How do you increase workplace productivity? Maybe you provide incentives to the best employees, or your business has installed all the latest technology to ensure that your staff has access to everything they need. While both of these methods are highly effective, there is another important aspect of the workplace that you may have been completely overlooking – burnout.
We’ve all experienced some form of burnout at a point in our lives. You find yourself dreading tasks that were previously quite interesting to you, and you just can’t seem to focus on your job. You might be under the impression that burnout doesn’t affect productivity to a significant degree. However this assumption cannot be farther from the truth. Studies show that a significant amount of employees experience burnout that can cause them to undergo mental stress and also tends to increase employee turnover. The recent pandemic has exasperated this number.
So what can you do to solve this issue? Workplace burnout can be quite a complex topic, and it’s essential to keep working on this issue continuously as it is an ongoing problem. In this article, we’ll give you 6 tips that you can use to prevent burnout among your employees.
1. Allow Regular Breaks to give your Employees a Chance to step away from Work.
Sometimes burnout can be a result of continuous work. Repetitive tasks can get tiring after a while, and this fact is especially true for corporate jobs. A few extra breaks will give people a chance to take a breather and work much more efficiently.
2. Monitor Workload so that you’re not Overloading any Employee.
A hectic work can be pretty challenging to deal with. This pressure can be quite overwhelming, and it may cause you to overload your employees without realizing it. Doing a weekly check of the overall workload will allow you to notice if you’re unknowingly assigning extra work to your staff.
3. Motivate People to find a Work-life Balance that Works well for Them.
A good work-life balance is essential for any employee. People often tend to get caught up in their jobs which leads them to neglect other parts of their lives like their hobbies and time with friends. Your company must clarify the importance of this balance to your employees.
4. Appreciate and Value the Hard work that your Employees are Doing.
Although you may not realize it, a few words of appreciation can go a long way. Your employees put a ton of effort into their jobs, and rewarding this effort will boost company morale. Remember to note down valuable suggestions or point out good work whenever you can to maintain a good relationship with your employees.
5. Occasional Vacations will let your Staff Clear their Mind.
There’s nothing that can match the feeling of a relaxing vacation after a few stressful weeks of work. Everyone needs a break to get away from all the hustle and bustle of their day-to-day lives. To motivate your employees to take vacations, try to increase the amount of time you allot for holidays to show them that your company values its employees.
6. Begin a Discussion in the Workplace about Burnout.
Sometimes people feel burnout symptoms, but they don’t know enough about this concept to recognize it. As a result, they get frustrated and demotivated, making them believe they aren’t suitable for a particular job. Beginning a conversation about this topic will help spread awareness and give people a way to deal with these feelings.
Keep in mind that burnout is sadly a common issue in all workspaces. You won’t be able to entirely prevent it from happening to your staff. Putting measures into place to better your employee’s experience will help reduce burnout in your workplace. But these changes aren’t going to happen if you don’t take the first step.
About the Author
BCjobs.ca is Western Canada’s largest job board, with majority of the jobs coming from Vancouver. For nearly 20 years, BC Jobs has connected job candidates with companies looking to add talent to their team. Here at BCJobs, we understand that looking for a job is difficult. To support our candidates, we recently launched a podcast to help you stand out during your job application. Listen to weekly episodes on our podcast to hear what recruiters are thinking and what companies look for when considering their next hire.
