By Fernando Berrocal

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Startups are often high-stress environments since their ambitious goals are usually managed by small groups of people, this can in many cases lead to high numbers of employee burnout that desperately need to be reduced. It's perhaps no surprise that the typical tenure of a fast-growing business is only two years, compared to the market norm of several years. This context has made startups particularly sensitive to the pandemic's impacts, forcing many of us to quickly adapt our ways of working. According to a recent Oracle survey, the previous year was the most stressful of their working lives for 70% of employees, and this has taken its toll on energy levels.

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Burnout has become such a concern that it was defined as a globally recognized occupational syndrome by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, with the following symptoms:

• Feelings of fatigue or loss of energy.
• Negativity or cynicism concerning one's employment.
• A feeling of inefficiency and unfulfilled potential.

When we're burned out, our capacity to function is reduced, leaving coworkers to pick up the slack. This has an impact on a startup's ability to gain traction. In this article, we'll look at four approaches for startups to reduce burnout.

Working smarter, not harder: "When you work long shifts, you are applauded." If you recognize this phrase, your business may be putting too much emphasis on the quantity of “voluntary” overtime done. Startups are especially vulnerable. While working longer hours might show dedication, if employees are feeling burned out or seeing their health deteriorate, those extra hours won't add anything to productivity. Leaders must understand when to accelerate or allow employees to take much needed breaks. Employees require rest to stay active and engaged.

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Encourage employees to take care of their health: According to PwC, 61% of UK CEOs are worried about their employees' declining well-being. A healthy workforce has reduced absenteeism and better levels of resilience and productivity, according to research. Employees will be better able to recognize early indicators of burnout and stress before they become an issue if you empower them to prioritize their health.

Reminding employees of the assistance you provide is one method to do this. Regularly sharing insights on wellness with your staff, or even financing mental health training, may give them the tools they need.

Finally, managers must also take care of their health. According to research, startup entrepreneurs are 50 percent more likely to have a mental health problem.

Create a culture that can switch off: Breaks aren't part of the culture of many businesses; after all, how can you revolutionize the world while you're on vacation? Five-minute "micro-breaks", on the other hand, have been demonstrated to help employees recover from exhaustion and be more productive, according to a study.

So, how can managers urge their staff to unplug? Leading by example is the most effective approach. If executives demonstrate that taking breaks is appropriate, this will spread across the organization. However, sometimes breaks aren't enough, and employees want more time to recharge. Taking vacations should be promoted all year, especially after periods of heavy workload.

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What you measure tends to get better over time: Even though society is becoming more open about health and wellness concerns, people are still less inclined to speak out about them, making it harder for leaders to properly understand their employees' health.

As a result, our final suggestion is to set up a system for collecting anonymous employee feedback regularly. Real-time feedback aids in the development of a deep vein of insight.

Key takeaways:

Startups are naturally ambitious, which means that the people who work there are more likely to experience burnout, which may lead to increased mistakes, absenteeism, and eventually employee turnover. It is feasible to develop a business quickly while still implementing tactics and systems to better assist employees. Startup leaders who manage their employees' well-being in a long-term manner will reap the benefits of a more energized staff, as well as a healthier and more resilient business.

Ready to bring your startup to the next level? Apply to MassLight’s next batch. MassLight supplies capital and a dedicated tech team. We take equity in return. Have questions? Refer to our FAQ page.

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