Questions To Ask Employees About Burnout

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Oct 12, 2021, 11:29am EDT |

Managers: Ask Yourself These Questions To Stay Ahead Of Employee Burnout

Rachel Montañez

I cover career changes and burnout.

Manager talking to employee about burnout.

getty

Cultivating a work culture that helps employees (and you) avoid burnout is a challenge for managers at the best of times. According to the American Institute of Stress, 83 percent of US workers suffer from work-related stress, resulting in a loss of $300 billion to businesses. Yet only 43 percent of US employees think their employers care about their work-life balance.

As we're all intimately aware, the pandemic's stresses and shortages have raised the dangers and weakened the tools many of us formerly relied on. Based on what I've seen and heard from both sides of the table (individual and organizational), below are three critical areas so you can improve how you support your employees' making them less prone to burnout and more likely to experience career fulfillment.

Incorporate Well-being Into Your Culture

Your culture dictates how employees experience the workplace and how they treat each other as well. So, if you want to cultivate a loyal, longer-term team rather than chasing the endless cycle of burning out employees and hiring new ones, here are a few reflective questions to get you started on the process of improvement, change and action:

What characterizes the culture? Is it performance-based? Are people expected to exert themselves for extended hours and made to feel guilty if they don't?
How well does your work culture prioritize appreciation and recognition? Do you show meaningful appreciation and recognize and celebrate outstanding work in an equitable way?
If you are understaffed or experiencing other temporary obstacles outside your control, what steps do you take to engage employees and maintain wellbeing and morale in their careers?

Keep An Eye And Ear Out

According to Gallup, employees who feel listened to about work-related problems are 62 percent less likely to experience burnout. But as the standard foundation of strong leadership, you're likely already listening. So, take it a step further and proactively make an effort to spot the conditions leading to burnout before it happens. Consider these questions in your quest to create a team of flourishing employees.

Are your employees mentally present at work, or are they just there physically?
What policies do you have in place to ensure employees take their vacation time? Do you ensure their work is covered, so no one has to contact them? And give them time to catch up on email when they return?
Are they working in the area that makes the best use of their skills and talents? Employees who get the opportunity to do what they excel at are 57 percent less likely to experience burnout.

Everyone Matters—Including You

As author Anne Lamott reminds us, "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." In terms of wellbeing and engagement, employees feel empowered to do the same when management models healthy behaviors. So as you encourage your employees to seek a healthy work-life integration, be sure you're doing the same for yourself and don't be afraid to seek out help when you need to, just as you'd advise. Here's a core starting point for reflection:

How can you improve the example you're modeling?
Do you have the time to spend on things that are important to you?
Are you excited about going to work?

We all know engaged workers are better for the bottom line, and I know you've worked too hard to let things slip. Managers who want to be successful over the long term will analyze their own cultures, employee performance and look for solutions that keep burnout at bay, serving the individual and organization as a whole.

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Rachel Montañez

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