How to Avoid Burnout in Dev Teams
Here are ten ways to keep employees engaged and reduce workplace burnout.
Employee burnout is an important concept to be aware of. It refers to the extreme stress employees feel that can eventually lead to their departure. Not only does burnout have huge implications for your bottom line, but it also decreases productivity, depletes morale, and causes significant product delays.
Your employees are your most valuable asset, especially in these uncertain times. To help you prevent a wide-scale workplace burnout problem on your team, we have outlined five common signs and causes of burnout, as well as 10 tips to keep it under control.
Table of Contents
- What Is Employee Burnout?
- 5 Signs of Employee Burnout
- 5 Causes of Employee Burnout
- 10 Tips to Avoid Employee Burnout
What is Employee Burnout?
Employee burnout is a type of work-related stress that happens when an individual's physical, emotional, and mental resources are spent. It's not like the everyday stress that everyone feels at their job when the pressure is on and the stakes are high. Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
Burnout is a common occurrence when workers are overworked or poorly treated. Not only does it lead to additional burnout among team members, but it can result in higher turnover and impact your company culture on a broad scale. The frustration of one employee can lead to a negative culture that demotivates high-performing employees and prevents exceptional candidates from joining your team.
In today's economy, it is essential to keep your employees happy and motivated for your team's long-term success. Employee exits can be costly, averaging one-third of the employee's salary, and often result in the departure of other team members. It is more important than ever for tech leaders to make a concerted effort to improve their employee retention rate and mitigate burnout.
5 Signs of Employee Burnout
It's important to intervene early when you see signs of employee burnout, to prevent the toxic cycle from beginning. However, in order to do that, you need to know what to look for. Below are common indicators of employee burnout that you should be on the lookout for within your team.
1. DISINTERESTED OR NERVOUS BODY LANGUAGE
55 percent of communication is done through body language, so it is important to pay attention to it as much as you listen to your employees. Pay close attention to employees' cues of nervousness, disinterest or frustration, especially when conducting video chats and phone calls remotely. If employees seem more irritable than usual, they may be testing the limits of their patience and you should talk to them as soon as possible.
2. LACK OF INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
If your employees are no longer participating in social events or cultural initiatives, this could be a sign that something is wrong. If employees feel that they don't have the time to participate due to work responsibilities or simply are not interested, they may be feeling strained or disconnected from the team.
3. FREQUENTLY MISSING WORK
There is a direct correlation between employee burnout and missing work. In fact, burnt-out employees are 63 percent more likely to take a sick day. If your employees are frequently missing work, it is likely because they are reaching their limits and need to take a break.
4. MORE FREQUENT ILLNESSES
Another reason why absenteeism is indicative of workplace burnout is that chronic stress can lead to bigger health problems and weaken the body's ability to fight infection, making people more prone to illness. Burnt out employees are 23 percent more likely to land in the emergency room.
5. REDUCED PRODUCTIVITY
If an employee's productivity starts to decline, it may be a sign that they are overwhelmed and need more support. Be mindful that some days, weeks and quarters will be more successful than others; employees won’t always put up the same numbers. Use productivity as an indication, but communicate with your employees to gain a greater understanding of the situation — there may be other elements at work.
5 Common Causes of Employee Burnout
When you see the warning signs of burnout among your employees, you should take action to address the issue immediately. To understand the issue is key to successful problem solving. Begin by considering these five most frequent causes of burnout.
1. TOO LITTLE MANAGER SUPPORT
As a manager, you have a great impact on your direct reports. Sixty-seven percent of employees feel more engaged when they have a supportive manager. Furthermore, team members who believe that their manager has their back are 70 percent less likely to experience burnout on a regular basis. Knowing that they have someone to go to with questions and concerns gives employees a sense of security and confidence.
2. UNATTAINABLE OR UNCLEAR GOALS
Working towards an impossible goal will demotivate employees. If employees are uncertain of what is expected of them, or if expectations are frequently changing, they will have difficulty developing a sense of ownership over their work. This increases the likelihood of experiencing burnout.
3. REMOTE WORK ISOLATION
Employees often struggle to unplug from work when their personal and professional lives are closely intertwined, as is often the case when working from home. It can be easy to get pulled back into work when you're so close to the office. Additionally, remote employees may feel disconnected from their manager and teammates, leading to increased pressure to perform well and potential overworking.
4. LACK OF RECOGNITION
Acknowledging and celebrating employee achievements is important for engagement. According to a study, 43% of employees say that feeling appreciated by the company increases their confidence at work.
5. EXCESSIVE JOB DEMANDS
Employees may be working too hard and need a break. When demand is high, it can feel like you're running a marathon with no finish line in sight. Employees must have time to rest before resuming work.
10 Tips to Avoid Employee Burnout
Employees may experience increased stress during periods of uncertainty, which can lead to burnout. It is essential that managers frequently touch base with their direct reports and confirm they are receiving the assistance they need, both as employees and as people. High-impact roles that often work in silos require additional supervision to manage employee engagement and avoid burnout.
1. FEEDBACK
One-on-ones are an opportunity to build a stronger relationship with your employee and to collect feedback. For employees who are working remotely, it is recommended that you use a video conferencing platform so you can still communicate face-to-face.
Give your employees feedback that is useful for them in improving their performance in their role. Formal feedback, including both criticism and praise, has a positive effect on employee engagement. In fact, according to a study, 69 percent of employees say they would work harder if they received more recognition for their efforts, and 24 percent would consider looking for work elsewhere if they received inadequate feedback from their managers.
Also, request feedback from team members; listen to their concerns and brainstorm ways to improve communication and enhance their employee experience. Nearly half of employees (48 percent) say that asking for their input and taking action accordingly would help reduce voluntary turnover.
2. MENTAL HEALTH
The physical and emotional consequences of employee burnout cost the US approximately $125-190 billion in healthcare expenditure every year. Maintaining a work-life balance is hard enough as it is, but it's especially difficult for remote employees whose personal and professional lives overlap. Direct reports should be encouraged to take time for themselves as needed, keeping in mind that each individual is unique and will, therefore, require different forms and levels of support to maintain physical and mental health. Your team can improve morale by taking advantage of the wellness opportunities in your employee benefits package.
3. OFFER MENTAL BREAKS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
Some employees may be hesitant to unplug out of fear of missing an update or falling behind. To combat this, consider implementing different activities into your team’s routine that offer a mental break from the grind.
Before your first meeting of the day, have your entire team participate in a virtual meditation session. This could involve setting goals for the day, repeating a mantra, or doing guided breathing exercises.
It is important to incorporate wellness activities into the workday to show employees that it is acceptable to take time to recharge. Criticizing their need to do so creates an unhealthy and unsupportive work environment, and can be costly for the organization — 60 percent of employees would take a pay cut to work for an empathetic employer.
4. SET REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
Unattainable goals will cause employees to feel like they're constantly chasing after a moving target and missing the mark, shattering their self confidence. Goals for new hires should be both progressive and flexible; expecting them to perform at the level of a two-year-tenured employee is unreasonable. Additionally, you may encounter obstacles in the process that necessitate you to change your approach entirely. If that is the case, employees should not be committed to outdated or excessively ambitious goals. Key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets should be revised as needed and especially as the employee advances in their role.
5. IMPROVE YOUR ONBOARDING PROCESS
The onboarding process is an employee's first real introduction to the company. A strong onboarding sequence sets employees on the path to success; 53 percent of HR professionals report improved levels of employee engagement as a result of better onboarding processes. As a manager, it is your responsibility to give employees the tools they need to succeed in their role by outlining their responsibilities and objectives clearly. If employees are aware of what is expected of them, they will be more likely to take pride in their work and invest themselves fully. Additionally, it is important to introduce new employees to members of your team and help them understand the organization culture. Doing so will allow them to build connections with other employees and cultivate a sense of belonging. Playing your part in optimizing your virtual onboarding plan is essential for today’s remote environment.
6. OFFER FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING
Allowing employees to adjust their working hours to suit their personal lives has a positive effect on engagement. Implementing a remote work policy can help your employees achieve a better work-life balance, which can improve their overall experience as your employees.
Also, by customizing their work schedule, employees can focus during their most productive hours. If an individual is aware that they have a tendency to become less productive in the afternoon, they can adjust their schedule to start earlier and finish before 4:00 p.m. For remote teams, this is an easy way to avoid workplace burnout without overhauling your efforts; with everything online, employees can easily catch up on projects if their schedules don’t align.
7. IMPROVE AND AUTOMATE PROCESSES
Automating a process can free up an employee's bandwidth. If a UX designer dedicates the first few hours of every project to recreating the same framework, it would be beneficial to create a template they can return to and modify as needed.
Identify bottlenecks in your work process and find ways to mitigate them so that your team can work more efficiently.
8. ENCOURAGE PASSION PROJECTS
Employee engagement is higher when employees are doing work they enjoy. In addition to allowing your team members to explore their interests, give them the freedom to choose their tasks. If a software developer or engineer has a preference for working in one coding language over the other, allow them to work primarily on projects that fit their interests.
It is not the responsibility of the team leader to customize roles to individual employees. Refocusing an employee's priorities and task list to better align with their professional interests and goals is a productive form of employee development. Investing in employee development through work that excites them and allows for growth reduces the risk of workplace burnout.
9. TIME FOR FUN
Social initiatives should already be part of your company culture, but additional activities specifically for your team can be implemented. Doing so helps employees to bond with each other, both on a professional and personal level. It also allows them to blow off steam at the end of the work day, relieving stress in the process.
Plan fun activities during work hours to engage employees and boost morale. It is essential to take a step back from projects and relax in order to avoid workplace burnout. A few remote team activities can help bring all employees together.
10. OFFER REWARDS
Recognize employees for a job well-done by rewarding them for their efforts. Incentives and prizes are commonly used among sales teams to motivate and engage employees, but can also be effective in other departments. Offering rewards is a great way to show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication.
It is not necessary for the prize to be significant in monetary value or an all-inclusive vacation package. Employees will appreciate an extra day of PTO, a gift card to their favorite restaurant, or the chance to join an exciting industry event. When deciding on rewards for your team, ask them what they would most enjoy. This makes them feel included in the decision-making process and increases the likelihood that they will be motivated by the prize. Avoiding burnout is primarily achieved by listening to employees' needs. Employee burnout is a real problem that needs to be addressed immediately in order to retain top performers and attract great job seekers.
