Unobvious symptoms of employee burnout: how to recognize them in time
Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2025 10:08 am
What causes burnout? Working to the point of exhaustion, a 24/7 schedule (long live remote work!), one person responsible for the entire office, and that's it - expect professional burnout of employees. But it's not always so obvious. Sometimes the salary is on par, the team is great, and the vacation is on schedule, but the results are still not so good.
How to recognize? The manager's task is to find out what is happening and find those very non-obvious signs of burnout that could bring the employee back into action. Below we will tell you about the five most non-obvious symptoms of professional burnout of employees.
Changing human behavior
If a person starts behaving differently, it doesn't always indicate burnout. They may simply be going through a difficult period in their life, which they project onto their work. As a rule, this ends quickly.
Signs of professional burnout pakistan email list may include deteriorating relationships with colleagues, emotional instability, or an increase in the number of conflicts initiated by the employee.
To determine this symptom, you can observe the person's behavior. What could it be:
An employee who used to be the life and soul of the team suddenly began to avoid society and stopped going to lunch with everyone else.
Changes in relationships with colleagues
Source: shutterstock.com
Usually cheerful and open, the employee suddenly began to withdraw into himself and stopped sharing stories and news.
The employee's emotions have changed, for example, at joint planning meetings and conferences, the person has become more rigid and sarcastic, and has begun to react worse to humor.
The employee began to avoid communicating with everyone, even at work, preferring to send emails instead of personal conversations, and the style of letters also changed.
At first, it may seem to you that the person is simply not in the mood. But if such behavior becomes constant, it is a sure sign of incipient professional burnout. And it is better not to ignore it.
How to recognize? The manager's task is to find out what is happening and find those very non-obvious signs of burnout that could bring the employee back into action. Below we will tell you about the five most non-obvious symptoms of professional burnout of employees.
Changing human behavior
If a person starts behaving differently, it doesn't always indicate burnout. They may simply be going through a difficult period in their life, which they project onto their work. As a rule, this ends quickly.
Signs of professional burnout pakistan email list may include deteriorating relationships with colleagues, emotional instability, or an increase in the number of conflicts initiated by the employee.
To determine this symptom, you can observe the person's behavior. What could it be:
An employee who used to be the life and soul of the team suddenly began to avoid society and stopped going to lunch with everyone else.
Changes in relationships with colleagues
Source: shutterstock.com
Usually cheerful and open, the employee suddenly began to withdraw into himself and stopped sharing stories and news.
The employee's emotions have changed, for example, at joint planning meetings and conferences, the person has become more rigid and sarcastic, and has begun to react worse to humor.
The employee began to avoid communicating with everyone, even at work, preferring to send emails instead of personal conversations, and the style of letters also changed.
At first, it may seem to you that the person is simply not in the mood. But if such behavior becomes constant, it is a sure sign of incipient professional burnout. And it is better not to ignore it.