Engagement Archives - Page 4 of 4

Employee burnout has become an epidemic among today’s workforce. With 77% of professionals reporting they’ve experienced burnout at their current job, learning how to identify and address employee burnout signs has become a non-negotiable for HR leaders and managers hoping to retain their employees.

Fortunately, employee burnout signs are easily identified when leaders are educated on their characteristics. Educate and inform your leaders and employees on employee burnout signs to address burnout early on, and support your employees for a healthier, more productive workplace.

What is Employee Burnout?

Employee burnout is a state of chronic physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that results from prolonged and excessive workplace stress. It is characterized by feelings of depletion, cynicism, and detachment from work. Burnout typically occurs when individuals feel overwhelmed, unappreciated, and unsupported in their work environment. Employee burnout signs can manifest in various ways, including fatigue, reduced productivity, increased absenteeism, and a negative impact on overall well-being. Burnout not only affects an individual’s professional life but can also spill over into their personal life, leading to strained relationships and diminished quality of life.

4 Employee Burnout Signs

Identifying and addressing employee burnout signs is the first step to preventing burnout. Keep an eye out for these behaviors as early employee burnout signs to address.

Strategies to Address Employee Burnout Signs

It’s so important as People leaders and managers to understand the employee burnout signs and the effects of burnout to understand how we can prevent and resolve burnout for our employees. Addressing the employee burnout signs early on can reduce the likelihood of employee turnover and identify areas of company culture that need addressing.

1. Increase employee/manager check-in frequency

1-on-1 meetings give employees and managers a dedicated opportunity to discuss important topics that contribute to employee burnout signs. Schedule more frequent 1-on-1 meetings with your employees to check-in on their mindset, discuss any issues they’re facing, assess their workload, and offer support where needed.

Research by Harvard Business Review found that those who get twice the number of 1-on-1 meetings with their manager relative to their peers are 67% less likely to be disengaged.

2. Set realistic and achievable tasks

Keeping close track of the assigned workload that your employees have will help you to set realistic targets for their work. Employee’s workload should not go beyond their capacity, and should be within the confines of their job description.

With more frequent check-ins mentioned above, it is easier to track tasks and stay ahead of how much effort employees put into their tasks. Overworking is one key cause of burnout, which needs to be addressed fairly. Sometimes, underperformance occurs due to the mismatch of employees’ abilities.

To reduce the effect of burnout, start by providing an overview of the upcoming tasks and projects. Help your employees stay organized by assigning tasks based on the order of priority, or remove tasks that are outside the employees’ work abilities. Setting ambitious SMART goals is great, however, having unachievable goals is de-motivating and increases the likelihood of employee burnout signs. Be realistic while creating objectives and key results with employees.

3. Promote work-life balance

Overworking can be one of the main drivers of employee burnout signs. Each employee has a unique way of dealing with work schedules and thus, should be considered accordingly. Encourage and promote company benefits that aid in healthy work-life balance. A recent study found that only 19% of surveyed professionals utilized their mental healthcare benefits in 2022. By setting a precedent that mental health is valued by your organization, your employees are more likely to prioritize their wellbeing, which will translate into reduced burnout and higher engagement.

Encourage employees to utilize their PTO to reset and recharge, promote flexible working hours or remote work to give employees the options they need to balance their personal and professional lives, and educate your employees on their health care to get the most out of their benefits packages.

Preventing Employee Burnout Signs From Emerging

With the right amount of proactive leadership, you can help prevent employee burnout signs in your teams and promote a healthy working environment. Here are 10 employee burnout signs prevention tactics to try.

Train and encourage managers to invest in employee engagement and appreciation strategies.
Promote a healthy work schedule and encourage employees across the company to check-out at the end of the work day.
Proactively address toxic work culture behaviors and be transparent about issues with employees.
Craft a mental health policy where managers and employees are aware of assistance programs, counseling services, and insurance benefits available to them.
Keep in mind the roles and responsibilities of the particular individual when you delegate the tasks.
Perform frequent check-ins.
Follow an open-door policy for all the team members. Be a good listener and encourage your team to share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions.
Respect your team’s personal space and time. Create a culture where employees feel they can unplug during non-working hours.
Advocate for resources whenever they are needed. Provide ample learning opportunities and necessary resources to aid employees in their workload.
Lead by example. Exhibit all of the above behaviors to give license to your employees to do the same.

The burnout epidemic is an opportunity for companies to create an internal shift to how company culture and employee wellbeing is addressed. As HR leaders, you can implement effective strategies and tactics to help address poor employee performance and burnout early on.

Frequent communication, targeted goal setting, and paving a path forward for employees can help redirect them to a path of engagement and productivity.

Download our Warning Letter Templates to Employees for Poor Performance today for guidance on how to effectively support and address employee performance issues.

At their best, 1-on-1 meetings allow for an opportunity to establish a trusting relationship with your peers and provide an opportunity to align on business goals and career objectives. Surveys have shown 75% of managers utilize 1-on-1 meetings as an opportunity to discuss development and growth with their employees.

1-on-1 meetings provide a dedicated space for employees and managers to align on expectations, pain points, and the overall communication required to drive business results. In order for 1-on-1 meetings to achieve this desired outcome, managers and HR teams must be intentional about how they approach and structure their meetings with employees. Here, we explore the benefits, strategies, and best practices for effective 1-on-1 meetings.

Benefits of 1-on-1 Meetings

Unlike team meetings, 1-on-1 meetings provide an opportunity for managers to hear directly from each employee on their team, and offer a personal relationship building opportunity that contributes to employee engagement.

1. Supports employee development

1-on-1 meetings are an excellent way to support employee development. Regular meetings between managers and employees help to identify areas where employees can improve their skills, knowledge, or expertise. During these meetings, managers can provide feedback, offer guidance, and provide the necessary resources to help employees achieve their goals, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

2. Identifies pain points

1-on-1 meetings open up the opportunity to discuss any challenges your employees may be facing, and give you an eye into challenges you may otherwise not be aware of. Identifying pain points early on can help to prevent them from escalating into larger problems that can negatively impact employee morale and productivity. They’re also a great tool to help you develop performance review SMART goals to help employees reach their full potential.

3. Boosts employee engagement

Building relationships with employees can lead to the psychological safety and trust that breeds highly productive and engaged teams. When employees feel that they have a voice and their opinions are valued, they are more likely to be committed to their work. By providing a regular forum for open communication, managers can create a positive work environment where employees feel empowered to contribute to the company’s success.

4. Improves performance and boosts productivity

1-on-1 meetings help to set clear expectations and goals for employees. By providing regular feedback on progress, tracking performance, and addressing any issues or concerns, managers can help employees stay on track and ensure that they are meeting their objectives.1-on-1 meetings also help managers better understand their employee’s capacity, helping them manage their workload and remove any roadblocks helps employees feel motivated and set up for success, which can lead to increased productivity and better overall performance.

10 Steps to More Effective 1-on-1 Meetings

It will come as no surprise to you that meetings are more effective when you prepare for them. Taking the time to put these practices into place will boost the effectiveness of your 1-on-1 meetings, and deepen the connection you have with your team.

Before the Meeting

1. Schedule a time

Allow yourself and your employee to prepare for your 1-on-1 meeting by setting an agreed upon date and time that is convenient for a discussion. Doing so in advance will create the space to think about what you want to discuss, and help structure your work day in a way that is conducive to your workflow. Noone likes to be surprised by a meeting without prior notice.

2. Create an agenda

Take some time to reflect on the objectives you have for each employee, their performance, the overall team dynamic and any other relevant information that may inform your discussion. Then create an agenda that you can reference during the conversation to help keep you on topic. This exercise helps to jog your memory of any important topics you need to discuss as well as provides a focus and purpose to each 1-on-1 meeting.

3. Communicate with your employee

Once you’ve completed your agenda, share it with your employee prior to the meeting to give them an idea of what you will discuss in your 1-on-1 meeting. Be sure to give them ample time to review the agenda so they may prepare and reflect on specific topics. Encourage your employee to come with an agenda of their own as well to ensure each party has an opportunity to cover any pressing matters.

During the meeting

1. Break the ice

1-on-1 meetings don’t need to be strictly transactional. Remember this is an opportunity for you to connect with your employee and build a rapport. Begin the meeting by asking them how their weekend went or sharing a fun personal note like how your child won their football game or a new recipe you recently enjoyed. These conversations help ease any tension and bring a personal element that helps drive company culture.

2. Stick to your agenda

Once the conversation is warmed up, dive into your agenda and stick to it. It can be tempting to deviate into tangential topics, but doing so tends to run out the clock and distract you from the important matters you’ve agreed to discuss. If other important topics arise, make a note of them and revisit at the end of the meeting if you have time left over, or add it to the agenda for your next 1-on-1 meeting.

3. Offer a platform

It can’t be understated how crucial it is to give your employees an opportunity to raise their own thoughts and concerns during 1-on-1 meetings. 1-on-1’s are not a time for managers to talk at their employees and end the call, it should be a reciprocal conversation in which both parties have a chance to offer feedback, ask questions, and raise concerns. Be sure to offer ample time for employees to discuss their agenda points during the meeting.

4. Check in

Lastly, be sure to check in with your employee on their wellbeing. Ask about their workload, if they need support, what their recent challenges are, and encourage them to maintain a work-life balance. Doing so creates a safe space for employees to seek the support they may need, and shows your investment and care for your teams.

After the meeting

1. Document

During or directly after your 1-on-1 meeting take notes of what came up during the discussion. You and your employee are busy, and what you think will remain fresh in your mind can easily be forgotten after the meeting has concluded. Keeping notes will help you determine actionable next steps. This can also be a helpful tool to refer to when reflecting on your employee’s performance, and helps combat performance appraisal biases when it comes time for employee performance reviews.

2. Follow up

Depending on what was discussed in your 1-on-1 meeting, follow up with your employee with actionable next steps, support materials, or a general summary of your meeting. This helps keep the initiatives top of mind for both you and your employee, and serves as a reference point for projects and timelines.

3. Send an invite

At the end of your first 1-on-1 meeting discuss and schedule a time for your next meeting. This can be done once if you agree on a recurring time to meet, or can be decided upon at the end of each meeting. Either way, get something on the calendar right away to avoid missing a discussion and to give yourselves enough time to prepare for your next meeting.

Leveraging Automation for Employee Engagement

The outcome of your 1-on-1 meetings greatly depends on the effort you put in. If you give time and thought to how you prepare, execute, and follow up with your employees, their performance and engagement has a higher likelihood of improving.

After reading this article, you also know that it takes time to prepare for a truly effective 1-on-1 meeting. Don’t let the effort required discourage you from increasing your employee engagement. With the help of tools like Omni, you can digitize and automate the tedious parts of your employee management process to save time and see results.

Try a 14-day free trial to see for yourself how Omni can help transform your performance management practices.

Remote teams are more common than ever. By the end of 2021, an average of 1 in 6 jobs posted on LinkedIn were advertised as remote roles, and the trend is only continuing to grow. There are many benefits to be enjoyed by this new world of remote work; flexibility, lower overhead costs for companies, and a wider range of talent to choose from in the recruiting process. But the People leaders and managers have had to grapple with the challenges of remote team communication that comes with a digital-first work environment.

Challenges of Remote Team Communication

Remote team communication simply refers to the employee engagement and communication with a remote-first team. Thanks to modern technology, there are a plethora of ways we can communicate remotely, but the challenges of communicating with remote teams extends beyond spotty internet connectivity. Let’s examine the common challenges of remote communication.

Lack of face-to-face interaction

Since the 60’s psychologists have recognized that roughly 55% of all communication is non-verbal, meaning there are cues that we pick up based on body language, tone of voice, and eye contact that are missed when we turn to remote communication.

Remote teams miss out on the benefits of in-person communication, such as non-verbal cues, spontaneous brainstorming, and team-building activities when they rely on video chats, especially if you primarily communicate with the camera off. This can impact creativity, problem-solving, and the overall sense of connection within the team.

Time zone differences

When remote team members are located in different time zones, scheduling meetings and coordinating work can become challenging. It requires careful planning and flexibility to accommodate everyone’s availability.

Building trust and camaraderie

Building trust and fostering a sense of camaraderie among remote teams can be more challenging in a remote work environment. The absence of physical presence can make it harder to establish personal connections and develop relationships via remote team communication.

Technology and connectivity issues

Reliance on technology for remote collaboration means that technical issues, such as internet connectivity problems or software glitches, can disrupt productivity and create frustration within the team.

Lack of supervision and accountability

Remote work requires a higher degree of self-motivation and discipline. Without direct supervision, some team members may struggle to stay focused and accountable, potentially impacting overall team productivity.

Due to the lack of face-to-face interaction, remote work can lead to feelings of social isolation and increased risk of burnout. Without the casual interactions and social support found in a traditional office environment, team members may experience reduced motivation and well-being.

Clear communication of expectations

Remote teams need to establish clear expectations regarding communication channels, response times, and work deliverables. Failing to communicate expectations effectively can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies.

Cultural and language barriers

In global remote teams, cultural and language differences can pose additional challenges. Varied working styles, communication norms, and language barriers can hinder effective remote team communication, collaboration, and understanding.

Strategies for Effective Remote Communication

Despite the challenges that remote teams face, there are a variety of tactics you can use to overcome these barriers and achieve high quality remote team communication.

1. Choose the right tools

There are plenty of different tools at your disposal that can help improve your remote team communication. Choosing the best communication tool for your remote team comes down to understanding the needs of your team and how you best collaborate. From people management functions such as remote onboarding to project management, there’s a tool for just about every function of remote team management. To help you narrow it down, we’ve put together this easy-to-follow guide.

2. Train your employees

No matter the remote team communication tool you decide to utilize, some training will be necessary to get the most out of the tool. Most communication tools will provide instructions and guides that allow your team to learn how to best leverage the communication capabilities. Be sure to provide adequate training for your remote teams.

You can also add policies on how these rules are applied. For example, you can decide how to share files and tools with people outside your company by using secure passwords.

3. Create a remote office culture

The informal communication that takes place in-office is a strong contributor to building the camaraderie that drives company culture. Because remote team communication does not lend itself to this type of chance encounter, it’s essential that you create opportunities for remote teams to get to know one another on a personal level, which requires a bit more intentionality than in-person teams.

Try some of these tips to promote a remote office culture:

Set up informal communication channels for opportunities to connect. Channels can be used for fun communication such as sharing memes, chatting about weekend plans, or sharing pet pictures.
Create a consistent meeting schedule. 1-on-1 meetings are a great way to build a rapport with your direct reports. Schedule a recurring meeting to catch up on both work-related projects as well as general personal chat.
Make time for team-building activities. Even fully remote teams have the opportunity to connect and build relationships. Opt for a monthly or quarterly remote team-building activity such as virtual trivia to infuse some fun collaboration into your culture.

4. Strive for inclusion

When team members are spread out, it’s easy to get into a “you and us” mentality. Remote teams can feel isolated and left out if you’re not diligent, especially if the manager is mostly onsite working with the rest of the team.

Making each team member feel valued and involved is important for productivity and teamwork. Try out these strategies to create an inclusive working environment for hybrid-teams.

Leverage meeting tools that make it easy for remote team members to join and easily follow in-person meetings
Consider your remote teams when creating experiences that are in-office. For example: if you host an in-person team lunch, be sure to offer paid lunch to your remote workers as well to ensure they also enjoy the benefit
Regularly touch-base and update remote team members on any information that is shared informally in the office, that they may otherwise not have access to.

5. Establish a communication policy

Developing guidelines for remote team communication can improve the effectiveness of remote team leadership. You can do this by setting expectations such as what information gets conveyed over which channel, or which meetings require employees to be on camera.

By setting clear expectations, employees can easily participate in a way that is beneficial for the whole team.

6. Prioritize mental health and well-being

Remote work has done wonders for employment opportunities and flexibility, but it’s also blurred the lines between the personal and professional for many remote teams. Because many remote teams work from home, it can be difficult to switch-off after a day of work. Employee’s need the support and guidance of leadership to encourage them to prioritize their well-being in a remote environment.

Regularly encourage and communicate the expectation of unplugging for remote employees. This is done both through verbal communication and leading by example. Here are a few ways you can promote mental health and well-being to your teams, and improve remote team communication as a result.

Refrain from sending messages to employees during non-working hours. If you happen to be working during off-hours, schedule for your message to go out during regular office hours.
Offer the option to meet with cameras off on occasion.
Promote and encourage employees to utilize their healthcare benefits, and allow them the flexibility to take the time off to actually use them.

How to Build a Remote Communication Culture: The Dos and Don’ts

Now that you’ve learned some tips on how to communicate with your remote team, the infographic below will discuss some of the more common but important practices that will help support effective communication over time.

Do’s

Find ways to build personal connections. Internal messaging tools are very useful for this

Practice empathy when dealing with team members

Send messages focused on specific topics rather than emails with all the information. This makes it easier to follow up

Minimize communication and schedule quiet times when team members have time to work. One way to do this is by communicating in bursts. Asynchronous communication methods are useful here

Assign messages to appropriate channels

Create informal channels for team members to celebrate victories, joke, and relax

Establish communication norms. You can create a communication guide manual that dictates what types of messages go where and what terms can be used to filter importance

Don’ts	What you should do instead
Don’t micromanage	Use project management and to-do list apps to categorize work, set expectations, and delegate work to team members.
Don’t mistake summarizing your message with effective communication	If you keep sentences short or use words sparingly, you run the risk of being misunderstood. Instead, find a balance between clarity and being brief.
Don’t overwhelm team members with constant communication	This is especially true if you are exchanging the same message across multiple channels. Determine your communication needs and focus on the most effective medium.
Don’t confuse constant communication with effectiveness	If members are constantly replying to messages, they may be spending very little time on the project.
Don’t send meaningless messages	All communication should have a purpose, except in chat rooms for fun.
Don’t ghost your teammates	If you can’t open the message and reply, send a short message so you can confirm receipt and edit the content.
Don’t forget to adhere to the meeting duration	Be mindful of everyone’s time. If you are presenting, keep it straight to the point. Set a timer to keep track of time and some buffers for questions.

Better Manage Remote Teams with Omni

Remote teams are here to stay, and with the right tools, tactics, and mindset in place, leaders can maintain a culture that promotes strong remote team communication and engagement.

With Omni, managers can easily manage employee profiles, manage schedules, schedule and conduct performance reviews, and gather unique, actionable insights on employee performance all in one platform. Omni makes it simple to support and engage remote employees to you can drive business growth.

Chat with our team to learn more about how Omni can help you manage your remote teams with ease.