Leaders told to 'up their game' amid employee burnout, resignations

Employers will need to step up their game to prevent losing employees from burnout and resignations as the pandemic drags on, according to the managing director of hiring agency Frog Recruitment.  Shannon Barlow made the remarks as the latest survey from Frog Recruitment showed that 68% of its 900 respondents in New Zealand were feeling more burnt out than they did 12 months ago.

In addition, 62% of employees also said they are either looking for new jobs or are unsure about staying in their company, with 41% of them attributing poor leadership to their decision.

"Organisational leaders need to up their game. This is a signal that it's time for leadership to understand their workforce's wellbeing and to create solutions that show their people they genuinely care to improve their mental health," said Barlow in a statement.

However, the managing director also cautioned on underestimating the pressures faced by managers amid shifting regulations against COVID-19, stressing that it also adding on to the already existing challenges.

"Many managers are overwhelmed with 'over planning,' creating contingencies to fit in with the rapidly-changing government Covid guidelines, navigating mandate requirements for their staff and customers as well as managing staff absences and office spaces due to the virus, all of which are contributing to extreme fatigue," she said.

According to Barlow, there is a "perfect storm brewing" as workplaces suffer from absences because of the Omicron variant, and leaders should "ask themselves whether they can afford the cost to the bottom line and ultimately, ignore the responsibility they have to care for their people’s health."

Read more: Burnout is on the rise: How to build more a resilient workforce

What can employers do?

Barlow suggested that employers could engage their staff on an employee well-being service, reduce their workloads, or reminding employees about their worth from the company.

"Engage a formal employee wellbeing service – or if there is one already in place, remind everyone it's available to them in confidentiality. For people feeling overwhelmed with their workload, it’s critical to reallocate or assign extra resources to lessen their load," she said.

According to the managing director, employee know they are being heard if there are proactive measures implemented to resolve their issues.

She added that the seemingly "simple" action of reminding employees of their worth could alleviate their feelings of burnout.

"Being told you are valued should never be underestimated," Barlow said.