7 strategies to combat employee burnout

Have you ever felt burned out at work? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, a whopping 77% of employees indicate that they have experienced burnout at their current workplace, according to a recent Deloitte study featuring over 1,000 professionals.

When it comes to workforce burnout, leaders have an especially important role to play. As the person setting deadlines, prioritizing initiatives and checking in (or not) with every team member, leaders and managers can unintentionally have an outsized impact on employee burnout.

A caring and empathetic leader, however, can also be exactly what an employee needs to get back on track and find their energy and motivation again. This article outlines seven strategies leaders can use to re-energize a team that is showing signs of burnout or lost motivation.

1. Create a positive and supportive work culture that makes it okay to take time off. Time away from work is essential to allow employees to recharge and come back to work refreshed. Incentivize wellness activities or taking vacation days by using an employee experience platform, or designate a company-wide office closure week to encourage all employees, including leaders, to take time off simultaneously. Making it okay to be out of the office, establish a work-life balance, and prioritize personal wellbeing starts at the top, so leaders should make sure they also demonstrate the behaviors they want to see from the rest of the organization.
2. Provide opportunities for professional development and growth. Employees feel more engaged and motivated in their roles when they are learning new skills and working towards career goals. Even if your organization doesn’t have formal funds set aside for professional development, encourage job shadowing or “stretch” opportunities to allow burned out team members to gain exposure to other functional areas.
3. Encourage open communication. The best leaders aren’t afraid of two-way feedback, including constructive feedback. Actively listen to employee feedback submitted through employee surveys, in All Hands meetings, or delivered one-on-one to address any concerns or issues team members may have. One burned out employee surfacing a concern may snowball into an entire team burning out, so make it safe for individuals to speak up, and then take action to demonstrate you’re listening and taking concerns seriously.
4. Recognize and reward employees for their work. According to data from HR analyst Josh Bersin, companies with recognition programs have 31% lower voluntary turnover than those without formal recognition programs. Platforms that offer a combination of points, a meaningful rewards catalog, and public recognition feeds go a long way towards reducing burnout and increasing talent retention by reminding team members that they are appreciated and impactful.
5. Offer employee assistance programs (EAPs). Employees who are truly burned out may be in need of mental and emotional support to help their overall wellbeing. EAPs are a great way to provide employees with the resources they need.
6. Provide flexibility in work arrangements. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that knowledge workers can function outside of an office. According to Gallup, approximately 56% of full-time employees in the U.S. – more than 70 million workers – say their job can successfully be done remotely. Create a culture of flexible working hours and remote work to provide employees with additional flexibility. It may also be worth assessing existing processes and redesigning overly rigid processes, systems, and workflows that contribute to unnecessary stress and bureaucracy.
7. Create opportunities for team-building and socializing. Every team member wants to feel like, well, a part of the team. If employees are heads-down on projects all the time, they may not get the opportunity to form bonds with others. Set time aside (in-person or remotely) to foster a sense of camaraderie and positivity among employees, and watch retention and employee sentiment soar.

Related: Employee burnout is high (on par with levels at the height of the pandemic)

Helping team members re-engage with their team and company becomes even more important during times of economic uncertainty. Leaders may be tempted to wait to take action until the economy improves. However, if burnout is left unaddressed, valuable team members will leave as a result and won’t be on board in the future to fuel growth.

Lean in when burnout surfaces, take one or all of the suggested actions above, and help employees re-engage as soon as possible to keep employee motivation high and your business moving forward.

Rob Catalano, chief strategy officer, WorkTango