QD: What are the ways employees can realign their work with their purpose?
This continued state can make it hard to become refreshed by a few days off or even a vacation. This can increase the likelihood an employee leaves a company or looks for work elsewhere. The reality is that a lasting improvement often requires a reassessment of priorities and changes in their outlook or responsibilities to restore alignment.
David Satterwhite, CEO of Chronus, a leading employee-driven development and mentoring platform, reached out to Quality Digest with his thoughts on this phenomenon.
QD: How does misalignment burnout manifest?
That’s why Chronus recently acquired Imperative, an employee engagement platform that leverages the power of a proprietary purpose assessment and meaningful 1:1 purpose conversations that help employees own their careers through the lens of purpose.
QD: Certainly, older people have misalignment burnout as well. Do they just deal with it better? Is it this generation of young people, or has this always been the case? Did young employees in 1980 experience the same thing?
Then there are untapped and marginalized groups. Employees from underrepresented backgrounds, such as women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those with disabilities, can experience misalignment burnout due to the lack of support, recognition, and available opportunities for growth. These groups may struggle to find mentors who share their experiences, which can lead to a sense of isolation and a lack of career progression.
And employers want this, too. Human sustainability, or the ability of organizations to prolong the health, employability, and productivity of their employees, is the way to a more resilient organization today.
The world of remote work spawned by the pandemic posed several new and unprecedented challenges as employers and employees alike reconfigured relationships and adopted new expectations for each other.
QD: How does misalignment burnout affect employee well-being and workplace performance?
QD: What are its common causes?
“An alarming segment of young workers are experiencing burnout,” he wrote. “Many might think it’s due to poor work-life balance or the summer slump. But did you ever think it’s from being in a state of misalignment? Engaging in a workplace that goes against our values can cause a major disconnect between ourselves and our professional identity.
DS: I think there’s no doubt that remote work has created flexibility and balance for employees in some areas. But I think we also have to realize it has brought some challenges as well. Keeping employees connected to each other and the organization long-term in the world of hybrid work is tough. It just is! Interacting through screens a large portion of the time can leave employees feeling disconnected and disengaged outside of the meetings they are attending and the projects they are completing.
DS: I certainly don’t think this is a new thing in the workplace. Employees have always been searching for ways to make their work and day-to-day lives better. I think each generation has just gotten better about verbalizing this want and need while putting the right, evolving vocabulary behind it. Our world today has enabled employees to ask for more, whereas previous generations might never have realized it was even an option.
Combine this with the change in the employer-employee contract that’s been happening over the last five years, and we’ve come to this inflection point where employees of any generation today are looking for ways to realign themselves with their roles and responsibilities to create a more sustainable work life.
QD: Many people say remote work provides a better work-life balance. How does that balance factor in with misalignment burnout?
Gen Z and millennials may be especially vulnerable. Over the last few years, they’ve borne the impact of the evolving work landscape, grappling with the challenges of remote work and school, colossal workloads and stress, and also navigating and reevaluating their future paths. They’re also generations that put more emphasis and expectations on what the workplace could and should offer employees.
DS: Like general burnout, misalignment can manifest in various ways—mentally, physically, and emotionally. People may feel drained and overwhelmed, leading to a persistent state of exhaustion, a negative outlook on life, and a decline in performance due to difficulty concentrating and meeting expectations from co-workers and managers. Physical symptoms such as headaches, malaise, and fatigue are also common.
DS: Today, 63% of employees want their employers to provide more opportunities for purpose in their day-to-day work. Yet, a stark “purpose gap” exists between upper management and those on the front lines. As an employer, it’s crucial to understand where your employees are mentally, especially in today’s evolving workplace. Providing them with the resources they need to reorient and revitalize their professional journey is more important than ever. A strong mentorship relationship can guide an employee in identifying which aspects of their current role, company, or profession align with their personal values and sense of purpose.
DS: While anyone can experience this type of burnout, I believe there are a few specific groups that might be more vulnerable.
Naturally, we had more questions.
A holistic approach is essential, including a shared language around values and purpose, one-on-one managerial support, formal mentoring programs and employee resource groups to unlock purpose and motivation, accessible training and guidance resources, and increased transparency at the organization around a company’s purpose and mission.
The key component to this is enabling employee-driven development where employees can take the initiative in identifying the root causes of misalignment burnout. This means providing the resources, investment, and time to allow each person to reflect on their current circumstances and create a list that outlines where they are—personally, mentally, and professionally—where they want to be, and the steps needed to achieve those goals.