It can feel like trying to walk up the down escalator – you’re working hard but not making progress. And as more employees burnout or resign, the faster the escalator goes.
I’ve been there, and the good news is you can get off those stairs to nowhere! The first thing to explore is why people are burning out, and what HR solutions will reverse it.
HR Solution: Examine Total Rewards
Start with looking at current aspects of work that job seekers value – pay equity, flexible work schedule, remote work options, and development opportunities. These are aspects of work that candidates consistently strive to find in today’s environment.
- What benefits can be highlighted to help a stressed employee feel supported and valued?
HR Solution: Impact Employee Burnout
Many things that contribute to a worker’s satisfaction are either controlled or influenced by the manager.
- Focus on items you can control as those are the ones most likely to yield results (work schedule, daily duties, overtime)
- Where it makes sense, try to influence when the control is not yours (how the employee reacts to stress, outside influences that distract employees)
How Control and Influence Differ
Let’s apply this to donuts. I can control whether or not I eat a donut, but I can’t control if my husband eats one. I can try to influence him, perhaps by not eating one myself, but he controls his own actions and decisions.
That’s the difference. There is no ambiguity in control. If we can control it, we can get exactly what we want. Influencing means we can impact it, but can’t guarantee it’ll be the HR solution we want.
Exert control and leverage your influence to manage employee burnout – your own potential burn out will thank you.