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Employee Burnout: A Leadership Perspective on Causes and Prevention

Employee burnout is a costly and prevalent problem, impacting both individual well-being and organizational performance. 

But what are the leading causes of burnout in different industries, and what can organizations do to proactively address this challenge? 

In this post, we provide answers from those who know best: HR and business leaders on the front lines. 

We asked them to identify the most prevalent contributing factor to burnout within their respective industries and to share the specific initiatives or strategies their organizations have implemented to mitigate its impact. 

Their responses offer practical guidance and real-world examples of how companies are prioritizing employee well-being and building a more sustainable work environment.

Read on!

Egbert Schram
Group CEO, The Culture Factor Group

Egbert Schram – The Culture Factor Group

The most prevalent contributing factor to employee burnout in the consulting industry is the challenge of dual loyalty.

Loyalty to your employer, and loyalty to the client at whose site and in whose interest, you are supposed to work.

Often the conflicting interests cause disharmony.

As an employer of consultants / facilitators, ensuring a solid glue to their employer, with fixed “come back to the mothership” days, e.g. Mondays or Fridays is the most effective way of sharing learnings, frustrations and ensure a feeling of being united in the joint effort to produce the best insights for your customers is the best way.

In absence of this physical option, doing the same using virtual cafe’s is an alternative.

Karen Rigamonti
Co-Partner, KHDR Consulting, LLC

Karen Rigamonti – KHDR Consulting

Burnout in healthcare is a significant problem characterized by feeling unappreciated and unvalued.

The increasing burden of administrative requirements, meeting insurance guidelines, and reaching financial targets sacrifices fulfilling human interactions with colleagues and patients, autonomy in clinical care delivery, and time management.

Productivity, safety, employee engagement, and patient satisfaction are negatively impacted by feelings of worthlessness, isolation, and unfulfillment.

Early diagnosis and intervention requires education of individuals and teams to be aware of signs and symptoms of burnout.

Prevention must limit administrative responsibilities, enhance collaborative teamwork, provide opportunities for career development and create a positive culture that enhances employee wellness.

A happy work environment stresses psychological and physical wellbeing concurrently with mental health support.

Lastly, it is essential to highlight the role of compassion toward self and others, individual agency and autonomy in daily endeavors, and avoiding the stigma of burnout.

Joe Alas
Chief Executive Officer, Quality Temp Staffing

Joe Alas – Quality Temp Staffing

Employee burnout in the medical staffing industry is primarily driven by the relentless pace and high demands of healthcare.

Constant patient needs, urgent tasks, and multiple responsibilities without sufficient downtime lead to overwhelm and exhaustion, making it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

At Quality Temp Staffing, our employee’s well-being is our top priority, and we treat them like family.

We get to know each of our employees, and make sure they’re placed in a position that’s a good fit for them, and that they can manage a healthy work-life balance.

Unlike most staffing agencies that hire contractors, Quality Temp hires employees, so that everyone who works for us gets full benefits and health insurance.

We also regularly check in with each of our employees to make sure they are happy, safe, and thriving in their new roles.

Patrick Fee
Co-Owner, Mr. Drain

Patrick Fee – Mr. Drain

In the plumbing industry, the average age of plumbers is 46, and for every 10 plumbers retiring, only one new plumber starts.

This is causing a crisis in the industry (it is also a problem across other areas of the home services industry).

There are many reasons for this, but I think a major issue is the often physically demanding work we do and the high likelihood of burnout. 

I believe that taking good care of your employees can separate you from the rest and protect your team from burnout.

A happy side effect of prioritizing employee care is that they, in turn, will have the bandwidth and drive to take care of your customers. 

At Mr. Drain, we treat our team as our number one customer.

As such, we have developed a host of amenities aimed at giving them the support they need to be their best at work.

We have built out a beautiful gym on site for our employees, including shower and locker room facilities. We have also built a lounge for the team with arcade games, TVs, sofas, virtual golf, air hockey, and more.

It’s a bright space with a fun atmosphere where they can wind down. 

In our industry, we have to be available at any time of day for our customers—a plumbing problem doesn’t wait for regular business hours. This means that our company operates 24/7.

However, this doesn’t mean we neglect the needs of our team.

We make sure all employees get adequate time off to recharge, spend time with family and friends, and participate in their hobbies and personal passions. 

And it doesn’t stop there.

We offer a full complement of benefits to our employees, including additional paid days off beyond federal holidays, medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance coverage, aggressive 401k matching, and annual bonus disbursements. 

This is just a small sampling of how we prioritize the care of our employees.

We want them to live healthy, happy lives.

Combatting burnout is about more than offering time off—it’s about taking a holistic approach to employee care.

Neil Morrison
Global Chief People Officer, Staffbase

Neil Morrison – Staffbase

One of the most significant contributors to employee burnout is poor communication with 86% of employees saying communication failures lead to workplace breakdowns.

When messages are unclear or inconsistent, teams feel disconnected and morale suffers.

Effective, transparent communication helps align employees with company goals and fosters a sense of belonging. 

For us, quality communications go beyond transparency alone to help create a positive workplace culture.

Celebrating personal milestones, organizing social events, and introducing peer recognition programs in ways that are visible to the entire organization make a big impact.

Additionally, regularly encouraging employees to take advantage of wellness-focused activities, flexible schedules, and experience-based rewards goes a long way toward preventing burnout.

Communications are an essential driving component of any company’s ability to build a more engaged and resilient workforce.

Matt Meadows
Founder, WorkStory

Matt Meadows – WorkStory

One of the biggest drivers of burnout we see across teams is the lack of clear, ongoing feedback.

Employees are often expected to perform at a high level, yet without regular input, they’re left uncertain about expectations and progress.

This creates disengagement—especially for younger members of the workforce.

The teams we work with have had the most success reducing burnout by fostering a culture of continuous feedback—ensuring employees receive recognition and course correction in real time rather than waiting for formal reviews.

When people feel heard and supported you’ll see a lot less burnout taking place.

Gianna Sollitto
Development & Communications Senior Manager, Groundwork Southcoast (GWSC)

Gianna Sollitto – Groundwork Southcoast (GWSC)

Groundwork Southcoast (GWSC) recognizes that burnout, overwork, and emotional strain are prevalent challenges in the nonprofit sector, particularly for staff engaged in environmental justice work.

To actively combat this, we’ve developed the RestoRation model—a structured approach to rest and rejuvenation that ensures our team remains balanced, strategic, and sustainable.

Twice a year, GWSC implements Rest Week, during which the organization fully closes, allowing staff to disconnect and recharge without using personal leave.

This is followed by Ration Week, a time dedicated to internal goal-setting and shifting from reactive to proactive work.

By prioritizing staff well-being through RestoRation, along with flexible scheduling and reflective staff meetings, we foster a work culture that values sustainability—not just for the planet, but for the people driving change.

Investing in our team’s health and balance strengthens our ability to invest in the environmental justice communities we serve year-round.

Pam Cusick
Senior Vice President, Rare Patient Voice

Pam Cusick – Rare Patient Voice

Remember the mission. In our case, we want to give patients a voice, and every day we are accomplishing that. 

At  monthly meetings, we review key accomplishments. It is more motivating to look at what we’ve done than what we haven’t done.

Celebrate milestones.  Employees always appreciate an Amazon gift card.

Thomas Hughes
Consultant, Red Clover HR

Thomas Hughes – Red Clover HR

One of the biggest contributors to burnout in HR consulting is the high-pressure, client-driven environment where consultants juggle multiple clients with unique needs and tight deadlines.

To prevent this, our company lives by our core value of Family First, promotes flexible work, and ensures consultants aren’t overbooked.

While this should always be top of mind, senior team members reinforce it during onboarding by guiding new consultants on managing their calendars and recognizing true emergencies.

We also emphasize open communication, regular check-ins, and flexibility to maintain balance.

Our goal is to add value to every client while prioritizing our well-being. By managing stress effectively, we stay productive and deliver our best work.

EmilyKate Lorenz
Chief Operating Officer, hieroart.com

EmilyKate Lorenz – Hiero

One way I’ve learned to tackle creative burnout within my team is with our weekly website roast.

Every week, I randomly pick a website (kept secret so no one has an edge) and give everyone five minutes to check it out.

Then, they go around the room and each share one insight or critique about what we noticed.

It’s not always about tearing the website apart, the talking points can also be about what works well or brainstorming potential improvements.

What makes it fun is the little competitive twist.

The person who has the most valuable insights (judged by our CEO) is crowned the winner who gets bragging rights and a gift card to their favorite lunch spot.

This competition not only keeps everyone engaged and creative, but it also sharpens our understanding of website best practices.

It’s a quick, informal way to break up the routine and spark some fresh ideas across our design, development, marketing, and sales teams.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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