Many employees today are working hard to achieve professional success. While having a hardworking staff is every employer's dream, there's a danger when employees push themselves too far and get burned out. This can be a big issue in IT where it seems like the work is never-ending and there's always something new to learn.
You don't want the most talented members of your workforce to become burned out because of working on too much or working too hard. People simply cannot concentrate and focus for hours and days on end with no break, which is why many studies have shown productivity goes up after an employee has taken a brief vacation.
So, how can you tell if your IT team is facing burnout? Here are a few red flags:
When you have staff members who are normally excited about the work they're doing – but you suddenly find those staff members coming in late, leaving early and asking few questions about the projects they're working on, this can be a big red flag. When a previously devoted employee who is now disinterested, this is a serious indicator the staff member is burned out.
It's tempting to keep giving more and more work to your most trusted advisors, which is why their schedules can often get overloaded. Unfortunately, this can lead to burnout and a decrease in the quality of work. If you notice more mistakes or a poorer quality work product, it may be time to reassess the employee's workload.
If you have employees who are suddenly full of complaints about everything, they may be burned out and disillusioned. A complainer can not only harm their own career prospects, they can demoralize and undermine the efforts of the rest of the team as well.
If you notice signs of burnout in your organization, it may be time to bring more staff on board, so work can be distributed appropriately and a passionate new hire can help revitalize your organization. Technology partners can help you build a great team full of candidates who are excited to work with you, so give us a call today to find out more.