How Successful Companies Prevent Employee Burnout

While many managers are concerned with employee well-being, they often fail to notice when staff start to experience burnout.

Indeed, employee burnout does not happen overnight; the process is very subtle. Over the course of time a star employee may slowly lose his or her enthusiasm, and productivity may wane as a result.

This process occurs for a multitude of reasons, but many employers tend to blame the individual. Although this may be true in some occasions, burnout is often the result of a larger, systemic issue.

In order to reduce employee turnover, it is critical that companies create ways to prevent employee burnout.

There are a few key ways that companies may prevent burnout and in turn retain top talent.

Pre-hire Testing

When an employee is not a proper fit for his or her role they will inevitably experience burnout. Staff tend to flourish in roles they enjoy, and when they don’t have an aptitude for their jobs it will likely create a great deal of stress. Testing an individual’s workplace aptitude during the hiring process is key to preventing this type of situation.

Some of the tests, such as Prevue Screen or Retail Fit, may be done in a matter of minutes. As a result, managers are able to determine on the spot if they would like to see someone for an interview. Not only does a job assessment test allow managers to find ideal hires, but it also prevents further problems down the line.

Reasonable and Defined Goals

In today’s fast-paced work environment a great deal of importance is placed on productivity; however, that focus often leads to immense stress. In order to inspire productivity in individuals, they need to feel that their goals are within reach. Although it is important to have a strong, powerful vision, employees need to have clearly defined steps to that vision along the way.

What’s more, they need to understand exactly what needs to be done, and exactly how. Vaguely defined tasks lead to confusion, which in turn leads to more stress. Also, overloading employees with an unreasonable workload may lead to panic. They may feel inadequate, incompetent or simply overwhelmed.

Create A Positive Work Environment

Although it may seem straightforward, creating a truly positive work environment is no easy task. For starters, it may involve completely reevaluating the way an office runs. This may include finding out what actually motivates the staff, and also what brings them down. Getting regular, positive praise may work for some, while others may need flexibility with their schedule.

Implementing company activities, or even just letting people bring their pets to work, can work wonders for preventing employee burnout.