In stressful times, the star performers in your company can experience overwhelm, anxiousness, disengagement, and even burn out. When this happens, you’ll find that their performance suffers and their mood sours. Their negative behavior can affect the attitude of their whole team, leading to departures and more problems. In a recent survey, 95% of HR leaders said employee burnout is “sabotaging workforce retention.” (Source: Kronos Incorporated and Future Workplace).
In our recent webinar “Rock star to rock bottom – Preventing employee burnout in stressful times,” we examined employee burnout from a mental health perspective, addressed burnout’s symptoms and underlying causes, and offered strategies for addressing and avoiding this common yet challenging condition. To help support management and HR professionals, we’ve summarized our findings on employee burnout into a series of PDF checklists outlining common causes of stress and anxiety and recommendations for reducing stress and improving employee engagement. Here are a few key signs of burnout from one of these resources, for managers on “Warning Signs of Employee Burnout.”
They have become irritable or impatient with co-workers, vendors, and customers.
Just months ago, your new “rock star” employees were highly engaged in their jobs, dedicated and extremely productive, they were positive, charismatic, and easy to get along with. But recently you’ve noticed their mood changing and a slight decline in their performance. In their communications and body language, they come across as defensive, abrupt, even angry at times. In meetings and one-on-ones with other people they seem distracted and impatient, like they’d rather be somewhere else.
They don’t seem to derive satisfaction from their achievements.
After a big win—landing an account, shipping a project, making a sale—everyone seems happy but the employee behind the success. It’s almost heartbreaking that, as you stop to congratulate and thank them for their hard work and dedication, they will shrug and act as if they had nothing to do with it. They’re so focused on tackling the next big challenge that they fail to take time out to celebrate their amazing personal achievements.
They complain of not sleeping well.
Everybody has a rough night once in a while. But if your star employee frequently comes in late, yawns or nods off in meetings, or adopts a distant, sleepy stare, there could be greater problems to consider. Insomnia is a symptom of anxiety, which is a major contributor to burnout. In stressful times, especially during a national or global crisis, anxiety is almost unavoidable, and it can make employee burnout even worse.
To learn more, watch our webinar on employee burnout,“Rock star to rock bottom” or download our 6 page checklist with tips to help you identify and prevent employee burnout.
