Tips to Reduce Employee Burnout

Employee burnout doesn’t happen overnight – but it can sneak up on you. Lost productivity, lowered enthusiasm, and a toxic work culture are just a few problems that come with burnout; it can also lead to higher turnover rates and lost business. But how can you reduce burnout without decreasing productivity?

Communicate

Employees like to be kept in the loop if it regards their job duties. Don’t expect you employees to read your mind when you want a project done a certain way. It’s always a safer bet to fully inform your employees of what you want and how you want it done than to assume they know exactly what you want. Avoid the confusion and frustration and be straightforward with your expectations.

If there’s a big change coming up soon that will affect the day-to-day processes of the company, give your employees a heads up before the change goes into effect. If you don’t prepare your employees for a big change, not only will the rug be pulled out from under them, but it will also make them question how much you trust them. Sure, your employees don’t need to know everything that you’re doing, but don’t keep everything a secret. Keep them informed on what they ought to know about.

Give Feedback

You like to know when you’ve done something exceptionally well, right? Your employees do too! Good employees also like to know where they need improvement; if they have been performing a certain task incorrectly, let them know! Feedback helps reduce burnout because it helps employees improve their work performance and increases their job satisfaction. It also is essential to employee growth. Acknowledge their accomplishments and work with them on skills they need to improve; either way, it’s reassuring to know their efforts have been noticed and appreciated.

Monitor Workload

It’s vital to keep an eye out for overworked employees. It is important to get work done, but if the work that is completed is not up to standard, was it even worth the time? Better quality work almost always outweighs rushed work. That doesn’t mean you should delegate all the important tasks to your top employee – that is a streamline to burnout. Reassure your employees that the quality of the work is important and check in with them periodically to make sure they are staying on track with the upcoming deadlines.

Talk with your employees. Ask them how that project is going and if they need any help with it or if they foresee any problems with it. If it sounds like your employee is taking on too much, work with them so you can find a solution together.

The best way to reduce burnout is to make work a desirable place to be! If you notice your employees are less productive and more isolated, talk with them, make sure they can handle the amount of work they have, and let them know if they’re doing well – or if they aren’t. Employees shouldn’t dread coming into the office each day; if you work with them, they will be thankful that you took the time to address their issues and wanted to find a solution together.