Burnt out and underappreciated: A UK workforce crisis
By Ben Harris, Director EMEA North, Visier
Want to get ahead? Looking for the next promotion? Keen to show you’re over-performing and productive whilst working from home? Enter, the ‘hustle culture’. For employees across the globe, hybrid working has seen a rise in this movement, with productivity becoming the golden standard for measuring success and performance, to the detriment of sustainable employee experience.
But, understandably, employees are feeling the pressure to be ‘always on’. And with success at work becoming increasingly important to employees looking to make ends meet as they tackle the UK’s cost-of-living crisis, it’s not surprising that the workplace, for many, is a key contributor to feelings of burnout.
In fact, more than half of the UK workforce (53%) feel overworked, citing factors such as being spread too thinly, stressing over the threat of additional work, and reaching their maximum capacity, according to Visier data. The uncertain economic environment means businesses are striving to do far more with less. However, this presents a new challenge to businesses. How do they sustainably maximise performance and productivity, whilst looking after the wellbeing and workload of staff?
Spotting the burnout signals
Addressing the threat of employee burnout is just as vital as recession-proofing the business. By ignoring burnout red flags, leaders’ risk initiating a mass talent exodus. And as any leader knows, the cost in both time and money to replace vital staff members is only increasing. In a tight talent market and tricky economic landscape, employers cannot afford to hire their way around the impending loss of productivity. Instead, people must be viewed as the most valuable asset to a business, with their wellbeing at the forefront of every senior business decision made.
With many organisations slamming on the recruitment breaks amid broader market uncertainty, current employees are being asked to take on more responsibilities. 30% of our survey respondents said they feel their employer has increased their work responsibility outside of their initial role, and 23% feel their employer expects or encourages them to pick up work outside of their remit.
Understandably, employees who are struggling to cope with economic precarity coupled with professional stress are refusing to suffer the repercussions of workplace burnout. Burnout signals are often there in plain sight, and armed with the right tools, employers can improve their employee experiences. It means using workforce data to highlight signals, nipping issues in the bud, embracing challenging conversations, and flagging challenges with workload as and when they arise to ensure the correct, successful solutions can be put in place.
Setting burnout boundaries
To retain existing employees, organisations will need to prioritise stopping burnout in its tracks. If employees feel spread too thinly or undervalued in their role, with trends like ‘quiet quitting’ still hovering around, it’s more than likely that they will be tempted to go elsewhere.
One key piece of the puzzle here is in ensuring staff aren’t feeling snowed under with workloads. Adding new tasks to an employee’s plate when they feel overwhelmed, or the temporary addition or expansion of an employee’s role without reward can have a damaging knock-on effect on an individual day-to-day. And for individuals struggling to get through a long to-do list, their general proactive behaviours and creativity may decline.
To avoid the longer-term repercussions of burnout, managers should have a clear understanding as to what their teams to-do list looks like to ensure they aren’t drowning when it comes to capacity. Employees in turn should feel comfortable setting their own boundaries if they feel they can’t take on more work- where even tiny administrative tasks can pile up.
The knock-on effect of burnout
Employee burnout occurs when work-related stresses, coupled with emotional or physical exhaustion, create a feeling of workplace anxiety. This is not one singular issue, but rather a multitude of tiny events that combine together, sparking a ripple effect for employees.
Our recent data reveals employees aren’t just feeling increasingly overwhelmed because of work. The cost-of-living crisis (61%) and family responsibilities (34%) were both cited as contributors. This challenging economic environment contributes to people feeling stretched thin and undervalued.
How can businesses support their people to combat burnout? It’s important for leaders to dive into their data to determine patterns among specific demographics in their teams. For example, data can reveal links between remote working arrangements, gender, or general employee sentiment. Businesses should use the rich source of fuel in these data sets to drive business decision making, or they risk making the wrong moves altogether.
When using data to drive insights, it’s vital to ignore wishful thinking and instead trust the real data you are capturing. Detailed analysis of figures such as resignation rates, absence data, and pulse surveys can paint a detailed picture of burnout in your organisation. Correlating these findings with real-time business results helps leaders understand exactly where and why investments are required to reduce burnout. Using workplace tools to gauge burnout levels and ensuring your people are taking sufficient time off will provide targeted support where it is needed the most.
Engage in active listening and remember ‘one size does not fit all’
Listening carefully and paying attention to employee answers is important. Why? Employees are vastly different. What may matter to one employee, may not be important at all to their seatmate. Whether people want half-day Friday’s, more team bonding activities, or further personal training, remember – one size does not fit all. Customise your offerings for employee engagement, and your organisation will reap the rewards.
Additionally, candid and transparent conversations provide the foundations to building a better employee experience. There are tough times ahead in many people’s home and work lives’, so ensuring there is an open and honest culture of communication can help alleviate feelings of workplace stress. For example, sharing financial or business strategies with staff for visibility can help quell nerves. According to Visier data, 23% of people want more transparency in business strategy and general organisational financial performance.
Ignoring employees’ calls for greater corporate transparency can cost vital members of the workforce. Employees are more likely to stick around longer in transparent businesses, saving the hefty expense of hiring and training new hires. Companies can also reap the rewards of having an empowered and engaged workforce.
Ensure your culture has an open communication style, where employees at any level feel comfortable and able to express their ideas, issues, and challenges with one another in an honest manner. Leading teams this way can help nip burnout in the bud, resolve workplace conflict, and champion better collaboration- whether teams are sat at home, or together in the office. With the right measures in place, no employee should have to fear the first day back at work after the weekend.
