Employee Burnout - It’s Not About the Hours
"How can they be 'burned out' when they're not even working that many hours?"
I hear this often from executives who are eager to support employees but unsure how to diagnose the root cause. Burnout is the kryptonite of growth because it zaps the energy out of your high-performing employees.
Here are the common reasons for burnout, and only one is related to working too many hours.
Root causes of employee burnout
Ability
When people take on stretch roles without the right level of support it's exhausting and can result in feelings of burnout. Sometimes this is because the role isn't the right fit with the person's aptitude or interests. In other words, they're not in the right seat at the company. Other times the role is a great fit for career growth but they lack the training and mentorship to step into a space confidently. A person can only "fake it until they make it" for so long before they start feeling the burden of not being prepared.
Impact
Impact is a growing concern because of the value Gen Zs place on finding meaning in their work. People want to feel like they're part of something bigger, their work has meaning, and they're recognized and appreciated for their work. Helping people see how they connect to a company's mission and strategy is a key role of leaders. The leaders who do it well connect team goals to company goals and frequently use storytelling to reinforce the "why". If you suspect lack of appreciation is one of the root causes, that's good news because showing appreciation is a low-investment way to boost morale.
Environment
The work environment can lead to burnout especially if high levels of friction and distractions disrupt the flow of work. This one is complicated to solve because it's highly individualized and made more complex by the rise in hybrid work. Some people are burned out from working in their home office because they feel disconnected or distracted by the responsibilities at home like kids and laundry. Some people are burned out working in an open-concept office where constant interruptions make it hard to do focused work. Internal workflows and tools can also lead to burnout if there are high levels of bureaucracy or friction in doing the basic tasks of the role.
Uncertainty
This root cause is on the rise due to high levels of economic and political uncertainty which cause companies to pause investments and make difficult choices like reducing team size. This posture creates anxiety for employees who ultimately fear for their jobs. The antidote for this is clear and open communication. If people feel like there's a flow of information from the company and the company genuinely cares about them - this can go a long way even when the outlook isn't good. It's also important to keep moving forward. Engaging your team in productive actions to help improve the situation gives them a sense of control and a shared goal.
Working Hours
Last and possibly the least important is working hours. Working too many hours, off hours, or inflexible hours can lead to burnout, but the correlation isn't as strong as intuition would tell you. We recently studied the impact of work time at a 500-person agency and found a very low correlation between work time, time off, and satisfaction. Surprisingly, one of the happiest groups of employees had high work hours. They were energized by challenging work assignments and found deeper meaning in their work. The least happy group worked lower-than-average hours but felt disconnected from the bigger picture and underappreciated for their contributions.
Each of these root causes of burnout has a unique set of solutions. For example, if people are burned out because they're being stretched beyond their capabilities, investing in a training program may be the right solution. If someone is burned out from being constantly distracted in an open-concept office, a simple solution could be to make signs that people can display when they don't want interruptions.
The root causes of burnout will vary over time and from person to person. Taking time to uncover the root cause will allow you to identify impactful solutions that keep your team feeling energized and create the conditions for growth.
