5 Strategies to Address Employee Burnout During Company Growth

When your company starts growing, you can’t wait to take on more clients and achieve greater milestones. You’ll look forward to influencing changes in your industry and being a go-to service provider for many consumers.

However, company growth can also lead to employee burnout. Their workload will increase, and they may lack enough time to rest. Besides, they may feel disconnected, reducing work morale and hurting your firm’s success.

So, how do you keep your team happy and avoid burnout while scaling? Here are five simple strategies to ensure your employees don’t feel overwhelmed.

 

1️⃣ Maintain Open and Honest Communication

Employees might feel like they’re in the dark when things change fast at your company. They may grow anxious about the changes, new expectations, and demanding projects.

Avoid burnout by providing your workers with ways to share their concerns. Encourage them to inquire about the changes and offer constructive feedback on their work.

Hold various meetings where employees can discuss challenges and suggest improvements. These may include:

• One-on-one sessions with managers
• Team check-ins
• Departmental meetings

Some employees might be uncomfortable about sharing their opinions or questions with you. They may also not want to seem incompetent to their peers by asking how they can handle the new workload.

Provide discreet ways to communicate with your employees and encourage usage. You can do anonymous surveys or ask leaders to collect feedback from their teams.

Such measures will show your employees that you value their concerns and are willing to listen. It also gives you more insights into the effects of company growth on your workers so you can apply the proper measures.

 

2️⃣ Set Clear Expectations

As your company expands, roles and responsibilities can become unclear. Employees may start doing too much work, leading to stress and burnout.

Clarify every worker’s duties by outlining their main tasks and supportive roles. Delegate work during team projects so no two people are doing the same work. You should also update job descriptions if there is any change in the company, like adding a new service or product.

Employees may be unsure about the results you want them to achieve and how you will measure success. Set clear expectations about the desired outcome and how every team can get there.

Be specific about deadlines and ensure you assess work to see if it’s doable before giving a timeline. Additionally, have some buffer time for unexpected delays to prevent last-minute stress. It’s vital to disclose the key performance indicators you will use so that employees can also track their progress.

Employees will want to know how the new company direction affects their goals. Share the firm’s vision and explain how their roles contribute to it. Further, use goal-setting frameworks such as SMART goals to ensure every target is clear and measurable.

The expectations you set for your employees should evolve with your brand. Review them frequently to ensure they are reasonable and don’t overburden your teams. Be open to adjusting timelines, goals, or processes when priorities change, or employees feel burnt out.

 

3️⃣ Encourage Work-Life Balance

When your employees have a busy schedule, they may feel obliged to use their free time to do some work. Unfortunately, lacking enough time to recharge will ultimately lead to burnout. Employees won’t be able to concentrate on their work and may also suffer from stress and mental health issues.

Encourage employees to use their vacation days and take regular breaks. Further, avoid contacting them after working hours and ensure they set clear boundaries.

Other ways to encourage a healthy work-life balance include:

• Offer flexible working hours
• Provide remote working opportunities
• Have wellness programs
• Reward efficiency and productivity

Flexible working hours will ensure your workers don’t neglect other things and people in their lives. You could also allow them to work from home on some days to reduce the stress of commuting.

Wellness programs encourage your employees to prioritize their well-being. You could offer the following:

• Paid gym memberships
• Employee assistance programs
• Yoga and meditation classes

Praising employees for long hours may prompt others to follow suit and affect productivity. Reward efficiency instead of applauding them for working overtime.

Doing so will prove you value the results compared to their working time, which can encourage a healthy work-life balance.

 

4️⃣ Create a Positive and Supportive Environment

A toxic, competitive environment can pressure employees and contribute to burnout. On the other hand, a supportive one will encourage collaboration and build trust. It ensures employees know they can seek help when overwhelmed and work with others to simplify their duties.

Support your employees by recognizing their contributions and celebrating wins. Let them know their hard work matters by simply thanking or rewarding them. When they feel appreciated, they’re more likely to be motivated and engaged.

Employees who don’t have the best skills to do their jobs may experience burnout. Provide training, mentorship, or career growth opportunities to help your teams be more efficient. Help them visualize a future with the company where they’ll continue to learn and grow.

Doing so will prevent burnout while strengthening employee loyalty and engagement.

 

5️⃣ Streamline Processes and Eliminate Unnecessary Tasks

Streamlining processes and removing unnecessary tasks will lower stress and help workers focus on crucial duties.

Assess workflows and identify areas where you can improve efficiency. After that, look for tools to do the following:

• Simplify tasks
• Automate repetitive processes
• Reduce manual work

Investing in the right tools will help employees stay organized and track deadlines. They will also be able to collaborate and avoid manual errors through software integrations.

With the right tools, your teams can handle more workload without burnout. They can support your company’s growth and avoid sacrificing their health and free time in the process.

 

Keep Your Employees Happy and Productive as Your Company Scales

Employee burnout during company growth is a major concern, but you can prevent it with the right strategies.

Foster open communication and ensure everyone understands what you expect from them. Besides, create a healthy work-life balance and help your employees hone their skills and grow their careers. When you take such steps, your teams will easily handle the growing workload and be more productive.