While everyone knows what burnout is, a state of exhaustion caused by overwork, its lesser-known but no less widespread counterpart, bore-out, is just as problematic. This syndrome, which manifests itself as chronic boredom, a lack of stimulation and progressive disengagement, can have serious consequences for employees' mental health and productivity.
What are the symptoms and impact of boredom, and how can you, as an employer, prevent it? Let's explore solutions together to prevent boredom from setting in in your workplace.
What is bore-out?
Boreout occurs when employees feel trapped in repetitive, monotonous, or purposeless tasks, leading them to feel a profound disinterest in their work. It stems from a lack of intellectual effort and underutilization of skills.
This syndrome manifests itself in an employee by:
- A growing disinterest in one's tasks;
- A feeling of professional stagnation which generates frustration;
- A drop in productivity due to a lack of motivation;
- Psychological and physical symptoms, such as stress, anxiety and sleep disturbances.
Some studies even indicate that chronic boredom at work is one of the most common factors leading to resignation. In this context, it is essential for companies to provide a rewarding work environment for their employees. Here are some tips on how to achieve this.
How to prevent chronic boredom?
Avoiding boredom requires a proactive approach from employers. Here are some key strategies to prevent this state of work fatigue from taking hold in your teams.
1. Set clear and motivating goals
Meaningless work is a major cause of chronic boredom. To keep your employees engaged, it's essential to set clear, challenging, and achievable work goals. These work challenges should be defined with the employee and should be progressive to maintain their interest.
2. Promote learning and skills development
One of the best ways to combat boredom is to provide employees with regular training opportunities, which can, in turn, lead to growth opportunities within the company. Encouraging participation in conferences, workshops, and seminars promotes the acquisition of new skills and, in turn, professional motivation.
3. Encourage a climate of open communication
Sometimes, employees who are understimulated by their jobs are afraid to talk to their manager for fear of being perceived as lazy or eternally dissatisfied. Creating an environment where they feel free to express their frustrations is essential.
To do this, it is wise to set up opportunities for regular exchanges and to establish a culture of feedback, where employees can suggest improvements without fear of reprisal.
4. Value contributions and recognize the work accomplished
Feelings of worthlessness are at the heart of boredom. An employee who doesn't feel recognized by their employer will tend to disengage. To ensure employees feel valued, it can be helpful to incorporate a recognition program that highlights individual efforts, practices, and results.
5. Review the alignment of roles and skills
Sometimes a mismatch between an employee's expectations and their responsibilities can be the root cause of chronic boredom. Regularly assessing the alignment between the position and the employee's aspirations allows for the employee's responsibilities to be adjusted accordingly.
You could also implement "job crafting", a proactive approach where employees adapt their positions to suit their talents and interests. This approach has been linked to better performance and increases employee engagement and personal motivation. To implement it without disrupting organizational balance, employers can support employees in identifying potential changes, encourage gradual adjustments, and ensure that key responsibilities remain well distributed within teams.
6. Allow breaks and engaging activities
Let's face it: no one is productive for 8 hours a day. Working nonstop on unfulfilling tasks can exacerbate boredom. It's therefore essential to alternate periods of concentration with moments of rest and relaxation.
To encourage your employees to take full advantage of these quieter periods, offer them spaces for rest and discussion with peers, encourage active breaks and schedule moments dedicated to creativity. And why not take a leaf out of Google's book, which allows its employees to dedicate 20% of their working time to innovative personal projects?
7. Introduce more variety into tasks
Monotony is a major cause of boredom. A simple solution is to diversify tasks and introduce more flexibility into work organization. Encourage employees to work on a variety of projects, promote task sharing, and allow for alternation between analytical and creative activities. When possible, automate repetitive tasks to free up time for more rewarding work.
Towards a more stimulating and fulfilling job
Boreout is a problem that is still too often overlooked, but its effects on employee motivation, productivity, and mental health are very real. To avoid this situation, it is essential to offer rewarding tasks, encourage communication, and recognize individual efforts. By implementing appropriate strategies, organizations can offer their employees a more motivating work environment.
Pascale Hubert
Web Writer