Key Takeaways:
1. Employee burnout and employee engagement can co-exist in a company, ultimately resulting in poor performance.
2. Assessing burnout and engagement levels must go beyond surveys to understand the impact and take corrective action.
3. Simple and positive steps can help increase engagement and reduce burnout among employees.
The modern workplace is evolving constantly, and company management has become aware of the need to focus on employee well-being. To this end, companies adopt a range of measures and launch numerous programs to maximize employee engagement and minimize burnout. These programs go beyond the basics of providing amenities, offering competitive remuneration packages, and launching wellness programs. However, there’s a possibility that even engaged employees can also be burned out.
Great Place to Work®’s burnout research notes that employees can be highly committed and still become what researchers describe as “engaged, exhausted.” This is a critical leadership insight: visible commitment is not proof that employees are doing well. Without trust, fairness, autonomy, and manageable workloads, engagement can erode into strain.
Let’s explore the engagement-and-burnout conundrum and ways to address it that increase engagement and help employees manage burnout.
What Does Employee Engagement Mean?
Organizations depend on employee surveys, feedback sessions, and pulse checks to assess employee engagement. While these tools provide important insights, companies must go beyond them. A true indication of employee engagement is the commitment, positivity, and creativity employees willingly bring to their work.
A truly engaged employee will understand the company’s purpose and how their work will contribute to achieving it. They will step forward to take ownership of the goals assigned to them, go beyond their set goals, and help others work better.
Engaged employees are:
- Positively motivated to do their work well and on time
- Loyal to the company and take ownership of their work
- Active in engaging management, peers, and team members
- Likely to take on additional tasks beyond their core job
What Does Employee Burnout Mean?
Burnout indicates a state of exhaustion, and employee burnout means an employee is mentally and physically stressed due to work-related tension. Work-related burnout can be due to a lack of support, unclear goals, inadequate resources, or work-life imbalance.
Also Read: How to Reduce Employee Turnover Rate?
Employee burnout is a cumulative state that happens over time and is often seen in conscientious employees who are committed to their work. Burnout also tends to seep in and affect others on the team in a domino effect.
Some of the common symptoms of employee burnout are:
- Poor energy levels and inattentiveness
- Bursts of anger and irritability
- Difficulties in meeting timelines
- Disengagement with core company goals
- Lack of concentration and increase in errors
Impact of Employee Engagement and Burnout
Let’s look at the impact of engaged and burned-out employees on various aspects of an organization.
| Impact areas | Employee Engagement | Employee Burnout |
|---|---|---|
| Morale | Results in increased energy levels and better morale. | Can increase frustration and cause employees to feel depleted. |
| Productivity | Improved levels of productivity and creative solutions. | Improved levels of productivity and creative solutions. |
| Teamwork | An engaged employee will keep the team motivated and work towards the company’s goals. | A burned-out employee may continue working, but may not be able to work cohesively with the team due to fatigue. |
| Ownership | Engaged employees enjoy ownership of their goals and results and will consistently work towards them without external pressure. | While a burned out but engaged employee will take ownership of their work, this can often lead to more stress. |
| Attendance | A positively engaged employee is likely to take lesser leaves and enjoy being present at work. | A burned-out employee will need to take leaves constantly to recover from their feelings of stress. |
| Health | Positive and motivated employees tend to focus on work while ensuring their physical and emotional health. | A burned-out employee will feel the mental stress of keeping up work expectations and this can result in the deterioration of their physical health. |
| Public image | Engaged employees are the best advocates of the company’s image with all the stakeholders they work with. They serve customers better and ensure continuous growth. | Burned out employees (who are also engaged) will try to keep the positive outlook with all stakeholders but may often fail to uphold a positive outlook due to their stress levels. |
What Are the Differences Between Employee Engagement Versus Employee Burnout?
Here’s an overview of the main differences between engaged and burned-out employees.
| Engaged Employees | Burned Out Employees |
|---|---|
| Delighted: Bring positive energy to the work they do because they feel their contributions are positive | Drained: Feel drained by the work they do because they may not always be aware of the impact of their work. |
| Motivated: Engaged employees are motivated from within to bring their best to work. | Detached: Burned out employees strive to do their best but may feel detached from the complete picture. |
| Productive: Engaged employee want results and will focus on productivity. | Present: Burned out employees will be present because they are required to but will not engage well. |
| Thrive: The attitude will be to do their best, enjoy their work, and look at results. | Survive: Employees will struggle to do their work and survive rather than grow. |
| Committed: A natural and positive commitment will be part of the engaged employees’ work ethic. | Cautious: The overall approach will be to cautiously move forward rather than confidently. |
Some Common Myths Around Employee Engagement and Employee Burnout
There are many myths about employment engagement and employee burnout, which needs to be addressed so that companies can plan the way forward.
Myth #1: Engaged Employees Do Not Face Burnout
A common misconception among people is that when people have higher levels of engagement, they are unlikely to be burned out. Often, companies discover that people who perform well and manage various responsibilities, can start burning out, unless they are offered resources to manage the stress.
Myth #2: Higher Compensation Means Lesser Burnout and More Engagement
Many companies equate attractive perks and competitive compensation as the only way to ensure engagement and reduce burnout. While compensation plays an important role, other factors like company culture, transparent processes, and leadership involvement can impact engagement and burnout. In some companies, employees may feel stress when they are met with inconsistent policies and poor communication, even though they have been compensated well.
Myth #3: Employee Burnout Does Not Affect Company Results
Many companies believe that employee burnout is a personal matter and should be handled by the employees themselves and if their work performance is okay, it does not affect them. That is not true. A burned-out employee is more likely to make mistakes in their work or appear disengaged when talking to customers, which will affect the company’s revenues and public image.
Myth #4: Managing Employee Engagement and Mitigating Burnout Is HR’s Responsibility
Yes, the human resource department is often the one department in the company that heads activities and policies around engagement and burnout, they are not solely responsible. It is important for the company’s leadership to actively ensure that employees feel valued and provide them with the means to manage stress. Employees themselves have a vital role in increasing engagement and reducing burnout.
Myth #5: One Policy Fits All When It Comes to Managing Burnout
The approach to improving engagement and reducing burnout will depend on the company and its unique requirements. For instance, in a company, where employees must physically exert themselves, the way to keep them engaged and reduce burnout will differ from a company where all employees are deskbound and do clerical work.
Myth #6: Employee Engagement Means That Employees Are Always Happy
Most companies will conduct a single survey annually to assess engagement and assume that this is a true indicator of the employee engagement. They will also assume a higher engagement score means that employees are always happy. This is not true; true engagement means employees are more aware of their work, acknowledge the associated stress, and have the means to manage it.
What Are the Common Reasons of Burnout?
Companies that want to grow consistently and stay ahead of the competition must ensure that their employees feel valued and minimize burnout. According to a study: Employees with low burnout score significantly higher than those with high burnout across key outcomes – 3.5x on retention, 2.6x on pride, 4.8x on motivation, 2.3x on customer service, 2.3x on discretionary effort, and 4.2x on advocacy.
From the above statistics, it is obvious that organizations must identify the conditions that lead to employee burnout and make changes to minimize them.
Reason #1: Workload Imbalance
Companies often assign workloads based on how well or badly employees perform. Often, a good worker (who is engaged) may be assigned too much work, resulting in burnout.
Reason #2: Poor Understanding of Goals
Another common factor causing burnout is when an employee is not sure of their goals and does not understand the reason behind the tasks they are asked to undertake. This becomes true of roles that do not have definitive targets (unlike production or sales).
Reason #3: Leadership Inconsistencies
Employees feel disengaged and burned out when they observe leadership not being consistent in their approach to the company’s purpose, culture, vision, and mission. This mismatch can create trust issues and increase stress.
Reason #4: No or Minimal Recognition
Employees need to feel appreciated and their efforts recognized to continue performing well and when a company does not have a channel to offer recognition consistently, this can result in burnout.
What Steps Great Workplaces Can Take to Improve Engagement and Prevent Burnout?
Here are some steps that organizations can take to ensure that their employee engagement levels are high, and employees have the support to manage burnout.
Step #1: Train Managers to Recognize Team Requirements and Support Them
A happy and productive team is often the result of an aware and positive team manager. It becomes crucial to train managers to consistently assess the team’s work, engagement levels, and keep them on the right track.
Step #2: Ensure Workloads Are Equitable, Realistic, and Timelines Are Optimal
Employees often feel stressed out when they feel their workload is not achievable within the set timelines or unfairly allotted. To ensure that this does not happen, organizations must ensure that workloads are allotted with realistic and achievable standards.
Step #3: Provide Tools for Employees to Manage Their Work-Life Balance
Employees feel supported when they know they can approach the management to get the required support for any issues they face. Setting up mechanisms and forums to support employees in balancing their professional and personal lives will help reduce burnout.
Step #4: Create Platforms and Program to Recognize and Reward Performance
Positive reinforcement and recognition of a job well-done make a vast difference to employees. Setting up platforms where employees get recognized by the peers as well as managers can reinforce a positive and engaged atmosphere.
Step # 5: Invest in Learning and Development Programs to Encourage Growth
Companies that offer resources for growth opportunities to employees are more likely to see positive engagement.
Step #6: Regularly Check on the Engagement Levels and Provide Support
Employee wellness and engagement are not a one-and-done endeavor and need constant checks to understand where support is needed. Checking regularly on engagement levels through formal and informal channels is essential.
Step #7: Build a Sustainable, Robust, and Positive Culture from the Top-Down
Employees who see their leaders adopting the company culture visibly, are often more engaged and committed to the organization. It is important for leaders to showcase this aspect to ensure a positive culture.
Managing Engagement and Burnout Going Forward
Ensuring that employees are engaged and not facing burnout are inextricably intertwined, while remaining two separate aspects. However, both can impact the organization’s performance in different ways and require constant monitoring and support. Most successful organizations recognize the need to work on these aspects, create a balance, and improve the employees’ perspective about their roles.
Want help on getting started? This is where our team at Great Place To Work can help. Whether it is conducting impartial employee surveys or providing culture consulting services, we offer tailored solutions. Want to know how to take this forward? Click here to connect with us
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of managers in preventing burnout?
Managers play an important role in recognizing which employee is feeling overwhelmed despite being an engaged team member and contributing positively and offering them support. For those employees who are disengaged and burned out, managers can take a different approach to mitigate the situation.
How to assess burnout risk?
Companies can assess burnout risk via townhalls, surveys, informal checks, as well as face-to-face conversations at various levels.
What is the impact of burnout on employee engagement?
Employees who feel burned out can often affect the team’s overall mood and atmosphere. Personally, they may be less productive, show less commitment, take more leaves, and even seek other career opportunities. Burned out employees will also change the way they interact with internal and external stakeholders.
Is it possible for someone to be engaged but burned out?
It is often seen that highly engaged employees feel burned out because they are unable to manage the stress of work or feel under-appreciated. They may feel overwhelmed because they are not getting the required support.
