How to eliminate workplace burnout once and for all
Lack of commitment and motivation is just the tip of the iceberg of a problem with many causes that affects organizational productivity and harms the health and well-being of the people within them. Often, we try to address this challenge with quick and superficial solutions. While these measures may temporarily alleviate symptoms, they do not address the root causes of the problem and, therefore, are ineffective in creating healthy work environments.
According to the State of the Global Workplace report by GALLUP Consulting, 41% of the global workforce experienced high stress in their daily work during 2023. This data significantly impacts organizations because, among other consequences, it implies increased absenteeism, higher turnover, and lower productivity. It’s estimated that employee burnout and low engagement cost the global economy $8.9 trillion dollars (9% of global GDP) and has become one of the biggest concerns for organizations (1).
Strictly speaking, we are referring to a condition better known as burnout, given the feeling of being “burned out.”
More burnout, less engagement: an inversely proportional relationship
Based on the organizational transformation projects we work on at Tandem, we see that burnout is no longer a passing symptom, but has become entrenched in company structures. Failing to dimension its proper relevance or assign it adequate treatment can seriously affect company results: employees tend to lose focus, take longer to complete tasks, give negative or aggressive responses, treat people poorly, and make bad decisions. In the long run, they lose motivation and commitment, and may even end up resigning.
It seems that globally, a fundamental change is taking place in the employer-employee dynamic. Organizations understand that salary and benefits are no longer enough to retain employees, but rather their emotional needs play a dominant role.
Temporary palliatives that can be very costly
We often approach the lack of commitment and motivation as an individual problem, focusing on remediation rather than prevention of symptoms. Along these lines, initiatives related to well-being programs such as bonuses, yoga classes, physical exercise, massages, and meditation apps, among others, are often implemented.
However, experience indicates that these are insufficient palliatives, which may have a positive effect at the beginning, but then become part of the conditions we take for granted, which are common to many organizations and do not generate a change in the employee experience.
Ultimately, the problem persists because we are not proposing a fundamental solution, but appealing to temporary mitigators for a situation that has become structural.
In-depth: a systemic proposal to boost well-being and commitment
Contrary to popular belief, lack of engagement responds to multiple reasons. At Tandem, we believe it is necessary to address it in a systemic and sustainable way over time, which is why we propose an approach that allows for holistic management.
Specifically, we work on two major dimensions through five levers to optimize the employee experience and, consequently, elevate the company’s performance.
These two dimensions must be balanced in the objectives of the five levers. The key is not to maximize all levers, but to find the optimal combination based on the axes that generate the most pain, what people value and need most, the current organizational context, and the expected results.
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As an example, in an FMCG company that aimed to strengthen employee engagement, we assisted in creating models to prioritize initiatives to be carried out by teams, ensuring focus on what’s important and taking care of people’s workload.
Continuing with the case of the FMCG company, we clarified the mission of the involved area and the required interactions with other areas; we defined the necessary routines optimizing the number of meetings, their duration, participants, and best practices, and fostering collaboration between them.
Here we clarify the decision-making roles of team members so that it’s defined who makes what decisions, with what information, and thus empower lower levels of the company.
We can see this axis applied in several companies through the creation of development journeys for employees that comprehensively address their needs in line with strategic priorities. Likewise, they must be attractive, easy to use, and the solutions, whether education, exposure, or experience, perceived by employees as boosters of their growth.
In some companies, we have worked on defining the mindset, behaviors, and cultural artifacts necessary to foster a flexible culture throughout the organization.
From implementing this model in different companies, we have found that it allows driving decision levers that help strengthen the employee experience, their engagement, and mitigate endemic problems such as burnout, factors that lead to elevating the organization’s performance.
Many companies underestimate the importance of addressing this issue right now. But the key question is to start with a comprehensive diagnosis that allows us to focus efforts and align leaders, so that we put our people at the center of the organization’s effectiveness and continuity. At the end of the day, it’s about building a motivated and engaged team that boosts decision-making, improves the overall performance of the company, and ensures a prosperous future for the business. The real risk and cost lie in postponing this essential work.
Manager at Tandem