3 Quick Tips to Combat Burnout

Many talented people leave their jobs because they simply don't have the heart for the work anymore. What starts as a lack of engagement turns into stress and then anxiety. Combat employee burnout at your office with three quick tips and by diving deep into some important data points.

First, a Survey

A survey conducted by Kronos in 2017 notes that minimizing employee turnover was a major priority to 87 percent of human resources departments. About half of these respondents said employee burnout accounted for 50 percent of their turnover. These are huge percentages, which means preventing burnout among your staff can save a lot of money and increase productivity over the long term.

Watch Your Metrics

Keep an eye on your team's metrics to head off employee burnout before it becomes a huge problem. Examine daily or weekly KPIs, because examining numbers monthly might not be frequent enough. Start by looking at growth numbers versus flattening productivity metrics. A rise in growth means more work for the firm, but if productivity slips, employees might be overworked.

You can always hire more staff, but that takes time. Avoid employee burnout sooner rather than later by offering days off to team members. Doing without certain employees for a few days is small compared to having to hire a new worker. Then, go beyond the metrics and start engaging with your employees in three ways.

1. Pay Attention

Pay attention to what your employees say. You may get subtle hints, like people gasping at the prospect of a large client coming on board that increases the workload. A few employees might raise concerns at a meeting or start shaking their heads when they learn that the goals for next quarter exceed the previous quarter's goals. If you already anticipate a busy month, watch for people who show up late or can't make it to work at a critical time. Chances are good that your employees may not come to you with these concerns, so you, as a leader, must take the initiative.

2. Learn from Data

It costs an average of 33 percent of an employee's salary to replace that person. As you grow, make sure you keep up with your company's growth pattern by hiring more help to match the workload. You can bring in temporary help or take a look at contract work to lessen the load and avoid employee burnout. Even automating some processes or outsourcing mundane project tasks could improve your turnover rate.

3. Set the Example

Give employees a chance to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Also, don't hesitate to have a bit of fun at the office, like the occasional Nerf gun fight or ping pong game, as long as the team is on track to meeting its goals. As a manager, this starts with you. Set the tone by achieving your own healthy work-life balance and having a bit of fun every day at the office.

Combat employee burnout with these three quick tips. Employees will be more satisfied, and you might just increase your company's profits across the board.

Photo courtesy of FrameAngel at FreeDigitalPhotos.net