The performance of a company is largely dependent on the efforts of its employees. If the employees are inspired and energetic then this positivity is going to reflect in the work which they submit.
Employees are the very backbone of the company and if they do not feel passionate about what they are doing, then this could mean hell for the company. Owing to today’s stressful work environment, various employees suffer an employee burnout even at the peak of their careers.
As a manager, you must prevent such employee burnout. Here are some of the main ways to prevent it.
Employee Burnout Prevention Tips:
1. Know the things which cause an employee burnout:
Many managers or bosses are unable to deal with employee burnout because they do not know the causes of it. There are primarily three causes of employee burnout.
The first cause is due to personal reasons where it is usually pessimists, perfectionists and even overachievers who experience burnouts due to the unrealistic expectations they have from themselves and their lives.
Secondly, an employee’s inability to balance things on the personal and professional front causes this burn out. Finally, work related stress is another chief cause for burnouts in employees.
2. Try and always be there for your employees:
As a manager in the company, your primary duty is to look into the well being of those who work for you. Your workforce is only as good as you make it. It is your primary function to unite your employees and make them work as one comprehensive unit so that no one feels left out at any point in time.
So be a manager who is like a friend to the employees. Only have your door open so that they can walk in and vent whenever they are feeling low and bowed down. Offer advice to the best of your ability and continue to be positive in your outlook. Encourage them and tell them that no matter what things will get better.
3. Have the proper technology in your office:
If you want your company to do well, it is important to invest in the right tools and devices such as the employees can work properly. Employees feel most frustrated when computers or technology which has been given to them do not work or function properly.
Such frustration and anger are some of the primary reasons for employee burnout. So ensure that your office has a quick internet connection and all the tools which the employees need to make use of are well serviced, top of the line and suit their purpose.
If not, things which would otherwise take a few minutes will take some hours.
4. Have some stress busters in the office:
It is often said that all work and no play make Jack a dumb boy and if you keep giving your employees work without allowing them to take a break then that is certainly going to cause employee burnout.
Having some stress busters in the office is a very helpful thing indeed. Things like having an office pet, a gym where the employees can work out or even a nice television room is perfect to help the employees cool down and relax when under tremendous pressure.
In addition to this, to prevent burnouts, ensure that your employees take regular vacations so that they can refresh themselves.
5. Ensure there is a psychiatrist in the office:
As mentioned above, a boss must always be available to lend an ear to his employees and to hear them out in the event of them being in some distress.
Yet, as the head of the company you might always have the time to do so and in addition to this employees might feel a little awkward to come up and speak to you, about maybe a personal issue or a problem which they are experiencing at home.
Having a psychiatrist in the office is very useful as these professionals will know exactly what to tell someone, who is experiencing or is on the verge of experiencing employee burnout.
6. Give credit where it is due, at all costs:
When employees start working at a company, they are usually very fresh and bursting with vitality. Yet very often it happens that over time these energy levels go down and they gradually start experiencing employee burnout.
A major reason why they do experience this is that they might feel like no matter what they do, they are never able to get any positive feedback and none of their work is ever praiseworthy. So to prevent such an employee burnout, always ensure that you praise your employees where it is due so that they are encouraged to do their best at all times.
7. Make the employees always feel important:
In addition to giving credit where it is due, it is equally important that all the employees feel like they are an important part of the company. When the company is facing any problem, be sure to share it with the employees so that they know what is going on and they feel like they do belong.
No matter what position you have in the company, there is no need to act high handed at any point in time. Employees should be treated with respect and they should be valued for all the time and dedicated service which they are giving to the company.
8. Have a very positive work environment:
Creating a positive work environment goes a long way in ensuring that the employees will not experience burnout. You must ensure that at all costs everyone is working as a team and no one is bossing over another person, making him or her feel threatened.
Having a competitive work environment is a good thing, yet ensure that there is no cut throat competition between the employees. Having a negative work environment takes a serious toll on the employees where they look for excuses to stay away from the office as there are too much pressure and foul play at work.
9. Always be fair when giving promotions to employees:
All employees work hard so that they can get promotions. Promotions are things that should give out after careful weighing and measuring. Giving promotions to unworthy candidates often creates a lot of ill will in the heart of the other employees.
To prevent such a burnout, where employees just give up hope, ensure that only those who deserve to receive the honor of being promoted. If possible have exams that everyone has to take to ensure that the process is transparent and that no one can feel bad or hurt because of the conclusion which has been arrived at.
10. Give the employees the freedom to work in their way:
Each manager or boss has their way of overlooking the work which the employees submit. Some bosses choose to leave the employees to work according to their way whereas on the other hand there are those bosses who think that micromanaging the employees is the ideal thing to do.
Very often it happens that this micromanaging and constantly breathing down the neck of the employees is a source of great frustration and irritation to the employees causing them to experience burnout. You must ensure that you let the employees know that you trust them and are willing to let them make a few mistakes.
11. Allot tasks to employees based on their respective strengths:
Every one of the employees in a company has their strengths and weaknesses. As a boss, it is your responsibility to ensure that you get to know each employee and find out what their strengths and weaknesses are.
It is based on this knowledge that you should allot tasks to each of the employees. Make it a point to play on the strength of an employee when giving him a project to take care of.
12. Constantly communicate with your team:
Communication is a two-way street. As mentioned above, it is important to let the employees know that they can always come to you when they are experiencing some kind of worry or distress.
In addition to this, ensure that you too are talking to the employees asking them questions and generally scanning the surroundings to ensure that things are okay. Very often you can prevent an employee burnout by simply showing that you care for your employees and asking them how things are. If you know that things are not going well for them at home, do try and cut them some slack.
13. Don’t place any employees on a pedestal:
One of the chief things which cause employee burnout when certain employees placed on a pedestal and they have unrealistic expectations to live up to. Placing someone on a pedestal does not simply become a source of pressure for that employee but other employees to try and achieve the unachievable.
So do give praise when the need does arise but do not make any employee your favorite at any cost. Treat everyone the same and remember to maintain your professional distance. Rather than having any unnecessary problems to deal with, doing these things is the best.
14. Constantly challenge your employees:
Burnouts are often because when employees are not challenged enough. It is monotony that brings about this burnout in their minds where they are unable to think unconventionally or come up with out of the box ideas.
Be sure to throw challenges to your employees and constantly encourage them by saying that you have faith in them. When they realize that you are encouraging them to leap then they will never experience this burnout rather they will be constantly trying to live up to your expectations and this encouragement will bring out the best in them.
15. Yet, do not place too much pressure on them:
Throwing challenges at your employees is good as it forces them to think and come up with new ideas. Yet this has stated, ensure that in the attempt of trying to bring out the best in them that you do not put too much pressure on them, the pressure that they will be unable to deal with and consequently cause them to experience burnout.
Throw challenges that you genuinely believe they can achieve and do not expect them to work like robots for you. Overworking employees will cost you and the company in the long run.
16. Have workshops and courses to inspire them:
Lastly, it is very important to ensure that your employees are inspired. A burnout takes place when the employees are unable to tackle things no matter how much they are trying.
So as a manager make it a point to have workshops and courses where the employees can constantly learn new things and be up to date with the various developments in the field. This little effort on your part is bound to help them a great deal.
If you notice that an employee is experiencing burnout then it is important to seek professional help as this could lead to further complications. It is easy to prevent employee burnout provided you know how to deal with this issue.
The more you are sensitive to the needs of your employees and recognize their individual qualities, strengths, and weaknesses the better you will be able to have a positive and optimistic workforce that can handle anything that comes their way.
Turning a blind eye to your employees is only going to make matters even worse. Keeping employees happy is the secret to the success of any company.
