How can you give empathetic feedback to employees struggling with burnout?

1 Recognize the signs

Before you give feedback, you need to identify if your employee is experiencing burnout or not. Burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by chronic stress at work, and it can manifest in various ways. For instance, decreased motivation and engagement, increased cynicism and negativity, reduced productivity and quality, frequent errors and mistakes, irritability and mood swings, fatigue and health problems. If any of these signs are present in your employee, it's important to approach them with compassion and empathy instead of harshness or judgment.

2 Listen and understand

In order to give empathetic feedback, it's important to first listen and understand your employee's perspective. Ask open-ended questions to explore how they feel, what challenges they face, and what support they need. Examples include: “How are you coping with your workload and deadlines?” or “What are the most stressful aspects of your job right now?” Additionally, ask them about their goals and expectations for themselves and their work, and how you can help them achieve them. As you listen, be sure to remain active and attentive, acknowledging their emotions and concerns without interruption or criticism. Show that you care and respect their opinions and experiences.

3 Provide specific and balanced feedback

After listening and understanding, you can provide specific and balanced feedback to your employee. Feedback is essential to help them improve their work and grow their skills, but it should be delivered with respect, constructiveness, and support. To do this, be specific with examples and data to illustrate points. Balance your comments by highlighting strengths and achievements, as well as areas of improvement. Constructive feedback should include clear and realistic suggestions on how they can improve their work, as well as resources and guidance where needed. Supportive feedback should express confidence in their abilities and motivate them to overcome challenges. Show appreciation and gratitude to avoid being harsh or demanding.