How Leaders Can Reduce Employee Burnout Within The Workplace

The constant pace of change and a variety of new demands are contributing to widespread burnout among both employees and managers today.

According to new research from a Harris Poll survey done on behalf of The Grossman Group, more than 75% of employees and 63% of managers report feeling burned out or ambivalent in their current position.

And surprisingly managers are not recognizing just how overwhelmed their employees feel, with 89% saying their employees are thriving compared to the actual thriving figure of 24%. That is more than a 3-to-1 discrepancy.

Today, I asked David Grossman of The Grossman group:

Question: Why do you believe so many managers do not recognize burnout in their employees?

Grossman: Managers may struggle to identify burnout due to various reasons such as lack of training, high workload themselves, or simply not knowing the signs and symptoms of burnout.

Some signs and symptoms of employee burnout may include exhaustion, lack of motivation, decreased productivity, increased fatigue, increased cynicism or negativity, difficulty concentrating, physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach issues, detachment towards work, and changes in sleep patterns.

Other signs may include withdrawal from social interactions and decreased satisfaction with work. It is important for both employees and managers to be aware of these signs and take action to address them to prevent burnout among employees.

Companies and their leadership can help managers get better at this by providing proper training on recognizing burnout, encouraging open communication between managers and employees, promoting a culture of work-life balance, and offering resources for mental health support.

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As you will discover when you download the research findings there are additional specific tactics leaders and managers can take to help combat burnout among their employees include:

Have a plan to conduct regular employee monitoring and check-ins.
Ensure managers are committed to their employees’ success and are empathetic to their challenges—on top of ensuring communication from senior leadership that is direct, clear, and authentic.
Confirm communication reinforces action.
Ensure there is a plan to manage change fatigue.
Help managers to translate business strategy to employees’ goals.
Provide approachable and accessible access to senior leadership.

For background, Harris’ and Grossman’s new research comes from the survey of 2,086 employees, conducted over two waves in January 2024. The research finds the biggest driver of burnout (checked out, ambivalent, languishing, quiet quitting) for both employee and manager groups is "a great deal of constant change."

Other factors include unnecessary work from senior leadership, employees frequently having to shift focus throughout the day, and high turnover rates that often lead to even more work for those left behind.

"These findings are a wake-up call. Clearly, employees are not okay and yet that is often not recognized by senior leadership or the frontline leaders whose job it is to support and engage their teams," explains Grossman.

Discover the summary of the research by downloading your complimentary copy here. You will also learn more about what leaders can do to help reduce burnout among their employees.

About The Grossman Group

The Grossman Group is an award-winning Chicago-based leadership and communications consultancy focusing on organizational consulting, strategic leadership development, and internal communication.

About David Grossman

A leading consultant, speaker, and author, David Grossman ABC, APR, Fellow PRSA, CSP is one of America's foremost authorities on communication and leadership inside organizations. He is Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, an award-winning Chicago-based leadership and communications consultancy.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is a global public opinion, analytics, and market research consultancy that strives to reveal society's authentic values to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. With a global research reach of more than ninety countries, Harris offers advisory services across sectors to world leaders, CEOs, and business decision-makers.

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