Four in five professionals struggle with it – are you doing enough to help?
Almost four in five employees suffer from some form of burnout, according to O.C. Tanner’s latest research on workplace culture.
In addition to being a culture killer, even mild burnout can have a significant impact on the employee experience.
The annual study found that burnout can lead to a 220% decrease in the probability of highly engaged employees, and hence lower productivity, as well as high turnover rates.
Burnout can also manifest in symptoms of both physical and mental ill health. This can lead to higher costs for the employer in terms of healthcare, absenteeism and presenteeism.
There’s no doubt that burnout has been proven to have direct impact on the business bottom line. Yet, some leaders still fail to effectively address the problem.
What can leaders do to enable a healthier work culture across their organisations? HRD spoke to Alan Heyward, Managing Director, Asia Pacific at O.C. Tanner to find out how best to tackle the problem.
Burnout: A global problem
Yes, 2019 was the year that burnout was officially recognised as a condition by the World Health Organisation. However, stressful, toxic workplace cultures continue to make headlines.
Heyward believes that despite the positives of greater awareness, pressures persist. Tougher global economic conditions continue to impact the way companies are run, resulting in an environment where employees “are expected to do more with less at unprecedented levels”.
What’s worse, the rising cost of living in Asia means people are facing increasing levels of stress both at work and at home.
“This creates a damaging ripple effect,” Heyward said. “Stress levels rise, employees work longer hours and productivity actually falls.
“They become physically, emotionally and mentally drained, and become disconnected from the company purpose, their leaders, their roles and their teams.”
READ MORE: 5 ways to improve the employee experience
‘Sure signs’ of burnout
With its far-reaching effects both at work and at home, how can leaders identify someone suffering from burnout?
O.C. Tanner’s research found three distinct signs that leaders can look out for.
1. Exhaustion
This can be physical, mental, or a combination of both. It can be a result of being overworked without being acknowledged or appreciated, or of increased job complexity without proper training to compensate for it.
Sufferers could be losing sleep at home due to untenable stress levels at work.
However, the symptom is “easy to miss” — if you’re not looking carefully and regularly. Note that this is chronic exhaustion, and not just day-to-day fatigue.
Leaders can use one-on-one sessions to establish regular check-ins. You can also ask employees “point-blank” about how they’re feeling.
2. Futility
This often manifests as cynicism. When people feel that their work isn’t useful, effective, or having a noticeable impact, they can spiral into feelings of futility.
Leaders should note frequent use of phrases like, “Why bother?”, “This isn’t going to work, anyway”, and “No one even knows what I do here.”
It might seem like they simply have an attitude problem, but leaders should look deeper and uncover the root of those feelings.
3. Avoidance
When people feel powerless or ineffectual, they will intentionally distance themselves from their work and peers.
They may keep to themselves, miss meetings, or be reluctant to engage with co-workers. They might also be chronically absent, or continually express dread for projects or company events.
Research has found that the more disconnected employees feel from their job, the more their performance will suffer, which only worsens their feeling of disconnection.
How to tackle burnout
Once you’ve identified the signs, you should find ways to address and reduce it as early and as much as possible.
“Dealing with burnout starts with the way leaders interact with their people,” Heyward said.
He said leaders can alleviate pressure by reviewing and reprioritising workloads, while role-modelling how staff can achieve work-life balance.
“Perhaps the most impactful thing leaders can do to reduce burnout and create a stronger, healthier culture, is to change how they interact with employees on a daily basis,” he said.
READ MORE: How to embark on a culture transformation
The daily interaction can seem like a simple gesture, but its impact is long-lasting on the overall employee experience. This is evidenced by O.C. Tanner’s findings that creating meaningful and memorable everyday experiences for employees goes a long way towards combatting burnout.
“These daily experiences, coupled with peak moments such as career milestone celebrations, help employees feel connected to their organisation, their role, and each other,” Heyward said.
“They will feel supported and appreciated by their leaders and teams, and be clear about their goals and performance. Also, they feel listened to and acknowledged.”
To learn more about improving the aspects of workplace culture that can cure burnout, check out O.C. Tanner’s Culture Cloud.
