There is often a honeymoon period with new employees. At the beginning, they show up to work early and put in the extra time and energy to ensure that they produce their best work. Unfortunately, this does not always last forever.
After a while, employees might start to feel like they are treading water. Productivity and company morale can start to decline. Burnout can also mean a higher turnover rate, which can slow down projects and put additional strain on teams. All of this can have a negative effect on your bottom line.
Ask yourself the following questions and take the appropriate next steps to keep your employees engaged and happy. Doing so will prevent burnout, and aid all parties in the process.
Do your employees feel challenged?
Motivation and drive can start to decrease if an employee is not feeling challenged in their position. Basically, they start to get bored, and then negativity starts to set in. An employee may begin to wonder whether this role can help them accomplish their career goals, or whether their time would be better spent elsewhere. If you want your employees to continue to invest their time and energy at your company, you need to make sure that you are giving them opportunities to invest in themselves as well.
Do your employees feel respected?
No one wants to stay in a job where they do not feel as though their contributions are being recognized. It is important that you give credit where credit is due, and let your employees know that you see them and appreciate their efforts. Doing so can make a huge difference when it comes to motivation levels, and can go a long way in preventing burnout. At the very least, it keeps the line of communication open.
Do your employees feel connected?
If you want to create a high energy, high morale work environment, then it needs to be more than just work. When your employees know and care about one another, they can help keep each other motivated and engaged. Ideally, your team should also feel a higher purpose – something that gives the work meaning and keeps people wanting to come in each morning. Team building exercises can be really helpful when it comes to establishing a work culture that excites and inspires.
Answer These Questions by Being Present and Available
All of this may seem insurmountable. Eliminating the threat of burnout is probably an unrealistic goal, and certainly not something that can happen overnight. It is best to take small, incremental steps that help establish communication and transparency.
Demonstrate to your employees that you are involved and you care about their day to day. When you keep an open dialogue that encourages employees to come to you with problems, you can address those problems together as opposed to them suffering from burnout alone.