Can you recognize signs of burnout among your employees? When your normally happy, innovative employees become cynical and disengaged, chances are they are experiencing burnout. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to get your employees back on track.
Reduced Productivity
Are your employees significantly less productive than usual? Rather than creating quality work on a consistent basis, they may have become unmotivated and unreliable. As a result, your company may be experiencing a decrease in sales or completed projects, or an increase in missed deadlines or client complaints. Chances are, your employees are overworked and not enjoying their responsibilities anymore. To uncover the motivation behind this behavior, have a conversation with your employees. Ask what they have on their plates right now and how they would change it if given the opportunity. Or, point out how you noticed your employees are not producing at the same level as last month and ask what obstacle is stopping them. Work together on creating a plan to alleviate the situation. For instance, set a time when your employees should turn off their computers, cell phones and other work-related devices. Tell your employees they may not work during their lunch hour. Show that work-life balance is important, and you want your employees to take time each day and throughout the weekend to unwind.
Related Content: Creating a Workplace Culture that Supports Employee Growth and Development
Unusual Disengagement
Are your employees uncharacteristically disengaged in their work? Instead of eagerly offering ideas, collaborating to overcome challenges, and providing constructive feedback, they may be working independently, not communicating with each other and mentally checking out during work hours. To modify this behavior, ensure your employees’ workloads are reasonable and contain variable tasks to maintain their interest. For instance, rather than always handing your top sales rep the most challenging clients, give a few to your less-experienced reps and let your top reps handle some less-challenging clients. Or, if you have an employee who spends their time analyzing numbers, ask whether they would like to create an outline for an internship program, write a blog post or fulfill a different creative task.
Significantly Bad Days
Rather than exhibiting a positive, can-do attitude, they may grumble about not wanting to call a client and potentially get yelled at again, not being able to get ahead with their work, or not feeling like they are making any progress. To restore your employees’ mental health, consider offering them flexible hours and schedules with the opportunity to work remotely. Encourage your employees to take time off for vacations and to pursue personal interests. Plus, talk with them about the importance of work-life balance to reduce stress and maintain both mental and physical health.
Work With an Accounting and Finance Staffing Expert
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