Yesterday’s post outlined why Millennials are burned out at work, and as you can infer, burned-out employees negatively impact organizational productivity, profit generation, engagement, and innovation.
So, here’s what you can do to mitigate the burnout your Millennial employees are experiencing.
Have Managers Set the Example
Many Millennial workers aren’t taking time off because they’re afraid of what their bosses will think, and they don’t want to be overlooked for more challenging opportunities or pay raises.
But Millennials would feel less pressure to work without time off if their bosses routinely took personal days or vacations. Managers and bosses should set reasonable guidelines for what is and is not acceptable and follow those guidelines themselves.
If they encourage time off and take time off themselves, their Millennial employees will follow suit.
De-Stress Your Workplace
Although technology allows Millennial workers to stay connected and work faster, it can be difficult to escape. So, workers (especially Millennials) are becoming more stressed and less productive as a result.
To de-stress your workplace, consider encouraging employees to have days when they completely unplug, and encourage them to better monitor their screen time.
In addition, more inclusive work spaces help make employees who are being harassed or discriminated against less stressed—and fewer stressed-out employees equals fewer burned-out employees.
Be Flexible—Very Flexible
Micromanagers are detrimental to employees’ productivity and health. So, offer Millennial employees flexible work options to mitigate their risk for burnout. Allow them to work remotely and take time off when they need to, and empower them to work when it makes the most sense for them, which will improve your organization and its goals.
Focus on Each Individual Employee and His or Her Communities
Millennials crave purpose and meaning in their work and want to work for socially responsible organizations. If they can’t find a true purpose in their workplace, they burn out.
So, when charting career maps for your Millennial employees, focus on their individual goals, interests, and roles, but keep in mind their societal concerns so they don’t experience burnout. If you don’t, they will feel as if their work doesn’t have meaning for them personally or the world they live in.
If you have a lot of Millennial employees whose productivity and loyalty are waning, consider doing the things listed above to mitigate the likelihood of burnout.