A common question I ask a candidate in an interview is “Why are you interested in a new position?” All too often the candidate responds by saying that they feel overworked and underappreciated at their current job and want a new opportunity. I’ve interviewed people whose titles are Receptionist or Office Manager only to find out they also do deal administration, marketing and listing coordination. Plus, they’re often expected to be on-call outside of their regular working hours. In most brokerages, these functions are divided between 4 different employees! In situations where one administrator is expected to do the job of several, employee burnout is often the result. This isn’t unique to real estate, it’s common across many industries. In fact, in a Deloitte survey on employee burnout, 77% of the respondents reported that they have experienced burnout at their current job (view full article here) . As of 2019, Employee Burnout – defined as physical and emotional exhaustion in workers resulting from prolonged stress in their work environment – is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a condition that can lead to mental health problems.

Employee burnout leads to increased absenteeism, persistent irritability, indifference towards work, and ultimately, reduced productivity. Put plainly, employees who are burnt out are unhappy, and more likely to act with ambivalence or apathy and make careless mistakes. They often spread negativity throughout their day-to-day work interactions (though not necessarily intentionally) which poisons the work environment and brings down office morale. This can lead to other employees wanting to leave so they don’t have to work in such a negative environment.

If you think employee burnout is affecting your workplace, all is not lost. It will take some time and effort, but you can reverse the damage and re engage your employee(s). It starts with recognizing and acknowledging the problem, and actively working to lighten the overwhelming workload. The following Forbes article provides great advice on reversing employee burnout: Employers, Here Are 4 Ways You Can Begin To Effectively Tackle Employee Burnout