinational companies, due to the large number of employees, fast moving talent and complicated works, software developers in general deal with a lot more work stress when compared to employees in other sectors.
What are some signs & symptoms of Employee Burnout
It is very necessary to identify the employee burnout situation as early as possible. Employees personally may not be aware out their ongoing burnout condition, thus it is important for the employers or managers to continuously keep an eye on the working attitude of the employees and point out lack of motivation which can be identified by the following symptoms:
- Tiredness and lack of energy
- Lack of motivation
- Decrease in productive
- Increase in errors
- Increased frustration level
- Lack of enthusiasm
- Coming late to work & leaving early
- Increase in health problems
How to handle Employee Burnout
As & when the above stated symptoms start to appear, the management should consider taking relevant steps to bring back productivity and motivation among the employees. For any company to function at full capacity, it is very necessary to trap out employee burnout.
Here are 8 proven ways that will help employers handle employee burnout and bring back productivity at work:
1. Communicate with employees on a regular basis:
Communication is a very important tool to make things work. Communicating and being transparent to the employees’ will not only boost their motivation but will have help in maintaining their happiness. Holding regular meetings with the employees, discussing about work issues, providing feedback on their work, put emphasize on the positives of the work, so on. To have one to one meetings with employees while clarifying job expectations and providing feedback to ensure that they’re doing fine and always improving.
2. Motivate
Discover ways to motivate employees. Praise them in front of other staff members and point out their shortcomings only during one on one meetings. Show appreciation to the employees by allowing more off days, early release, snacks, etc. Let them personalise their space. Develop a casual environment where the employees feel comfortable to work. A highly motivated working environment will not only bring out more productivity from the employees but will also keep employee burnout away.
3. Encourage side projects and other extra activities
Many organizations are known to allow their employees to take some-time off work while doing other activities or side projects. This helps lowering the work pressure and will also benefit the company. Big brands use this technique to bring out the most from their employees, one such big name is Google. Google allows its employees to spend one of their five working days to something of their own and this activity is more famously known as the 20 percent time project rule.
4. Be flexible with the employees
Employers should be flexible with their employees and allow them things like, telecommuting, flexible work hours, let them listen to music, allow them to dress casually, give time offs, etc. Companies that are more flexible result into getting out more from their employees, employees enjoy their time at work and develop a feeling of more fondness towards their employer.
5. Provide training to boost productivity
With rapidly modernizing technology, it is important to continuously develop skills of the employees to match the current requirements. By providing training, the productivity of the employees’ increases and it also boost the spirits of the team. This is something we vigorously apply to train our experts in App development Atlanta. Training also brings in enthusiasm and helps avoiding the risks of employee burnout. The training period also allows the employees to spend some time off work with colleagues, getting to know them better and also having fun.
6. Make necessary changes in the working space
The working space or the office space, plays a vital role in determining the attitude and behaviour of the employees. An office space that provides fresh air with open spaces and smells fresh & clean will allow the employees to depressurize themselves. Studies have proved that offices the offer more natural light and are brightly lit tends to be more productive, healthier and have positive effects on the mood of the employees. Making necessary changes to improve the working space in an important tool to avoid employee burnout.
7. Offer higher incentives and bonuses
Incentives and bonuses are great influencing factors for any employee. Providing higher incentives for the work will not only boost the morale of the employees but will also push them to be more productive. Offering bonus to the employees suffering from burnouts, will help them overcome the work stress & frustrations, and will also make them more enthusiastic towards their jobs. The employees that are well paid tend to be happier and energetic when compared to other employees.
8. Avoid micromanagement
Micromanagement is one of the most damaging things that can be done to an employee. Micromanaging an employee continuously will result in increasing the stress level of the employee, which will lead to a tremendous amount of work pressure and it almost guarantees employee burnout. It is very important to avoid micromanagement and allow relevant amount of freedom in the workplace.
Some tips that Employees should look after
It is very important for an employee to also participate in the process of avoiding burnout, in order to work with high productivity and to ascertain growth. Here are a few tips that employee should follow:
- Relax and keep calm
- Take time off work, maintain good work-life balance
- Exercise and remain fit
- Develop and follow a healthy eating plan
- Avoid working overtime
- Take good rest, sleep-well
Conclusion
No matter how well you treat your employees, they are bound to get tired. After all, they are also humans. An unexpected gesture in the form of free leaves, appreciation notes, flowers etc. can contribute to a tremendous ego boost for an employee. Don’t let your Employee burning out in any way. Let them breathe. Give them some space and work with enjoyment. Good deeds will only have your back in rough times.