Workers help make our communities run.
Widespread vacancies are causing closures and impacting services. In early December, the New York National Guard deployed personnel to healthcare facilities across the state to help in areas of need.
Existing staffing shortages compounded by the Great Resignation, especially in sectors that rely on front-line workers, impact an organization’s ability to provide services to the public.
The exact reason behind the trend varies. But the effects have a lasting impact.
Robert Nealon is a recruitment expert and district president for Robert Half, a global talent solutions and business consulting firm.Last year, the company conducted a survey to find out what workers were feeling and why.
They surveyed 2,400 professionals in the United States. The common theme reported is that a lot of people are simply bored — to tears — with their jobs.
Early in the pandemic, companies downsized. Many of them halted hiring altogether until late 2020.
Because of this, Nealon said, workloads have increased for many. And when someone is given more work than they can absorb, it causes an otherwise good staff member to become disengaged.
Results of the survey show:
- 20% of the people who have changed jobs within the past 6 months stated that boredom was their main reason for moving on.
- For participants who answered questions regarding skills development, 44% of them felt "stuck."
Boredom is within a company’s control Nealon said. "The employer has an obligation to keep employees engaged, and there are things that any organization can do to prevent its staff from developing those feelings," he said.
Boredom at work disrupts business as usual
Stephanie Broussard, Robert Half's regional director, is based in the Rochester area. She manages a staff of 45 employment professionals in upstate New York. On the exciting topic of boredom,Broussard said that companies can give stretch assignments to employees to combat doldrums.
"When employers sprinklein additional assignmentsit breaks up the day and work year. It gives people a sense of fulfillment,"she said.
Business as usual? Not so much.
Broussard said that a whopping 41% of workers who took part in the surveyplanned to look for new work in 2022 and 28% of that same group want to quit theircurrent jobso badly that they’d do it without another one lined up.
Nealon, who oversees theNorthern New Englandlocations of Robert Half including parts of New York state, saidthat during the throes of the pandemic there was a focus on the external situation (health and safety) and less attention to the whole employee and their career path.
Now people are up and leaving their place of employment at a record pace. "Some people feel that their careers have stalled. The pandemic slowed down advancement,"he said.
Mental health experts weigh in
Marc Grossman, a psychotherapist based in New York, wants to help his patients see that they don’t have to leave their current job to fix the problem.
"The leading reason patients I work with reported looking for a new job is that they are bored with the one that they currently hold," he said.
Grossman said that boredom at work can have severe consequences, including demotivation, disengagement, anxiety and sadness. Those feelings—over time—can lead to burnout, depression and illness, he said.
"Boredom can be turned around if you are willing to work at it, take the right steps,"said Grossman.
Employers have come to the realization that work norms, like everything else, evolve. Searching for creative ways to recruit and retain talent has become standard practice—organizations want to prove that they are the best place to work.
What keeps and creates loyal employees? Is it pay, flexibility,opportunity, a parking spot? A mash-up of some sort?
In this competitive job market, what are you doing to set your business apart and keep your employees engaged?
How to spot signs of boredom at work
We drink water when we are thirsty. We job hunt when we feel stagnant.
To prevent this, as high turnover is expensive and can harm your business,Nealon and Broussard have some advice for employers and workers to help tackle feelings of disengagement on the job.
Here are some tell-tale signs that your employees are suffering from boredom, according to the professionals at Robert Half:
1.If job productivity suddenly wanes or if someone is less focused on their regular tasks, this can signal that they are disengaged.
2.Employees might involve themselves in other things to keep work interesting.
3.A person may exhibit unusual behavioral changes, too, like logging off early, clocking in late, or taking longer lunches than usual.
What to do to prevent boredom at work
If you want to keep your employees here are some things to do, say employment expertsNealon and Broussard:
1.Get them involved in project-based work changing what their day-to-day duties are.If a staff member has never led a team, let them spearhead a small project.
2.Start a mentorship program by allowing entry-level staff to study under more senior members of the team, thiswaythey can decide on a career path within your organization.
3.Conduct “stay interviews” to help pinpoint challenges. Unless you talk to people individually, you will never know what they want, what they need — communication can help them regain hope and excitement about their job.
Broussard saidthat managers should schedule monthly 1:1 meetings with employees to discussworkloads.
“During these conversations, you can find out if staff members areoverworkedor even underutilized,” she said.
4.Provide interesting training opportunities to help employees grow. If youdon'thave the budget to send staffers away,there are a plethora of online certification programs that will excite them and enhancetheir contributions to your company.
What if you feel bored at work?
Here are some tips for those of us who drink way too much coffee to get through the day.
For those who are bored at work, Nealon and Broussard say:
1. Take action. It's not going to get better if you do nothing about it.
2.Don't just up and quit your job. Put a game plan in place to find a job that you would be interested in.
3. Write down a pros and cons list, so that if you do communicate with a recruiter, it can help you decidewhat to do next.
If you have spoken with your boss and you are still bored, it's probably time for some self-reflection,Broussard said.
There is something quite alarming about the Great Resignation. With every departure, there is experience and history lost.“Whenever someone is not engaged it can erode the culture. When people decide that they are actually in a rut, companies experience a higher turnover,” saidNealon.
Robert Half is an international staffing firm. For more information about what they do you can find them atwww.roberthalf.com.
Amorette Miller is a columnist for the Democrat & Chronicle. She focuses on stories about underrepresented persons and cultures in the community and topics of careers and the workforce. She can be found at @amorettemiller.
