Do your employees seem overly tired, bored, negative and disengaged? You may wonder if this is a passing phase or if you have a case of burnout on your hands.
How Do I Know If My Employees Are Suffering From Burnout Out?
According to author Julie Jansen and the online journal PLOS ONE, there are three types of burnout:
- Frenetic – feeling overloaded with work’s demands or commitments;
- Under-challenged – feeling a lack of development; and
- Worn-out – wanting to neglect or give up one’s tasks or responsibilities.
All three types can display similar symptoms. These may include:
- Missed deadlines
- An increase in customer complaints
- A decrease in sales and/or output
- Lower productivity
- Uncharacteristic changes in employee behavior
- Fewer questions and suggestions
- Less excitement
- Defensive body language (such as crossed arms)
- A lack of teamwork and cooperation
- Frequent criticizing and complaining
- Poor attendance (arriving late, leaving early, taking lots of sick days)
What Can I Do to Help My Burnt-Out Employees?
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Find Out What’s Wrong
If you suspect you have a burnt-out individual or a burnt-out team, your first step is to identify the problem. Begin by having a heart-to-heart conversation. And, remember, your workers may be reluctant to open up. Ask questions like, “If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?” These types of inquiries will allow you to gain insights without putting people on the spot.
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Discuss Possible Solutions
Once you have identified what’s wrong, you can start to create an action plan. Solutions may vary widely depending on the individuals and the issues at hand. For example, if an employee is under-challenged, you may decide to give them a stretch project or to assign them a mentor to accelerate their career development. However, if this year’s busy season is overwhelming your entire team, you may want to consider bringing in temporary help to make everyone’s workload more manageable.
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Put a Long-Term Plan in Place
Just as burnout creeps in over time, it takes time to go away. Therefore, quick fixes, such as giving everyone a day off, are unrealistic and ineffective. Also, in some cases, fixing an issue immediately is not feasible. For example, you won’t be able to hire five new permanent staff members before next Friday. However, by acknowledging the problem and developing a long-term solution, you can revitalize your team in the short term. Your employees will recognize you have their backs and you are working together to make things better.
Could Temporary Help Take Some of the Burden Off Your Team?
Sometimes being short-staffed or surviving a busy season can push your employees to the breaking point. Fortunately, Aventure Staffing is here for you. We offer flexible and affordable temporary staffing solutions for businesses throughout the Midwest. Learn more about the programs we offer today.
