In the modern workplace, HR leaders are likely to come across employees exhibiting the following signs:

• Mood swings

• Missing office frequently

• Not completing work tasks

• Highly exhausted – mentally, physically, emotionally

• Not very engaged at work

If employees exhibit one or more of the above, it is an indicator of a serious problem: work burnout.

What is burnout?

The term is credited to Herbert Freudenberger, an American psychologist in the 1970s. According to him, burnout was the result of workers burdened with high ideals and striving to help others at any cost, or suffering from extreme stress. Freudenberger wrote an article on the topic in 1974, where he described being burned out as “becoming exhausted by making excessive demands on energy, strength, or resources”.

Is burnout a threat?

Burnout can affect overworked employees, homemakers, celebrities, or highly career-driven professionals, among many others. Its symptoms are wide-ranging, and different people react to work burnout differently. In fact, a survey of HR leaders and managers suggested that the workforce could not be engaged, happy, and productive if it was suffering from burnout.

With burnout leading to half of the annual turnover of workforces, it becomes an even bigger threat for bigger organizations. This also serves to emphasize why talent management and development must include burnout in the sphere of things to be dealt with at the workplace.

What factors contribute to burnout?

There are many factors that lead to burnout at the workplace. Some of these are explained below:

• Monotony at work: If an employee works on repetitive tasks day in and day out, he or she could soon be burned out. Such a task scarcely challenges the mind and most often is extremely boring. Thus, even if employees are highly educated and skilled but are staffed on work tasks that offer no challenges, they could soon be burned out.

• No recognition for employees: Workers putting in their effort and time at a company appreciate being recognized for their hard work. However, if no such appreciation or recognition is forthcoming, burnout becomes very likely. This also happens if managers or supervisors do not seek suggestions or ideas from their team members on a given work matter.

• Poor work-life balance: Heavy workloads continuing beyond work hours are a common cause of burnout. If talent management and development practices do not incorporate sufficient time out, alone time, time with families, or other such time for rest, recreation, or recharging, the toll on employees could be heavy. Such burnout is not always driven by the manager, as often the employee is a workaholic who just does not switch off.

• Poor rewards: If the employer pays a poor salary or one that is not competitive or as per market standards, it is tough to work with high productivity and quality for an extended period of time. A fair system of salaries and other rewards is a big motivator and energizer for workers.

• Poor fit with the job or work environment: Often, a new candidate with zero work experience ends up joining a first job that is a poor fit as per abilities or personalities. Working in such a role for a long period becomes taxing for the person and often pulls down motivation levels massively.

• Stagnant career prospects: Polls have suggested that only 33 percent of employees are engaged at work. When an employer offers little or no opportunities to develop skills or grow careers, it has a negative effect on the performance, productivity, and satisfaction at work could take a huge hit.

• Toxic colleagues and supervisors: The behavior of one team member has a bearing on that of others too. If one worker is perpetually highly stressed, often exhibits temper, or shouts at team members, it could lead to the team member being burnt out.