“Employee Burnout” is defined as prolonged stress that impairs one’s ability to perform his or her job in demanding situations. Factors that can lead up to employee burnout include, but are not limited to; depleted physical energy, emotional exhaustion, lowered immunity to illness, less investment in interpersonal relationships, an increasingly pessimistic outlook, increased absenteeism, and inefficiency at work. As you can very well see, burnout can be caused for many reasons. Job structure, lifestyle, and individual personality characteristics are three categories that burnout more commonly falls under.
Although employee burnout occurs in a wide range of working industries and occupations, it is believed that employees in the health and human services industry suffer from an increased risk of professional burnout. Individuals who are responsible for the care of others, such as those in medicine, nursing, social work, counseling, and teaching, are typically associated with burnout. The prolonged and cumulative effects of emotional stress and pressure arise from personal interaction with members of the public on a daily basis.
Harris Interactive conducted an online survey in early 2013, which drew opinions from over 500 healthcare employees in the United States and nearly 250 US healthcare employers in the United States. Of these, a third of the healthcare employees said they were looking for a new job that year and nearly half said they wouldn’t mind hitting the open market in two years. Reasons being; pay, work and life balance, career advancement, and career changes. This survey shows that employers face tough hiring challenges, as their patients need to be cared for around the clock.
Hiring challenges can have a direct impact on patient care with current staff becoming more stressed as they cover positions open for extended periods of time. Sixty percent of healthcare workers say they are burned out on their jobs. Twenty-one percent always or often feel burned out. Of workers who feel always or often burned out, 67 percent plan to look for a new job this year. Prepare for employee burnout and have a staffing firm, that understands burnout, in place for filling vacancies. The benefits of hiring a staffing firm to fill your healthcare staffing and human service staffing needs are plenty.
Contact us today to work with an experienced staffing agency. We have an amazing Job Search page that makes it easy to both share and find open positions. You can learn more about our staffing services here. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
