There comes a time in an employee's life when work becomes overwhelming and exhaustive. Whether it's after a long project that had them spending late nights in the office, or the fatigue that can come from working in the same role for a long period of time, burnout is a real concern for employers. It's natural for an eager and efficient worker to have a period of time when work gets tougher, but this can be detrimental to productivity, morale, and retention. So how do you combat this burnout? Luckily, there are many ways to keep your employees happy at work. We've outlined a few ways to deal with employee burnout below.
Help employees find balance
The term "work/life balance" is popular for a reason - employees need a healthy balance between personal and professional life to be happy in their jobs. If your company isn't offering ways to let your employees feel like you care about their life outside the office, then it can lead to serious burnout at work. Balance can be achieved by providing your employees with benefits and other incentives that allow them to understand that you care about them on a personal AND professional level. A few ways include:
- Flexible hours or telecommuting a few days a week
- Employee appreciation - office parties, free lunches, office contests
- Promoting healthy activities like organizing a work softball league or offering gym memberships
Encourage communication
Burnout can occur when an employee feels like their voice isn't being heard. Instead of ostracizing the voices of your team, be sure to make them feel included. Consulting your team before big decisions are made, asking for their advice and opinions, and organizing meetings and one-on-ones where they can share their feedback and concerns will let them know that the walls of communication are open, allowing them to feel heard and appreciated.
Recognize achievements
It's no secret - human beings love being recognized for their work. It feels great to be complimented and rewarded for doing a great job, and offering this type of recognition to your employees when it's deserved should be a staple in your management style. This type of recognition could be as simple as a, "job well done!" or as robust as taking them out to lunch or giving them a bonus. Regardless of your company's means, there are many ways to let your employees know that they are valued, and it's an important part of keeping employees from feeling the burnout.
Be transparent
A lack of transparency can breakdown employee morale pretty quickly. If employees don't know what's going on with you company or why big decisions have been made with little explanation, they can get anxious and start to wonder what else is being hidden. Be sure to be completely transparent with your employees when you can be, this will help you earn their trust and ensure they feel that they are being treated fairly at work.
