Managing your workforce effectively is a multi-faceted venture. Not only do you need to ensure that every team member is handling their responsibilities. You also need to watch out for their well-being. Employees that are struggling often fall behind when it comes to work quality and productivity.
While the tendency may be to reprimand the worker, that isn’t always the best approach. If the employee is reaching burnout, purely negative feedback may not turn the ship around. In fact, it could push them over the edge, making a difficult situation worse.
That’s why it’s crucial to use the right approach if you notice an employee is reaching burnout levels. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are three ways to intervene.
1. Schedule a One-on-One Meeting
Regardless of any other action you may take, scheduling a one-on-one meeting with the employee is usually a must. It gives you an opportunity to discuss the situation with them privately, allowing you to learn more about the challenges they are facing and what you may be able to do to help.
When you initiate the conversation, let them know that your goal is to find a solution, not punish them for their struggles. Create a safe space where they can talk about the difficulties they are facing, both professionally and personally. Ask clarifying questions to ensure your full understanding, and then see if they can think of any potential solutions to the issues.
The idea isn’t to jump in with an answer but to open up a dialog. That way, you can work together to identify the source of the trouble and viable solutions that work for you both, resulting in a better outcome.
2. Review and Adjust Workloads
In some cases, when a manager begins to rely heavily on a top performer, they increase that employee’s workload to a point where it becomes overwhelming. Often, this isn’t intentional. Instead, it’s the result of being unaware of how much that team member is tasked with and assuming that more responsibilities would be manageable.
If you notice that an employee is on the brink of burnout, review the entire teams’ workloads to see if there is a significant imbalance. If the struggling worker is genuinely overtasked in comparison to their peers, speak with them about a workload redistribution. Let them know that you’ve become aware that they are shouldering more than their colleagues and that you’d like to rectify that in the name of fairness.
Then, ask if there are specific responsibilities they’d prefer to keep. Additionally, find out if there are any that don’t align with the employee’s skillset, causing them to incidentally be a larger burden. Once you’ve done that, see which tasks could be better managed by a team member and transition them accordingly.
3. Expand Your Team
At times, burnout is the result of an overburdened team. If your teams’ workload is more than they can reasonably handle, bringing in additional workers can alleviate that strain.
Whether you need to full-time hire or a short-term contract worker, an extra set of hands may be all it takes to make everyone’s workloads manageable. Consider whether the need is long- or short-term, then choose the right employment arrangement for that situation.
Is It Time to Expand Your Team?
Vector Technical Inc. – one of the leading sources of staffing support in Ohio – provides companies with a range of robust hiring solutions designed to make managing your workforce effectively as easy as possible. Let our recruitment team find the candidates you need the first time. If you’re looking for some of the best job seekers in Ohio, request an employee today.
