Employee engagement is often touted as the secret sauce for a thriving workplace. It is the holy grail of productivity, innovation, and workplace satisfaction; and, every HR professional’s golden goose.
There is no doubt it drives productivity, reduces turnover, and creates a workplace that sparkles with positivity. But you know what — Engagement, when misunderstood or mismanaged, can have a darker side.. one that sneaks up on you like a slow, creeping fog.
The employees are engaged, but at what cost? Burnout disguised as productivity??
I’ve spent over 20 years navigating the HR maze, and let me tell you this; engagement isn’t always rainbows and high-fives in the breakroom. Sometimes, it’s burnout cloaked as passion. Other times, it’s a quiet rebellion simmering beneath the surface. Let me help you –
Learn how over-engagement leads to burnout and how to strike the right balance in your workplace.
As per my experience, these are the potential downsides of excessive employee engagement without adequate support:
- Over-engagement leads to burnout: Employees give their all, and then some, until there’s nothing left. They stop taking vacations because “the team needs me” , or work while on vacations. They respond to emails at midnight and on sick days because “I’m so invested.” And as you know it already — No way it is sustainable.
- Engagement can breed conformity: Ever seen a team so aligned that they stop questioning bad decisions? Over-engagement can create echo chambers where dissenting voices are drowned out in the name of harmony. This gets worst with poor leadership.
- Decreased Productivity and innovation: You can’t be creative under perpetual workload + overworked employees experience a decline in performance. If you are a technology company and haven’t come up with any new+innovative product over a period of time, you may want to look at it from this article’s perspective.
- High Turnover: Burned-out employees are more likely to leave their jobs in search of better work-life balance. Its a no brainer.
Some sectors feel the heat more than others –
1. The Technology Sector
The tech industry is renowned for its demanding work culture, where employees are highly engaged and often work long hours to meet project deadlines. This environment can lead to burnout, resulting in decreased productivity and higher turnover rates. A 2024 article from The New York Postreported that project managers, a common role in tech, have a 50% burnout rate, highlighting the risks of excessive engagement. Source — New York Post
2. The Healthcare Sector
In the healthcare industry, professionals often exhibit high levels of engagement due to the critical nature of their work. However, this dedication can lead to burnout, adversely affecting both staff well-being and patient care. A study published in The Sociological Quarterly found that increased responsibilities in worker-owned businesses led to higher levels of emotional labor, contributing to burnout. Without proper safeguards, this dynamic led to burnout, ultimately impacting both employee well-being and patient care. Source — Wikipedia
You can find similar tales from
3. The Retail Sector, &
4. Media.. Special mention — Marketing, advertising companies (I have seen your pain folks 🙂 and so on.
And a classic example of things going wrong in a large corporation is here –
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo’s infamous sales scandal shows how a hyper-engaged workforce can go awry. Employees were so invested in hitting unrealistic sales goals that they created fake accounts just to meet targets. The culture of overcommitment led to legal battles, tarnished reputation, and financial losses. Source — NY Times
Ok. So, how do we strike a balance?
Employee engagement is essential, but it must be nurtured wisely. Here are four ways to keep engagement beneficial, not harmful:
- Promote a healthy work-life balance: Encourage employees to take breaks, disconnect from work outside of work hours, and use their vacation time.
- Set realistic expectations: Avoid creating a culture of constant “on-ness.” Instead, focus on creating a culture of trust and autonomy.
- Encourage open communication: Create a safe space for employees to share their concerns and feedback about their workload and well-being.
- Prioritize employee well-being: Offer resources such as mindfulness training, stress management workshops, and access to mental health services.
- Lead by example: Leaders should model healthy work-life balance behaviors and prioritize their own well-being.
Note: Forget about achieving work life balance if it is against the ‘thought process’ of your supreme commander. I haven’t met Musk yet, but from what I read and hear; it’s highly unlikely for the HR folks from Musk’s companies to promote work life balance with him not believing in this particular concept and how it creates value for the organisation and its stakeholders.
Same is with Mr. Murthy. 70 hours work-week; seriously??
The Takeaway
Engagement should be a tool for growth, not a recipe for exhaustion. By striking a balance between enthusiasm and well-being, organizations can harness the true power of engagement — happy, healthy, and productive employees who drive lasting success.
So, the next time you champion engagement in your workplace, remember: It’s not about how much they care; it’s about how much they’re cared for.
#EmployeeEngagement #Burnout #WorkLifeBalance #EmployeeWellbeing#WorkplaceCulture #Leadership#MentalHealth #Productivity #Innovation#HR
What’s your take on employee engagement? Share your experiences or ideas in the comments below — let’s start the conversation!
I published this article on Medium on Dec 29, 2024. Here is the link – https://medium.com/the-people-room/the-dark-side-of-employee-engagement-1dd51acee7f3
