How to Help Your Tired but Excited Employees: A Startup Founder's Guide

In today's work world, startup founders face an interesting problem. Many workers feel very tired, or "burned out," but at the same time, they still care a lot about their work. This situation is quite common in modern offices.

Recent studies show this problem clearly. A report by DHR Global found that 88 percent of workers feel excited about their work and want to reach their team's goals. However, 82 percent of these same workers also feel burned out to some degree. Another study by isolved had similar results: 92 percent of workers say they are fully committed to their jobs, but 79 percent feel burned out.

So, how can startup founders help their team with this issue?  Two experts have shared some useful advice. Let's look at their ideas.

Firstly, it's important to gather information about how your employees feel. Michael Nutter, who has the interesting job title of "Happyologist," suggests regularly asking employees about their work-life balance, career growth, and how they feel about their team and projects.  This way, you can understand the main problems they face and think about how to solve them. 

Nutter also says that business leaders should be open and honest when asking for this information. He advises: "Take the time to do whatever you have to do, whether that be personal interviews or a group survey. Don't ever be afraid to ask, 'How can we help you?'"

Secondly, remember that your team might include people of different ages and at different stages in their careers. Because of this, Celia Fleischaker, a Chief Marketing Officer, recommends changing how you communicate with different groups of employees. 

Fleischaker explains:

"HR has typically looked at employee comms as this monolith. Being able to have the data to understand the segments at a pretty micro level and then being able to use tools to adjust the messaging to speak to them is really important."

Nutter agrees with this idea.  He often writes a main message with all the important information, and then asks team leaders to change it to fit their workers' communication styles before sending it.

Lastly, it's crucial to think about what your employees need at different stages of their time with your company. Their needs might change from when they first join to when they're ready to move on.

Fleischaker suggests mapping out this journey and figuring out what's most important at each stage. She asks:

"What is it that they can do to use that data and look at that stage of the journey to better communicate with them?  How do they better support them? How do they give them the training, the mentorship that they need to reduce attrition there?"

At Nutter's company, they do a "happy check" with employees after three months and nine months. They ask how satisfied the employees are with their team, projects, work-life balance, and career growth. They also check in after one year to make sure people still feel connected to the company's goals.

In conclusion, by understanding that your employees can be both committed and tired, and by using these strategies to support them, you can create a better work environment in your startup. Remember, the key is to communicate openly, understand different needs, and support your team throughout their time with your company. This approach can help your employees stay enthusiastic and productive, even when they feel tired.

Hashtags: #EmployeeEngagement #StartupCulture #LeadershipTips 

Keyphrase: "Employee burnout engagement strategies"

Source: Inc /  FEB 19, 2025 /  https://www.inc.com/divya-bhardwaj/three-tips-to-help-your-burnt-out-but-still-enthusiastic-employees/91149344