How to Be Mindful of Employee Burnout During Tough Times

Advertising has always been a high-pressure industry, notorious for long hours, tight deadlines and huge client expectations. The tumult of the last few years hasn't made things any easier. Overworked employees may be grinding harder than ever, wrestling with fears of budget cutbacks and job security. If there’s one positive from all this upheaval, it’s that more organizations are recognizing that ensuring the health of their businesses must also be about supporting the individuals who make it all possible. But employee well-being can’t simply be solved with one program. Creating and operationalizing a culture that’s centered on employee health, support and development requires a holistic strategy with ideas and investments from everyone involved. Involve staff in setting the direction While most big agency initiatives come from the top down, it’s important to make sure they’re aligned with the real needs of the agency's people. Surveys are great for gathering widespread qualitative and quantitative data about how employees feel and what’s working and what’s not. Steering committees or employee resource groups (ERGs) can also help gather suggestions and input companywide. Invest in ongoing mental health education Many agencies have already started to build mental health training into onboarding plans and annual training budgets. For long-term impact, consider giving everyone a common language to communicate what they’re feeling, as well as permission to do so openly and honestly. From there, think about offering frequent topical training sessions, providing repetition and reinforcement. Additionally, specialized training that teaches managers how to spot potential mental health struggles within their teams takes the pressure off individuals to reach out on their own. It gives managers tools to support their teams and prevent burnout before it starts. Create a culture of psychological safety It’s important for employees to feel safe bringing up challenges or ideas for the workplace at large. One way to achieve this is by having structured formats for one-on-ones that include more personally supportive conversations and requests for constructive feedback to build connection and trust. Including regular conversations and practices in all-staff meetings, such as an energy and baggage inventory, can reinforce that your agency is serious about being more supportive. Provide managerial support Many agency folks get promoted into management positions because they excelled as individual contributors. But they may not have the skill set—or desire—to take on that added responsibility. Before promotions, have honest discussions about what being a manager within your company means. If someone’s not excited by these facets of their potential new role, consider alternative growth paths. And if they do want to make the jump, invest in the training they need to succeed. Prioritize professional growth and flexibility If an employee doesn’t feel like they can learn and grow at work, it will be difficult for them to feel like their contributions matter. Providing the opportunity and financial resources to take outside classes, courses and certifications will give them a greater sense of purpose and control over their careers. If someone decides they want to move into a different career path altogether, be open to having those conversations. It goes a long way toward showing more investment in that employee’s individual happiness than simply adhering to an org chart. Examine and retool business practices In advertising, so much of how we approach our work is dictated by our clients: their needs, their budgets, their timelines. When we fail to set clear boundaries or expectations, we’re setting our teams up for stress, burnout and resentment. Several agencies have already started saying no to free spec work in pitches, and employees are happier and more productive because of it. Whether it's redefining client expectations or internal policies, like flexible work hours and locations or expanded PTO, these foundational changes can go a long way toward improving morale. Hold accountability Improving employee well-being is a continuous journey. Once you’ve put some of these approaches and practices in place, it's important to conduct ongoing surveys and evaluations to ensure efforts are paying off. But don’t expect to get everything right the first time. These things take time. If your survey comes back and shows more improvement in some areas of your workplace than others, get curious about why. Share the results with employees and ask for more feedback or ideas. Being transparent about progress shows full commitment to changing for the better, and that’s a giant step in the right direction for everyone involved. The Evolving Conversation on Health and Wellness