One of the reasons for resignations is boredom. Underachievers don’t mind doing a mediocre job. But high performers will most likely hate being in an unchallenging workplace. The pay may be high, but not even monetary rewards will be enough to keep people on the job, especially if they’re young and single.
Contrary to popular thinking, boredom is not about not having enough to do, but not feeling challenged enough. Lack of feedback, lack of motivation, and having no control over important decisions also make employees bored. The problem with boredom is that it often slips pass management. Not wanting to come off as complainers, many good employees would rather suffer in silence rather than complain about being bored.
7 Ways to Combat Boredom in the Workplace
Boredom in employees is detrimental to companies for many reasons. It also lowers productivity and efficiency. It causes stress and unhappiness not only in bored employees but in other employees as well. Research shows that boredom in some influences boredom in others. When people call out the boring aspects of their jobs, other employees are bound to focus on these aspects too.
To reduce boredom, employees turn to unhealthy lifestyles or work habits like drinking more coffee, eating more chocolates, or surfing through social media rather than working.
How do you combat boredom in workplace? Here are some tips:
Involve your team
If it’s applicable, let employees participate in brainstorming sessions and involve them in decision-making. Instead of letting employees work alone as they often do, think of projects that they can collaborate on and think more deeply about. This not only helps your employees, but can also give your company more innovative ideas.
Automate menial tasks
Free your employees from boring tasks. Let them fax faster using internet fax or provide them with gadgets and other devices to make their work more efficient. Don’t tie them up with work that can get done by just anyone. Maximize their skills for more challenging tasks.
Communicate
Create quarterly surveys to help you evaluate employee engagement. Encourage suggestions and feedback that would employees feel more energetic while on the job. Sometimes, the simplest fix is to engage your employees in conversation.
Encourage a healthy lifestyle
Give employees some time to get a breath of fresh air. It’s better to have offices with windows to let the sun and air stream through sometimes. If you can offer healthier lunches, do so. Fruits, vegetables, and grains will help employees feel less bloated and lethargic. Some offices also give employees free gym passes or think of weekly bowling or badminton nights to give their employees opportunities for exercise.
Provide training
Aside from giving employees skills-training in their present jobs, give them seminars and workshops in other skills. Prepare your employees to perform other jobs, so they won’t get bored being stuck in doing the same routine every day.
Break the routine
In what ways can you break a dull routine at work? Maybe you can offer flexible working hours or organize a company outing. If it’s time to have fun, ensure that everyone’s on a break and don’t give them additional tasks.
Hire the appropriate person
Lastly, hire the right person for the job. Make sure that he believes that the work and the environment are cut out for him.
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