Why Your Software Engineers Face Burn Out

"I've been working lightly. I took a break. But, it's just not happening. I can't focus. Everything is going wrong in some way. " — An Employee 2 Weeks Before He Quit.

If you have been feeling like this, you are likely a victim of burnout. However, before we begin about how it affects hiring developers, we must talk about what burnout is!

What Exactly is Burnout? Is It Important?

Burnout is characterized by utter mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. Prolonged exposure to high-stress levels, lack of support, or a drive toward perfectionism can cause burnout. Personal factors play a huge role here too.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA have identified some symptoms that may indicate burnout:

• Tiredness or fatigue.

• Decreased performance at work.

• Reduced productivity in work or home life.

• Increased errors at work.

• Trouble sleeping.

• Poor appetite or overeating.

• Irritability or anger.

• Feelings of detachment from others.

  
  

You may already feel that you may be checking some of these checklists. Don't Panic! There's nothing wrong with you. In a survey in 2015 by Deloitte, it was found that almost 77% of employees complained of facing burnout. Before we tell you how to get out of it, learn the causes.

The Causes of Burnout

Burnout always exists in the shadows. There are many causes of burnout, such as work overload, lack of control over one's work, and lack of social support. Burnout is always waiting on the sidelines, waiting to pounce.

Burnout affects everyone. It is not just your problem; it also significantly impacts organizations. Burned-out employees can affect the performance and productivity of their team members.

Workers who are burned out may exhibit specific symptoms such as irritability or anger, low self-esteem, or depression. These symptoms can harm their personal lives and lead to other mental health problems such as anxiety or substance abuse issues.

Recently, it has been noticed that burnout can occur while working remotely with factors like:

• Intense Deadlines.
• Unclear Communication.
• Loneliness.
• No Emotional Connect and more!

The Consequences of Burnout

Burnouts happen when you are exhausted from everything. It can happen when you are overworked or underpaid. This can cause you to feel stressed out and unmotivated.

The consequences of burnout are severe and can be life-threatening in some cases. Some effects include depression, anxiety, heart disease, weight gain, and more. There are also mental health symptoms that come with burnout, like feeling hopeless or worthless.

The best way to avoid these consequences is to take care of yourself by taking time off from work every once in a while to take care of your physical and mental needs.

How to Prevent Burnout at Work

Workplace burnout is an increasingly common problem. It starts with emotional distancing. You suddenly start feeling that you don't belong at your job anymore. Suddenly, one day, in the middle of an appraisal, you feel the urge to say, "I quit!".

The symptoms of workplace burnout are often the result of prolonged exposure to stressors such as long hours, low job control, and lack of social support.

The best way to address workplace burnout is to work with the individual experiencing it to find out what is causing the stress and then adjust accordingly. For example, if a lack of control over their schedule or workload is causing the person distress, they may want more say in how they spend their time at work or a change in responsibilities.

If it's a lack of social support from co-workers or supervisors that's causing them distress, they may want more opportunities for collaboration or mentoring.

How to Address Burnout in the Workplace?

Burnout is a condition that is characterized by an utter lack of control. You may feel wonderful one day and then wake up breathless. You don't feel it coming up on you.

It usually happens when people are overworked and unable to take a break.

It's not just the individual who suffers from burnout. Organizations lose money when their employees are burnt out because they are less productive and more likely to call in sick or quit.

There are ways to beat work-related fatigue and recover from burnout, such as:

• Taking time off.
• Doing something different for a change.
• Getting enough sleep.
• Finding time for yourself.

Burnout: How It Affects Hiring Developers!

It may be worth noting that most developers do not stay at their jobs for an extended period. Development is by nature:

• Intensely Monotonous.

• Extremely Deadline Oriented.

• Quite Pressurizing.

  
  

Developers that we have known often had no end in sight. A Project has multiple facets, and the time estimates often become crucibles for developers. No matter the role, developers always face burnout in one form or another.

The way out of burnout for most developers is to:

1. Take A Better Paying Job.

2. Switch Roles.

3. Desert The Current Post For Lateral Roles.

4. Take A Leave.

   
   

So, as a project manager, you are often left with incomplete projects or deadlines that are never met. Further, the developers you may hire can also be joining in escaping that burnout.

As a developer, you are left with seemingly thankless people, and the only way out looks like quitting. This is where it gets intensely real because finding a good role is as tough as finding a work-life balance.

Stopping Employee Burnouts in Your Workplace

Set the right workplace culture and encourage communication. → Two Pillars Of The Work Environment

Understand that your developers are human and probably will face burnout. It would help if you kept the pressure from building up. Unfortunately, there isn't a sure-shot formula to preventing burnout for developers. All touchpoints cannot be tracked.

Maintaining morale in a remote work environment is tough, but what if your developers had complete flexibility, clear communication and end-to-end support? That way, their work remains steady, and your project gets done! Clearly, the way out is to extend your team and hire remote developers.

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