Do You Know the Symptoms of Employee Burnout?

 In today’s turbulent job market, it’s not just the unemployed that are experiencing high levels of stress. Many surveys show that over 50% of employees experience workplace burnout. And it’s not hard to see why. Considering the ever-present fear of layoffs, cutbacks and increased workloads as a result of hiring freezes, employees are undoubtedly under more pressure than ever.

Burnt out employees tend to be less productive and make an increased number of workplace errors. Without addressing the problem and boosting morale, the positive company culture that you’ve worked so hard to create may be at risk.

3 Key Employee Burnout Symptoms

1. Dead Weight

When employees start to value being physically present in the office over developing their skills, you know you have a problem on your hands. Your company needs more than just bodies in cubicles. A great team is built by enthusiastic individuals that stay motivated throughout the workday. If your employees are showing up each day but checking out mentally, there’s a good chance that they may be burnt out.

2. Workplace Chatter

A friendly team that genuinely enjoys working together is a truly great thing. But when the volume starts to go up and it’s clear that employees are spending more time chatting than discussing their projects, something has gone awry. Stressed-out employees tend to chat whenever they’re overwhelmed with the task(s) at hand. If you observe that these kinds of distractions are occurring with some regularity, this is a sure-fire sign that your team’s well-being is at risk.

3. Buried Alive

Are your strongest employees starting to slip? When committed team members begin to lose their focus and slow down on the job, it’s often because they’re buried under an unmanageable workload – and this is, of course, a slippery slope. Employees that are working tirelessly just to complete all of their tasks aren’t going to produce any new, creative ideas for your organization. Rather, they are far more likely to crack under the pressure.

Related: 3 Ways to Improve Employee Productivity and Decrease Stress

If you suspect that some of your team members are currently experiencing employee burnout, it’s important to have a plan of action. To learn more about how to refocus your team in the face of job burnout, contact Sparks Group, the leading staffing and recruiting services provider in Maryland, Virginia, DC, North Carolina, and beyond.