With all the time, love, and hard work that we put into our business, it can sometimes be easy to forget that there are also other people involved in our success. However, employees do play a crucial role, and without them, there will be no company. In this article, we will talk about how to further improve employee efficiency in ways that can also address low levels of job satisfaction and high levels of stress一two main culprits of burnout.
1. Improve Your Job Design
One of the leading causes of job burnout is the simple reason that a lot of employees feel that they’re not supposed to do the things assigned to them. This can then be traced back to poor job planning and design. Go back to your job descriptions. Are all the responsibilities clearly designated? Are these designations transparently communicated in your job descriptions? Make sure that all potential candidates are clear on these things before they decide to sign up for it. No one should feel that they are carrying more weight as necessary, especially compared to their colleagues.
2. Make Your Employees a Part of The Dream
Another main reason why people experience burnout is when they strongly feel that they are just toiling and wasting their time away for nothing. It is human nature to feel a sense of purpose when we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. Thus, we believe that selling your potential candidates your dream should be an essential part of any hire orientation checklist. Plus points if you can regularly remind your employees of this dream as well.
3. Improve The Quality of Your Training
Feeling constant frustration in having a low-quality performance at work is not only tiring, but it’s also depressing as well. It can really eat its way into an employee and lead to burnout. The worst part is, we are talking about employees who sincerely want to perform better at work. Does this mean that they’re simply not fit for the positions they signed up for? Maybe. But we believe that another root cause is that you’ve failed to equip them properly to do the things you’ve tasked them to do. Improving the quality of your training can resolve this issue. As an added bonus, this strategy can also increase your company’s efficiency, cut production time in half, and boost the positive reputation of your firm.
4. Provide a Holistic Employee Support Program
It is only right to treat employees like family. After all, they’re helping you out to succeed and turn your dream into a reality. Thus, isn’t it rational to give them the love and support that you would provide your actual blood relations? Try to come up with a holistic employee support program. You can present those with financial difficulties the opportunity to explore lending options and consult financial experts. Increase the positive reception of mental health programs to make them more easily more accessible. Provide various benefits, whenever possible, to both your employees and their families. These are merely suggestions. We’re confident that you’ll be able to come up with other ideas as well.
5. Learn How to Listen
There are times when all an employee needs is someone to listen to them. Allow them to air their grievances and provide feedback. Perform regular checks to see how they’re doing. And more importantly, have something to show for it. Do actual steps towards making their suggestions work. You need to accept that no company is perfect. We do what we can but in the end, we’re still humans. Showing your employees that you have the courage to face these shortcomings and do something about them can give your company’s job satisfaction levels a significant boost, and with it, keep burnout at bay. By listening and most importantly acting on the feedback you gathered, your employees will feel heard and appreciated. You don't just want to speak about their professional life, knowing about their personal struggles (If they're fine with sharing them) can help you understand where they're coming from. If you can make sure your employees are well-balanced, you will also notice an increase in their productivity.
6. Provide More Flexibility And Autonomy
In relation to the previous tip, you also need to learn how to trust your employees and give them more free reign to deliver the tasks you’re requiring of them. Give them the freedom to choose their optimal schedule and working environment. Accommodate remote working options and shift changes that will provide your employees with more flexibility and autonomy. This can also do wonders for their work-life balance that can also lower work-related stress and prevent burnout.
7. Improve The Efficiency of Your Business Processes
You also need to consider the impact of inefficient business processes on your employees, especially if they’re trying really hard to keep the company running. Unfortunately, there are times when the system is simply flawed. Take a closer look into your operations. Are there processes that can be further improved or unnecessary tasks that can be eliminated or adjusted? In relation to the previous tips we have already mentioned, don’t be afraid to ask your employees if they have any ideas as well. At the end of the day, they’ll be the ones doing those tasks, not you, so it wouldn’t hurt to hear them out, especially if their suggestions will allow them to do their job better.
8. Don’t Be Afraid to Check Out New Technologies
Even experts need quality tools in order to produce their best work. Fortunately, we are living in a world where technologies are aplenty and easily accessible. Don’t be afraid to check out the ones that you can integrate into your existing operations for better efficiency. Here are some that you might want to consider:
Automation
Free your employees from menial and repetitive tasks by automating them. There are a lot of platforms that can help do this, including communication programs, inventory management tools, and more.Artificial intelligence
Speaking of automation, most AI programs also come with this feature. Aside from that, these platforms are equipped with data collection, analysis, and report making among other things. With AI technology on the rise, we’re sure that you will be able to find one that best suits your industry, company needs, and even personal preferences.Cloud-based storage
Make your information more easily available and accessible to your employees regardless of where they are by adapting to a cloud-based data storage system. It will also keep your data protected from loss and natural calamities. Just make sure to choose a data company that provides quality cybersecurity features.
9. Provide Adequate Compensation And Benefits
Another major cause of employee burnout is inadequate compensation and benefits. Values and goals can only take you so far if your employees feel that they’re not receiving enough compensation in exchange for their hard work. No one wants to work for free and quite frankly, no one deserves it too. Review your current pay structure and benefits program. Are you keeping your employees and their families well-fed? Will they survive should someone in their family get sick? Are you really covering, at the very least, the minimum value of their worth? Aside from their paycheck and basic benefits required by law, here are other types of benefits to consider as well: Life insurance. Give your employees the peace of mind that whatever happens while they’re under your care, their families will still stay protected. There are various types of life insurance policies that you can choose from such as accidental death and dismemberment, business travel accident, and split-dollar life insurance.
Retirement plans
There are two main types of retirement plans that are commonly chosen by companies. These are 401(k) and pension plans. We personally prefer 401(k) since it allows employees to invest these funds in various financial products such as mutual funds and ETFs.Stock options
The best thing we love about this benefit is that it doesn’t just allow you to share your dream with your employees, but it also gives them a chance to be more active participants as part owners of the company. As an added bonus, it also gives your company more value and capital. Unlike other benefits, we recommend making this more exclusive by only making it accessible to people who have already worked with the company for a certain period of time. This way, you will also encourage employees to stay longer and have more pride to be working with you.10. Give Them a Clear Career Path
Since we are already talking about encouraging people to be with your company for the long term, another strategy to decrease burnout is to give your employees a clear career path to follow. Career progression is one of the biggest incentives that you can give them in exchange for their constant dedication, perseverance, and quality performance. This will also ensure that your leaders are more experienced not just in their job, but in navigating the unique culture of your company.
What You Should Remember in Improving Labor Efficiency
Please don’t think that these are the only steps that you can do to prevent burnout and improve employee performance. There are also many quotes about burnout that can keep you going and motivated. There are definitely other strategies that you can do aside from the ones we have featured above. These are simply the methods we have found to be most effective in our experience of running our business. In the end, what’s important is for you to learn how to show your employees the appreciation that they rightfully deserve. Good luck! Growth Hackers can help you to establish a strong digital marketing strategy for your company. We are one of the top digital marketing & growth hacking agencies that can help your business with Content marketing, SEO, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, and the likes. Contact Growth Hackers if you're looking to improve your digital marketing tactics and propel your business.
Martha Pearson
I provide financial and business management analysis for retailers and service providers.
