Burnout is a significant problem for any business, and the issue has worsened in recent years. Particularly among specialist employees, like Salesforce superstars, increased pressure, evolving work processes, and other complexities create many problems.
According to one Deloitte survey, while 87% of employees say they’re passionate about their work, 64% also consider themselves to be frequently stressed. The same report also found around 70% of staff believe their employers aren’t doing enough to alleviate or prevent burnout.
In the “Great Resignation” age, when finding and retaining Salesforce staff is harder than ever, companies can’t afford to underestimate the impact of burnout. Identifying and responding to the signs your team members are struggling with is crucial to long-term success.
Defining Salesforce Star Burnout
According to Salesforce specialist Paul Ginsberg, burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion created by exposure to excessive and consistent stress. Burnout is frequently associated with the I.T. world, where professionals are under significant pressure to deal with complex tasks daily.
Burnout can strike even in the Salesforce landscape, where there’s a consistent focus on community, wellbeing and a healthy work/life balance. The projects-based world of Salesforce comes with deadlines, complicated challenges, and a demand for constant growth and education.
Burnout is also becoming more significant in virtually every industry. 41% of employees said they were burned out in a 2020 study. What’s more, in the hybrid world of work, where overtime and difficulties with balancing work and personal life are becoming more common, the issue is growing more severe. While the symptoms of burnout can vary, they often include:
- Lack of motivation or engagement at work
- Problems with productivity and efficiency
- Withdrawal, isolation, or social distancing
- Lack of pleasure or interest in the job
- Emotional and physical symptoms
5 Signs Your Salesforce Employees are Burning Out
While burnout can happen in any environment, business leaders can take steps to alleviate the effects. Knowing how to recognise the signs of burnout as they emerge is critical to preserving employee wellbeing and engagement.
Here are some signs to watch for and how you can address them.
1. Emotional and Physical Exhaustion
Burnout often presents with clear symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion. You may notice some of your Salesforce superstars arriving late to work or complaining about how tired they feel. Some may rely more heavily on caffeine and supplements to try and get through the day.
Physical exhaustion is easy to see when employees slump around the office, rub their eyes, and struggle to remain active. In the hybrid world of work, where staff members are more commonly working from home, you may find it’s easier to pinpoint signs of emotional exhaustion instead.
Pay attention to how your employees respond to feedback or interact with other staff. Are they overly sensitive when someone suggests how they can improve their work? Do they fail to engage in meetings and collaborative sessions.
Create an open company culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their exhaustion and exploring opportunities to reduce it. For instance, you may suggest your staff members take on less overtime or adjust their schedules so they can get more sleep and work when they feel the most productive and motivated.
2. Disengagement
Employees lose interest in what they previously found enjoyable when they burn out. You may find your employees no longer talk about achieving their goals or seem passionate about their work. They may begin to procrastinate more often or struggle to meet deadlines because they put crucial work on hold.
Rather than assuming your employees are ‘lazy’, please pay close attention to their levels of disengagement. Are they avoiding taking on new projects? Failing to return calls and emails? Maybe they’ve stopped participating in weekly video meetings?
If your staff are distancing themselves from their work and colleagues, this could signify they’re in the early stages of burnout.
Talk to your employees about why they no longer feel passionate about their work. Perhaps you can look into reducing the pressure on some of your team members through delegation. Or maybe you can focus on giving your Salesforce staff more of the tasks they enjoy the most.
3. Reduced Productivity and Efficiency
Burnout has a clear impact on the performance of your team members. 91% of employees in the Deloitte study mentioned above said their feelings of burnout negatively impact the quality of their work. When you hired your team members, you assessed their abilities and knew they were capable of the tasks they would be handling.
If suddenly, your employees seem to be making a lot of mistakes or struggling to achieve their goals, this could be a sign they’re working towards burnout. When productivity levels begin to drop in your organisation, it’s important to get an insight into where the problems are coming from.
Speak to your employees about their issues, and find out if they’re currently overwhelmed by the amount of work they need to do or the complexity of the tasks. For instance, as the Salesforce landscape continues to evolve, your team members may struggle to learn how to use new tools and keep up with their everyday tasks simultaneously. Reducing the workload while your employees expand their skills could be very helpful.
4. Physical Symptoms and Absenteeism
Stress and emotional exhaustion can influence our physical health, as well as emotional wellbeing. If the pressure on your employees is causing them to feel unwell, you will struggle to attract and retain the right talent. This is particularly true as employees search for more empathy from their employers.
Keep an eye on the physical symptoms your team members are exhibiting regularly. Chest pains, nausea, headaches, and even panic attacks can all be signs of burnout. Employees may even lose weight or gain weight because of their inability to cope with stress.
An increased absenteeism rate is one of the most common signs and physical symptoms building up for your employees. If your staff members feel sick due to their work, it’s important to help them slow down and look after themselves. Consider implementing wellbeing initiatives encouraging your staff to take regular breaks, eat well, and exercise.
5. Attitude Changes and Isolation
The right attitude makes a huge difference to whether an employee is successful in their role or not. When you’re building your Salesforce talent pipeline, you’ll be looking for a combination of the right skills and characteristics. However, if your team members are burned out, you may notice their attitude begins to change.
Experts can become more irritable and isolated when dealing with high levels of emotional exhaustion. Previously extroverted team members may withdraw from the rest of the group and refuse to speak to their colleagues. While this can be difficult to detect in remote and hybrid employees, there are common signs that a person’s attitude is changing.
If your team members are suddenly more combative, aggressive, and argumentative, or they start speaking negatively about the company, this is a clear sign something is wrong. A conversation will be needed to determine how you can help to boost your employees’ positivity and satisfaction levels again.
Employee burnout is a growing problem in today’s fast-paced world, particularly among specialist staff like Salesforce stars. If you want to retain your team members, maintain high levels of engagement, and boost staff wellbeing, you need to be aware of how severe burnout can be.
Thanks
Lee
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