Burnout is real and can seriously hurt your business. What do you need to know about work-life balance in your store?
It used to be that society not only valued work, but also the concept of work for the sake of work. “Good” employees came in early and left late, ate lunch at the desk, never called in sick, and often didn’t take vacation time. The job came first and foremost above everything.
But now we’re finding that wasn’t such a good idea after all. When people don’t maintain a work-life balance, they can easily burn out. Those who focus entirely on their work are at much higher risk of poor job performance, issues with home life, difficult personal or workplace relationships, lack of refreshing sleep, and even health problems.
It can be difficult to reach a perfect work-life balance in a dealership, where people need to be on call for customers and time away can have the potential to bite into one’s paycheque. But it’s not impossible, and if managers don’t make the effort to keep everyone balanced, the store can potentially suffer when people are unable to keep up with what you need them to do.
Knowing what to look for
Obviously, someone who is always in the dealership is going to ping your radar, but burnout can happen even to someone who takes the occasional day off. Some of the symptoms to watch for include these:
Lack of motivation. Watch for people who just go through the motions. They may be unwilling to reach out proactively to customers; they do the minimum needed to close a deal, without trying to upsell or suggest choices that better suit a customer’s needs; their paperwork is incomplete or contains errors; or they don’t make an effort to learn about new products and features. They also fail to take any pleasure or pride in their work.
A change in routine. Someone who’s always been punctual, but is now frequently late should ring alarm bells with you.
They always seem tired. Everyone has a too-late night now and again, but watch for people who consistently seem exhausted or sleep-deprived. They may have frequent headaches, or “zone out” or even fall asleep at their desks.
They’re irritable and easily upset. Burned-out people seldom get along well with co-workers, and you may notice more conflict in the office. Minor problems will set them off, and you’ll find it difficult to resolve issues with them.
They don’t spend a lot of time actually working. They’re at their desks, but their primary focus is on social media, online games, or even just lost in thought or staring out the window.
How do you fix it?
If you’ve identified one burned-out employee, you likely have more and just don’t realize it yet. In addition to reaching out to that person, you must take a holistic approach to the entire dealership. Studies show that many burned-out employees feel they’re not getting the support from management that they need. Some tips to help include:
Open communication. It can be very difficult for someone to approach the boss with a personal problem, and you need to make the first move. People need to know that your door is always open and you won’t be judgemental. If you suspect someone is having problems, pick the right time and place – when he or she isn’t irritated or upset, and when others won’t notice you singling that person out. Don’t mention job performance or errors. Instead, start with something like, “You don’t seem to be your usual self lately. Is there anything we need to do here to help improve things?”
Make sure everyone takes time off. If your employees aren’t taking their allotted vacation time, insist that they do. Don’t accept, “Yeah, I’ll get to it,” but schedule it with them. Discourage them from checking in or working remotely when they’re away. Even if they do relax, a single vacation likely won’t make a major change, so watch for signs of burnout when they return.
Reduce the stress. Be careful about how much you’re potentially adding to the problem. Don’t schedule meetings before or after regular work hours. Watch the workload you’re putting on people, especially if you tend to assign more to the people who “get it done sooner than others do.” And while sales quotas are important, hammering down on them creates more pressure. Focusing on customer service should ease that, and should translate into better sales as well.
Set a good example. Do you take time off? Do you take regular breaks, or realize when you’ve taken on too much? Burnout is a mental health issue, and your employees need to be healthy. Talk to them openly, support them, and if necessary, use online or third-party resources to deal with the issue. Ultimately, it will have a positive effect on everyone in your dealership.