70% Of Knowledge Workers Reported Experiencing Burnout Last Year

Despite the decades of progress the workplace has made in a short amount of time, one glaring issue continues to plague workers from all industries: burnout. 

According to a new study from collaboration platform Asana, 70% of knowledge workers said they experienced burnout in the last year, with Gen Z and Millennials experiencing the bulk of this problem. 

This phenomenon isn’t new and has even become mainstream since the onset of the pandemic. So why are employees still suffering? 

One of the key proponents of burnout is lack of engagement. According to the Asana survey, workers who felt burnout reported lower morale, less engagement, prone to making more mistakes, and having depleted communicative skills.  

Therefore, the importance of addressing burnout requires refocusing on the employee experience. For leaders, this means understanding why their workers are feeling negatively, and what can be done to reignite passion into the workplace.   

This can begin with creating meaning. Taking into account a worker’s particular set of passions or skills and applying them to their workplace responsibilities is one way to ensure they have a sense of purpose in their work. 

Building a community of belonging can also impact how well employees perform at work. According to a study from BetterUp, 69% of workers are not satisfied with the amount of social interaction they receive at work. 

Creating a culture that prioritizes community can help those feeling lonely or isolated, while also building a sense of trust and camaraderie to get work done.