Last month, we talked about how you can avoid retail burnout as a retail store owner.
But of course, you’re not the only person in your business who can experience burnout.
Your employees are one of your greatest assets, and if they’re feeling stressed to the max, it can have a significant impact on the success of your retail store.
When employees feel retail burnout, they can lose meaning in their work, feel less motivated, and have lower performance.
This can lead employees to quit, which can result in further burnout for remaining employees who now have a bigger workload.
However, there are strategies you can implement in your business to reduce the risk of employee burnout and keep your staff motivated and satisfied.
There are many challenges to running a retail business and we are here to work with you.
At Silverman Consulting and Retail Services, we’re in the business of consulting on retail store closing sales, retirement sales, store relocation sales, and change of ownership sales.
But if you’re not at that point yet, it’s good to do whatever you can to keep your store running smoothly.
And that includes keeping your employees happy, and not just during a store closing sale.
Let’s dive deeper into what retail burnout is, how it can affect your employees and your business, and how to avoid it.
RECAP: What Is Retail Burnout?
Retail burnout occurs when there is a feeling of being physically and emotionally exhausted from being continuously overloaded in a retail workplace.
It can cause stress, frustration, anger, negative attitudes, decreased motivation, and lowered performance.
Burnout can also happen because your work and personal life get out of balance.
Retail employees are particularly more susceptible to burnout.
This can happen due to a few different factors, including:
- Being understaffed
- Feeling an increasingly demanding workload
- Worsening experiences with customers
- External economic factors
How To Tell If Your Employees Are Burnt Out?
The effects of burnout will look different for every individual.
But there are common signs that will indicate that your employees are burnt out physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Fatigue is one of the main symptoms of burnout.
One sign of this is if you notice your employees are more sluggish than usual, or taking more time to complete even simple tasks.
Another symptom is an ongoing dissatisfaction with work.
Do your employees seem unfocused, demotivated, apathetic, or poorer communicators?
Burnout can also interrupt daily habits.
Do your employees seem to be eating more junk food lately, or skipping meals?
The signs and symptoms of burnout are generally responses to specific stresses in the work environment or to a situation.
Why Are Retail Employees Prone To Burnout?
While burnout can happen to anyone, retail employees are particularly vulnerable to experience it.
Many retail employees who work full time typically work more than forty hours a week and may have inconsistent schedules.
This may make it hard for them to get an adequate amount of sleep or make time for their social lives.
An inconsistent management structure can also lead workers to have increased workloads without having an increase in wages.
It also takes significant emotional labour to constantly be around people and deal with challenging customers.
Retail employees have to deal with a lot of human emotions and overwhelming demands on a daily basis.
Retail workers are also at the mercy of the managerial hierarchy.
This can create a toxic environment where employees walk on eggshells around some managers to avoid conflict.
Retail workers are also expected to work hard, which is sometimes rewarded with longer hours and more responsibilities.
Less productive workers may receive fewer responsibilities, forcing harder workers to pick up the slack, further disrupting their work life balance.
Despite their efforts and the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion, retail employees often get little recognition.
The combined stresses of all of these aspects can make retail employees more prone to experiencing burnout.
How Can Burnt Out Employees Affect Your Business?
When your employees feel burnt out it can have a significant impact on your business.
Because of burnout, employees may find less meaning in their work and result in decreased communication and productivity.
Because of their increased irritability and lack of focus it can negatively impact workflow and productivity in your business.
They might end up performing more poorly when it comes to converting shoppers into paying customers.
And as you certainly know at this point in your career, it often takes just one perceived negative experience to stop people from coming back to your retail store.
They may be less vigilant in watching for shoplifters, causing you more shrinkage than usual.
It can also cause employees to be absent from work without notice and have them consistently come in late or leave early.
Burnt out employees may also be more likely to take sick days and consider quitting.
This means potentially losing skilled and knowledgeable workers.
This creates a larger workload for remaining employees, which can result in them feeling burnt out as well.
Consider ways to avoid burnout in your employees and create a more positive and enjoyable work environment.
How To Reduce Retail Employee Burnout?
In order to reduce the risk of burnout for your retail employees you can establish burnout prevention strategies.
There are a variety of different methods you can employ that can keep your employees motivated and feel appreciated.
Let’s take a look at some different strategies that you can consider implementing to reduce retail employee burnout.
1. Recognize The Good Work They’re Doing
Burnout can often result from an employee feeling a lack of meaning in their work.
Recognizing their efforts and appreciating the work they do can make them feel more satisfied.
Recognition can make employees feel like they make an impact to your business and contribute to a shared goal.
Some ways to recognize employee achievements can be things like getting them breakfast or lunch or letting them leave early.
You can also share positive customer reviews with them and show them business data that demonstrates how their work is meaningful.
But sometimes, all it takes is a thank you.
We’re often quick to point out when an employee does something wrong, after all, but it’s easy to ignore what they’re doing right.
2. Keep Their Schedules As Stable As Possible
To avoid retail burnout in your employees, it’s a good idea to keep their schedules and workload stable and sustainable over a long time.
For example, having employees close a shift and open the next morning may not be sustainable and can lead to burnout.
Monitoring employees’ schedules and hours and can help make sure that they’re taking breaks and not doing excessive overtime.
You can also make it easier for them to swap and cover shifts without having to go through management, giving them flexibility.
Having employees on a consistent schedule can make it easier for them to plan and have time for their social and private lives.
Of course, this might not always be possible – do your best.
3. Set Work Life Boundaries, And Stick To Them
It’s important for employees to maintain work life balance so that they don’t feel overwhelmed or have added stress in their off time.
A good idea is to encourage employees to shut off notifications for workplace related apps and tools outside of working hours.
Overloading teams due to staffing issues can lead to burnout.
Again, make it easy for employees to swap or cover shifts so that they’re able to deal with personal matters if needed.
By establishing work life boundaries, you can help keep your employees satisfied and reduce the risk of burnout.
4. Keep Their Days Varied
Ever seen the movie Groundhog Day?
Employees who are tied down repeating the same tasks over and over again can make their days feel boring and monotonous, and lead them to burnout.
Switching up tasks on a regular basis and adding variety can reduce the risk of workers becoming disengaged and unmotivated.
Streamlining tasks can also free up employees’ time to complete more fulfilling tasks and give them more variety in their work.
Then again, some employees may appreciate the consistency.
This is especially true if you have employees who value routine and stability, or autistic employees.
Which brings us to our final point…
5. Listen To Their Needs, And Take Them Seriously
Establishing a system of two way communication between employees and managers can be very beneficial for your business.
Having a platform where employees can communicate problems, confusion, and stress allows for resolution of their issues.
By listening to your employees, you can take measures to create a positive work environment and avoid burnout.
You can also set up regular meetings with each individual employee.
Discuss their feelings about their job and career objectives.
You can help them set goals for the next few months, until the next check in.
This may help you see if they are beginning to show signs of burnout and give you time to take action and make changes.
Encouraging peer to peer communication allows employees to share knowledge with each other and create a community.
This can create a sense of belonging and can spark conversations about employee needs throughout all aspects of the business.
Being proactive and respecting employees’ needs can make you aware of burnout building up and make strategies to avoid it.
If employees do decide to leave, see if they are willing to have an exit interview and consider paying them for their time to do this.
The information you gather can be valuable to keep your team motivated and reduce stress.
Contact Silverman Consulting And Retail Services Today
Understanding your employees’ needs can help you take action to avoid them feeling burnt out.
And sometimes, relieving burnout is what’s missing to save a floundering business.
But if the challenges are overwhelming and you’re ready to throw in the retail towel, we’re here to help.
Silverman Consulting And Retail Services can help you plan and execute the biggest sale of your life – your store closing sale.
Managed store closing sales can sometimes earn as much as your yearly income, in a six to twelve week span.
Contact Silverman Consulting And Retail Services today.
Silverman Consulting & Retail Services229 Yonge St suite 400,
Toronto, ON M5B 1N9, Canada
1 (888) 955-1069