Burnout is real - and it’s affecting how your employees perform, and ultimately, your business as a whole.
The third annual Employee Experience Trends Report for 2022 found that 5% fewer people plan to stay at their current job than in 2021. Exacerbated by the blurred lines of work and life boundaries, employees are under pressure to meet year-end deadlines while showing up in their everyday roles professionally and personally.
“End of year burnout is fatigue that manifests itself towards the end of the year. It is as a direct result of being overworked and stressed," said counseling psychologist Dr Kgomotso Masokoane.
Common signs of burnout are negative emotions, lack of motivation, dips in performance, and an increase in professional conflicts. Employees are asking for action and relinquishing some of that pressure by doing small genuine gestures can set your company apart.
As you approach the close of 2021, here are some tactics to ensure your team feels good about their careers at your company:
Recognize team members who have made significant strides throughout this year.
Take a step back to acknowledge the work your team has contributed, no matter how big or small. Acknowledging an employee's contribution and genuinely expressing gratitude for their work can have a big positive impact on their perception of their value. Everyone wants to feel valued. Don’t you?
Invest in your team's careers by spending real time on employee year-end evaluations.
Everyone dreads the email that year-end evals are coming due, employees and managers alike. Evaluations require one to recap the entire year’s successes and shortcomings to project new, realistic goals into the new year. Taking this process seriously is difficult given the disdain for remembering the year’s milestones, successes, and shortcomings and writing it all in a professional format. The process is very rewarding and productive, however, when organizations accurately evaluate annual performance and make realistic plans for their employees for the coming year.
Enjoy a holiday party with stakeholders and their families.
I know you’re thinking, “not another thing for my To-Do list” or another line item to my expense sheet; however, imagine the difference between working for a company that does a holiday party and a company that doesn’t? There’s a big difference in the perspective of the employee who enjoys a holiday party with his or her colleagues than the employee who doesn’t. “Recruitment and retention depend on the organization building a support network in and out of the office”, suggests Chief People Officer Melissa Logsdon. Engagement among colleagues, perceived appreciation, and company buy-in is fed by the gesture to host a gathering for stakeholders during this festive, yet busy, time.
Develop your 2022 Talent Development, Engagement, and Retention Plan.
Having a plan and sticking to it, or even steering off course and having to course-correct, is better than trying to build the airplane as you’re falling out of the sky. We all know that, sometimes at the start of the year, operating feels like putting out little fires everywhere. Get ahead of the influx in work and put a plan in place now. Develop a strong employee engagement strategy, set up an in-house mentoring program, prioritize and jumpstart the talent retention initiatives this month! This way, when January comes the team can transition into new operations and systems management rather than just starting the development phase.
Overall, leaders are demanding more resources and access to the right training and talent next year. The Mentor Method is your solution to better ideas; better innovations; better performance.
Another resource for your team to share: SHRM: Know The Signs of Burnout and How to Get Relief