Recognizing Employee Burnout: 7 Key Warning Signs Leaders Should Watch For
In last week’s post we discussed the negative impacts of employee burnout in the workplace. This week we are looking at how to spot burnout in your people.
Signs of burnout aren’t always easy to discern. According to a post at WellRight.com, here are seven signs of burnout to look for in your employees:
1. Emotional, Mental and Physical Exhaustion
Are employees reporting feeling drained when they first wake up in the morning? Do they talk about struggling with sleep issues? Employees suffering from exhaustion will find they’re dragging themselves to work and then unable to start or focus on a task.
2. Disengagement
Employees losing interest in the things they previously found enjoyable—like socializing with family and friends—can be an early warning sign. At work, employees may stop participating in meetings, avoid taking on new projects, or stop returning phone calls and emails. As they continue to disconnect from the environment around them, employees often lose enthusiasm for their job, resulting in a lower quality of work.
3. Increased Absenteeism
Overtaxed employees are likely to take more sick days. Some hope the day off will restore their spirits. Others use the time off as a way to avoid projects, managers and employees that cause them stress. Or some employees may come in late and leave early to avoid interactions with co-workers and supervisors.
4. Isolation
Formerly extroverted employees who suddenly become distant may just be having a bad day or experiencing stress in their personal life. But if this isolation continues, or if formerly social employees become angry when someone tries to speak with them, it may be a sign of a bigger problem. Isolation can be even harder to detect in remote employees, since you may not be able to tell if they are withdrawing from relationships without directly asking them.
5. Higher Sensitivity to Feedback
Employees may begin taking criticism more personally, reacting to it with increased defensiveness, anger, or other signs of stress. Feedback is often blown out of proportion: "I guess I can’t do anything right."
6. Emergence of Physical Symptoms
Exhaustion and stress can often manifest themselves as physical symptoms, including panic attacks, chest pains, increased heart rate, nausea, and headaches. Employees may lose their appetite and even lose weight, or they may start to gain weight from using food to cope with their stress.
7. Decreased Productivity
As the condition worsens, so will productivity and performance. Stress prevents employees from concentrating on the tasks at hand, and feelings of being overwhelmed and unable to catch up might make them feel as if their efforts aren’t worthwhile.
At Conover Consulting we've spent decades fine-tuning workplace cultures. Reach out to us at laura@conoverconsulting.com if you need assistance with diagnosing and treating burnout within your team.