A lot of people are finding it hard to force themselves through another workday. Maybe it’s a case of employees taking on more responsibilities due to leaner teams or difficulties separating work and home life. No matter the cause, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared burnout as a syndrome. It’s one of the biggest issues facing companies right now and affects a whopping 76 percent of the workforce. But most companies don’t have a handle on how to gauge the impact, and with so much remote work happening, it’s even harder to recognize when it’s happening. So, what can companies do to prevent burnout? The good news is that leaders play a major role in preventing burnout. With the right skills, they can help bring employees back from the brink of total job burnout. The bad news? Few leaders are confident in these key skills. In fact, preventing burnout in their teams is one of the areas where leaders rate themselves the lowest.
What Is Workplace Burnout?
Let’s start with a clear definition of burnout. The WHO declared it as a syndrome referring “specifically to phenomena in the occupational context…resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” The WHO stated that burnout “should not be applied to describe other areas of life.” Even before the pandemic, many companies began to prioritize employee well-being initiatives. Even with these efforts, most leaders were still largely unprepared to prevent burnout and the risks it now poses.
Why Burnout Is a Problem
Employee burnout is dangerous for companies because it creates a huge retention risk. If employees are feeling burnt out, they’ll head for the door. Perhaps worse is if the employees stay. Burnt-out employees tend to produce a lower quantity and quality of work. This is particularly dangerous for those in critical jobs that require detail, such as healthcare or finance. Furthermore, burnout can have serious effects on employees' physical and mental health. Keep in mind that your leaders are prone to burnout as well. And it’s a major issue threatening the future of leadership and companies’ pipeline of top talent they’ve worked so hard to attract. DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast 2021 research identified that 86 percent of high-potential employees feel burnt out. That rate has climbed 59 percent since before the pandemic. High-potential employees are even more at risk since they may be reluctant to reveal their frustration to leaders. Why? They may fear being outspoken could cost them a chance for a key opportunity. These employees are twice as likely to leave than those who said they didn’t feel used up at the end of the day. But what can companies do when employees are struggling with burnout? It starts with the people who manage employees—the company’s leaders. But first, what are leaders doing to contribute to their company’s burnout culture? So what skills are essential to address this burnout culture? Find out by reading DDI’s blog.