Seasonal burnout in Information Technology (IT) workers is very common these days, especially since many IT workers see their responsibilities and hours on the job increase during specific seasons. One of those busy seasons occurs around the holidays each year. With so many companies experiencing increases in customer/client volume, software and computers will crash. This makes the job of the IT professional very important. You need to learn how to spot the signs of seasonal burnout in IT workers so you can prevent it before it takes hold. Here’s how…
Ask Questions
One of the first steps you must take is asking yourself the following questions about your employees:
- Do your employees have trouble getting their day started upon arrival at the office?
- Have your employees become cynical while on the job?
- Have your employees become irritable with their co-workers or clients?
- Do your employees have a lack of enthusiasm for their achievements?
- Do your employees appear to have a lack of energy at the office?
- Do your employees complain about constant headaches or other physical issues at work?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions about one of your IT workers, then he or she might be starting to suffer from seasonal burnout.
Common Signs of Employee Burnout
Some of the most common signs of employee burnout include the following:
- Constantly exhibiting a negative attitude and distaste for new tasks
- Frequent absences and tardiness
- Constant need to recruit new candidates due to high turnover rates
- Constantly disputing with management and other employees
- Decrease in the quality of their work and less productivity
How to Prevent Seasonal Burnout in IT Workers
So, now that you have spotted seasonal burnout in your IT workers, you need to know the best ways to prevent it in the future. As a company, you must have a strong line of communication between all of your departments and management. When a company has an open door policy, it makes life a lot easier on everyone.
Your company must also provide employees with scheduling rotations or flexible schedules. This ensures that they will not be overworked, which can lead to burnout. It will also let them know how much you value their lives outside of the office.
Companies that want their IT workers to be relaxed and avoid burnout will also need to provide those employees with the proper resources to perform the job duties to the best of their abilities. If a large project is assigned to an employee, make sure he or she has the proper help to complete the job on-time without sacrificing quality.
Seasonal burnout in IT workers can be common, especially during the holidays, which is why you need to be able to spot it and fix it as quickly as possible.