What You Need to Know About Preventing Burnout A new study looks at the how burnout contributes to employee turnover.
By Nina Zipkin
If you constantly work without breaks, you'll eventually burn out. Being exhausted doesn't just affect your productivity, but your emotional well-being and physical health too. But if you're a business owner, a recent survey found that it can also affect how frequently you have to bring in new hires.
The study, from management software company Kronos Incorporated and executive development firm Future Workplace, found that of the 614 human resources managers who were polled across the country, 95 percent reported that burnout is a significant detriment to employee engagement and retention. Forty six percent said that burnout was a driving force behind up to 50 percent of employee turnover every year.
Related: 5 Burnout Warning Signs (and How to Respond)
So what can companies do to mitigate this? The study identified the three top factors that can cause burnout in employees: unfair pay, an unreasonable workload and too many late nights. Additionally, 29 percent of HR managers also cited the lack of a concrete connection between employees' jobs and companies' broader goals, and 26 percent said that a negative company culture could also play a role.
The study found that having the right tools to do the work you need to do is also a central part of avoiding burnout. Nineteen percent of HR leaders said that the technology at their companies was not up to date, and 20 percent said that lacking technology led directly to burnout.
"The biggest priority, and concern, for business leaders in 2017 will be retaining employees in an even more competitive talent marketplace," said Dan Schwabel, a partner and research director at Future Workplace, in a press release about the study. "As the economy continues to improve, and employees have more job options, companies will have to provide more compensation, expand benefits and improve their employee experience. Managers should promote flexibility, and ensure that employees aren't overworked in order to prevent employee burnout that leads to turnover."
