Burnout – What, Why and The Signs

Burnout occurs when an employee experiences prolonged workplace stress and no longer has adequate resources to cope with it. It occurs for many reasons, from unrealistic time pressure and an unmanageable workload, to constantly shifting work expectations and/or a lack of management support.

While burnout is not considered a medical condition, the World Health Organisation recently re-classified it as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ to account for the fact that it specifically relates to stress in the workplace.

Burnout falls into three broad categories:

• Energy depletion or exhaustion
• Increased mental distance from your job, or negative feelings or cynicism about your job
• Reduced professional efficacy (confidence that you can do your job)

Within these categories, there are several burnout signs. Here is a list of some of the most common (note – the list is not exhaustive and burnout signs vary amongst individuals):

Mental Health Changes

• Short-tempered
• Feeling down or depressed
• Irritability
• Detachment
• Anger
• Lack of motivation
• Inability to relax (56% of IT professionals in the Yerbo survey said they can’t relax at the end of their workday)

Physical Health Changes

• A change in sleeping, drinking or eating habits
• Increased frequency of aches, pains or illness
• Longer illness recovery time
• Sheer exhaustion (62% of IT professionals in the Yerbo survey felt physically and emotionally drained)

Declining Work Performance

• Difficulties concentrating
• Excessive procrastination
• Reduced productivity/output
• Decline in work standard

Solutions for Burnout in Tech

There are many steps you can take right now to prevent burnout amongst your tech employees. Consider any (or all) of the following:

Prioritise Work-Life Balance

Stack Overflow recently delved into what makes developers happy in their role and 58% said a healthy work-life balance, coming in second to a fair salary (60%).

There are many ways to readdress this balance, but you can begin by prioritising leave. The first step is to encourage employees to take their annual leave, fostering an environment where employees can do so without feeling like they’re letting the team down. This often means ensuring you have adequate ‘cover’ for them. Others may have to temporarily step up but knowing it’s a reciprocal arrangement should alleviate any concerns.

Set Clear Expectations Around Working Conditions and Workload

Many tech employees work excessively long hours to the detriment of their personal lives. By shifting performance evaluation from hours or ‘visibility’ to impact, you can help staff right their balance.

In a similar vein, think about what you can do to ease staff workloads. For your current tech jobs, this might mean hiring new recruits, reconfiguring the team and/or redistributing responsibilities. If you need some assistance reviewing your current team and identifying the gaps you might have, consider connecting with specialist technology and digital recruitment agency.

Another strategy centres on setting clear expectations around work flexibility and hybrid working. Try to come to a consensus with your team when it comes to things like in-person and remote meetings. They prefer to do a full monthly in-office day, rather than coming in a few days each week. The key is being open to what works best for individual circumstances and coming to a compromise to allow for the mix you’ll inevitably have.

Hold Regular Check-In Meetings

With an understanding of the key burnout signs, it is easier to identify who is at risk within your team. However, as the signs manifest differently in individuals, it’s a good idea to schedule a well-being meeting with all team members.

This meeting will give you an opportunity to:

• Ask them how they’re managing their workload and if they need any further support
• Understand their stressors and if they’re at risk of burnout
• Create an action plan to address their stress triggers and needs

An example could be in asking them to create and stick to a to-do list. Burnt-out employees spend a lot of time worrying about getting things done. Seeing their tasks written down and then prioritising and ticking them off as they go can assuage their stress levels.

Encourage Downtime After Work

Many digital employees find it difficult to switch off at the end of the day. You can assist with this by advising staff they’re not expected or encouraged to respond to emails, chat requests, etc after work. You could suggest that they separate their work devices from their personal ones.

Some employees may prefer to work in the evenings and take time off during the day for family time. If that’s the case, they might like to share their work hours with the rest of the team, followed up by a gentle reminder in their email signature.

Educate Your Managers

You may now have a better grip on tech industry burnout signs, but other managers may not. Consider some workplace training around how to recognise burnout, as well as proactive strategies you can put in place to prevent it.

On a personal level, maintain an open door policy and try to share your vulnerabilities with your employees. In opening, staff may feel a greater level of comfort sharing their true feelings, knowing they’ll have the right support to get through it.

Further Assistance in Recognising Burnout

Recognising the signs of burnout in your tech team is a vital first step in managing the stressors behind it. It can be a sensitive topic to deal with, one that requires the right mix of understanding, tact and kindness.

If you’d like some further support in this area, please feel free to get in touch with one of our recruitment specialists here at Emanate Technology. With offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne, our experts would be happy to assist you in supporting them to be at their best.