Stress is something that business leaders can’t ignore. And while you’ve certainly got your own stress to deal with, you also have to be cognizant of how overwhelmed and taxed your employees are.
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What is Employee Burnout?
According to Concordia St. Paul, nearly all HR leaders believe employee burnout is hurting workforce retention. And right around half say it’s responsible for as much as 50 percent of all workforce turnover.
Employee burnout – which is often the result of chronic stress, overwhelm, and discontentment with a job – has become much more pronounced in recent years. It’s also very complicated and usually consists of multiple dimensions, including both emotional and physical components.
The tricky part is that employee burnout is rarely connected to a single factor. Instead, it’s the result of a web of different contributing factors that combine to leave employees experiencing overwhelm, apathy, and frustration.
How Can You Reduce Stress (And Avoid Burnout)
As an employer or business leader, you have to be proactive about reducing stress and preventing burnout among employees. You can’t wait for the symptoms to emerge and then give burnout your attention – you need to be ahead of the curve. One of the ways you do this is by reducing stress. Here are several ideas:
1. Alleviate Pressure Points
Speak with your employees on a regular basis and get them to open up about their biggest pressure points. Get in the habit of asking them questions like, “What causes you the most stress in your role?”
At first, some employees may be hesitant to answer questions like this. (After all, nobody wants to be seen as a complainer.) But the more you ask questions, the more your team will see that you care. Not only that, but you can address these pressure points and reduce the likelihood of burnout.
For example, if you speak with your IT department, you may discover that much of the stress your team experiences stems from disorganization. More specifically, they feel the pressure of mounting tickets and become overwhelmed when there’s no system in place for handling them. When you recognize this, you may be able to find IT help desk software that alleviates this underlying issue and frees your staff up to embrace other important and fulfilling duties.
2. Encourage Better Communication
Did you know that most employees’ workplace stress stems from their bosses? There’s even research that proves having a negative relationship with a boss leads to anxiety, sleep issues, high blood pressure, and even an increased risk of a heart attack. Thankfully, you can do something about this.
The best way to reboot your relationship with employees is to encourage better communication. (This goes both ways.) You need to become a better communicator of your own expectations and feelings, but you also need to encourage your team to communicate more effectively with one another. This puts the entire team on the same page.
3. Give Employees Flexibility
Employees want (and often need) flexible work schedules. The days of punching the clock at 9 and clocking out at 5 are basically over. While some industries still need to follow standard business hours like this, most companies find it’s more effective to offer employees flexibility.
It’s no longer about putting in the hours – it’s about being productive. If someone can get all of their work done in six hours, they shouldn’t be forced to sit at their desk for eight or nine hours. (This leads to boredom and frustration, which ultimately leads to burnout.)
Want to reduce workplace stress? Try flexible scheduling that allows your employees to move their hours around to fit their own preferences and personal scheduling needs.
4. Encourage “Well-Being Practices”
Stress can be contagious. When one employee is stressed and overwhelmed, his complaining and negative attitude can quickly be transposed onto another employee (and so on). But the opposite is true as well. When one employee is positive, it seems to spread to others.
According to a Gallup research report, individual team members who experience well-being are much more likely to have coworkers who are also thriving. The takeaway is to understand which activities and investments promote well-being on your team. This may include anything from resilience and mindfulness training to more PTO.
Adding it All Up
Stress has a way of overwhelming, exhausting, and fostering other symptoms of burnout in employees. By proactively addressing the precursors of burnout, you can keep your team motivated and engaged.
