Don’t get blindsided by employee burnout. Even if you’re not personally experiencing burnout, it’s likely unfolding right under your nose.
A whopping 65% of employed Americans have recently experienced burnout, and 72% report that it negatively impacts their work performance. Meanwhile, C-suite leaders tend to vastly underestimate the levels of burnout at their workplace.
Burnt out employees are not only significantly less likely to perform well at work. They’re also three times more likely to be actively looking for other jobs.
Learn how to spot employee burnout before it causes deep damage to your team, and take on some strategies to prevent and treat it.
The Defining Characteristics of Burnout
Burnout looks slightly different for each person, and some people may seem highly functional while on the road to burnout.
Across the board, however, burnout always has a few main baseline characteristics:
Constant Exhaustion. Keyword: “constant.” It’s not just physical fatigue, but also a lack of mental energy that makes even the smallest of tasks feel difficult. Headaches, muscle pain, and other body signals of exhaustion are common.
Apathy or Dissatisfaction. Burnt out employees may have very little care for their job. They tend to grow cynical and hypercritical, which makes them feel indifferent or dissatisfied with work responsibilities. Job satisfaction and personal fulfillment go down the drain.
Reduced Output. When burnt out, employees start doubting the quality of their work. In many cases, they tend to have much lower capacity to complete their assignments and meet deadlines. They end up feeling unproductive and unaccomplished.
7 Signs of Employee Burnout
Look for these employee burnout signs with compassion and curiosity. See how you can support your team members’ well-being, rather than judging them.
Helping your team members solve their burnout problem will likely improve their performance, rather than the other way around.
And don’t worry — the ways to actually help your employees and prevent burnout are coming up right after this.
1. High Cynicism or Hypercritical Thoughts
Burnt out employees often think negatively about work or colleagues and generally distrust processes and decisions.
You may see: negative comments, distrust in leadership, pessimism.
2. Lack of Motivation
When experiencing burnout, people struggle to summon motivation to take on work. Lack of enthusiasm and drive for work-related activities makes it hard to start and complete tasks.
You may see: lessened proactivity, lowered enthusiasm.
3. Irritability or Impatience
Big, small, and in between — things tend to make them upset. They become increasingly frustrated and short-tempered and can’t handle even minor annoyances.
You may see: annoyed reactions, emotional reactivity.
4. Low Energy
Physical exhaustion and mental sluggishness. Burnt out employees always feel drained and constantly feel tired. Staying alert or even just awake during work hours is a struggle.
You may see: signs of tiredness and exhaustion.
5. Low Mental Clarity and Focus
Chronic stress from burnout hurts the brain’s ability to think and focus. Clear thinking and concentration become extremely hard to summon.
You may see: forgetfulness, distracted focus during meetings, missed deadlines.
6. Increased Absenteeism
Burnout can make it feel very difficult just to show up. Has a team member been calling in sick and taking last-minute personal days more and more often? They may just be burnt out.
You may see: increased sick days, tiredness, and lack of mental presence.
7. Isolation
The exhaustion and other aforementioned symptoms reduce burnt-out employees’ energy and overall capacity to engage in social activities. This leads many to withdraw and isolate, which brings on loneliness.
You may see: increased withdrawal from social activities, unwillingness to engage personally with the team.
Key Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Burnout
There’s no single silver bullet for how to prevent and reduce burnout in the workplace. It starts with creating a supportive environment where recovery is just as important as productivity.
Use these strategies to keep your team members energized and engaged.
Encourage Strategic Recovery
Implement shorter meetings, microbreaks, and flexible work hours. Don’t just talk about the change. Lead it.
Encourage your team to take microbreaks to step away from their desks, stretch, or take a short walk to recharge. If you’re running a meeting that’s an hour or longer, pause in the middle for a quick break.
Want some inspiration? Read our mini guide on effective breaks.
Make Sure Meetings Matter
Audit the length and purpose of every meeting. This can go a long way in helping employees better manage their energy. Shifting to 25- or 50-minute meetings instead of half-hour or hour-long meetings and setting clear agendas can improve focus, reduce stress, and make time for recovery.
For deeper insights, read our guide to effective meetings.
Check In on Team Members’ Workloads
It’s easy to lose track of how much work your team members are taking on — especially if they’re high performers. Regular check-ins can help managers identify when an employee is struggling and adjust workloads accordingly. Avoid promoting a “hustle” culture where constant work is valued over well-being.
Understand that true, sustained productivity can only come from a strong foundation of well-being. Read our mini guide on the ROI of well-being to learn more.
Support Autonomy and Flexibility
Flexibility is key in preventing burnout — and 52% of employees crave a more flexible work environment.
Instead of demanding that work be done during specific hours, allow employees more control over their schedules. This helps them manage their work-life balance much more effectively. When employees feel in control of their time, they’re more engaged and less likely to experience burnout.
Want to learn more about how we improved flexibility and productivity side by side? See our Readiness Culture Code study with Wharton and Adam Grant.
Invest in Well-Being Programs
Prioritize well-being by offering programs that support employees' physical, mental, and emotional health. For example, 90% of employees reported that Exos programming helped them cope with stress.
To increase your odds of success, check out our playbook to secure C-suite buy-in on well-being investments.
Don’t Let Burnout Win
Burnout is ultimately preventable.
By prioritizing recovery, offering flexibility, and fostering a culture of well-being, you can help your employees avoid burnout and achieve long-term high performance.
Implementing these strategies doesn’t just improve employee health — it’s an investment in your organization’s success.
Want to reach the next level of organizational performance, all while reducing burnout? Look into Exos’ Human Performance Coaching.
