Banishing Burnout

Is your organization bracing for “the great resignation”? If so, you’re not alone. A few of my clients are experiencing increased turnover, and I’m sure you’ve seen the popcorn of job change notices of colleagues and friends on LinkedIn. We are seeing this swing towards resignation due to burnout and increased stress levels, lack of growth opportunities, and decreased flexibility with return to the office requirements. 

Burnout and Stress

Several clients have recently shared their concerns about burnout for themselves and for their team members. Many organizations kept the belt tightened after last year’s pandemic shut-down struggles, and people are doing more work with fewer employees. I have also seen burnout occurring in people who haven’t taken time off to reset. With the lack of vacation or staycation time, fewer boundaries with working at home, and lack of social or other outlets, many of us have logged more work hours than ever this past year, which has led to increased stress levels.

According to a Gallup survey, people are feeling more stressed on a typical day than they did before the pandemic based on their 2018 survey. They report 61 percent of women and 52 percent of men feel stressed on a typical day.

Gallup shares 5 ways to take action against burnout, including shared accountability, setting role expectations, and making wellbeing a part of the culture.

Lack of Growth Opportunities 

If you’re experiencing high turnover in your organization due to lack of career growth options, how can you make lemonade out of lemons by providing more opportunities for the folks left behind? This could be a great time to invest in your employees. Encourage your leaders to delegate for employee development, and get creative by making learning opportunities available, including training, coaching, tuition reimbursement, and certifications for employees to boost their skills. 

Flexibility

Most organizations are requiring a return to the office now or before the end of the year. The majority of my clients are looking at a phased or hybrid approach. Even in companies who have always had flexible environments, there are some extras employees are craving given the last 18 months. I’m seeing things like company mandated breaks, which are more valuable than paid time off because everyone is off. No coming back to a bunch of emails! I’ve also seen clients and other organizations offer more wellness options, mental health services and childcare benefits. 

How are you managing burnout in your team members or yourself? What are you doing to upskill your employees to keep them engaged? What are you doing to create a flexible and healthy work environment? How can I help you put together a strategy for riding the great resignation wave?