In our last blog, we talked about ways you can track employee productivity. Our employees make up the foundation of our business. They allow us to offer great customer service and provide customers with the solutions they need. From a business perspective, it’s important to track their productivity, so we can ensure we are utilizing their skills as much as we can and maintaining a realistic understanding of what they do with their time.
However, we also need to understand that we can’t do much without our employees. Employee burnout can easily happen if we are just focusing on productivity numbers. It’s been a difficult time, and we want to boost our employees up, not bring them down. Employee burnout can result in a variety of issues (from exhaustion to inefficacy), and it can lead to our employees becoming employees somewhere else.
So what actually is burnout in the workplace? The Mayo Clinic defines it as a special type of work-related stress. While “burnout” isn’t a medical condition, it is a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that can involve a sense of reduced accomplishment and a loss of personal identity. So it’s the last thing we want our employees to go through. When our team doesn’t feel their best, they aren’t going to be the best.
Here are 10 ways to make sure your team doesn’t suffer employee burnout:
- Set clear expectations: Nothing can be more of a challenge for an employee than not understanding their role in the company or parameters for a project. No one likes to feel like their time is wasted.
- Have an open line of communication: Set regular check-ins, but don’t be overwhelming.
- Celebrate both big and small wins: Getting a new certification. Turning an unsatisfied client into a happy one. Finding a way to make a process more efficient. Especially when times are tough, people need a win.
- Show appreciation by giving rewards: While a pat on the back is a good start, even a small gift card can go a long way in feeling appreciated for your work.
- Encourage your team to put self-care first: If they feel imbalanced, their work will suffer. Offer mental health service options.
- Provide recovery time: Ensure team members are taking breaks throughout the day. But also ask them how they are managing their workload. Sometimes, a team member will have too much on their plate. It happens. However, if the same employees are always overwhelmed, then it’s time to intervene.
- Be flexible: Whether an employee wants to attend their favorite workout class (in person or virtually) or a parent needs to run a child to the dentist, accommodate as much as you can. Some employees may prefer to come to work early so they can leave early. If it doesn’t affect production, think about offering at least a trial run.
- Encourage designated workspaces: With more people working from home, the separation between work and home life is even more of a challenge. If you see a teammate struggling, ask them what their workspace situation is, and try to help them create a separation between home and work.
- Foster a sense of community: Whether your team is in an office or distributed, create a sense of unity. Everyone is on the same team, so encourage them to help each other.
- Be present: One of the hardest things to do as a manager is help your team not burnout when you feel overwhelmed yourself. Be present in your work, and make sure you’re taking the time to take care of yourself, too.
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