Here’s the hard truth: your employees probably won’t tell you they’re experiencing burnout.
Recent research by the Society of Human Resources (SHRM) found nearly half of all U.S. employees feel burned out at work. Employee burnout in onboarding teams is also becoming increasingly common as administrative tasks pile up, and customer success teams are expected to do more with less.
Addressing burnout within your team is critical to protecting your workforce and ensuring your customers' interactions with your company are positive.
Here’s a closer look at what’s causing employee burnout in onboarding teams and what you can do to alleviate it.
Why Burnout is So Common Among Client Onboarding Teams
The prevalence of burnout among onboarding teams isn’t surprising, given the evolution of the role. As B2B software solutions grew more advanced, dedicated onboarding teams became essential. These teams, often a mix of project managers, implementors, and domain and tech specialists, have seen their responsibilities grow with the complexity of cloud-based solutions.
Today, client onboarding teams often face an overwhelming backlog of tasks. This issue is compounded by companies underestimating the importance of onboarding and failing to provide adequate staffing. High turnover rates further burden long-term employees, who must juggle increasing complexities, client demands, and the need to stay updated on the latest technology and regulations.
The Consequences of Employee Burnout
Research by the American Psychological Association found 57% of employees are experiencing the impacts of work-related stress and workplace burnout, including a lack of motivation and reduced productivity, a desire to keep to themselves, and a desire to quit.
Gallup research shows employees experiencing burnout are 63% more likely to be absent from work and are over twice as likely to seek new employment, directly affecting an organization's bottom line.
The stakes are high for companies, particularly in client-facing roles like onboarding.
How to Reduce Employee Burnout in Client Onboarding Teams
To reduce burnout in onboarding teams, employers must be proactive. Here are some concrete strategies that can help.
Manage Workloads and Expectations
As a client success manager or onboarding leader, you can prevent burnout with more strategic project management. Use project management solutions that give you full visibility into each team member’s availability and the tasks assigned to them to ensure work is evenly distributed. Monitor task completion times against goals and adjust timelines accordingly to help reduce stress.
It’s also important to manage last-minute client requests. Having a dedicated case management solution where clients can submit these requests, read summaries of the latest updates, and clearly understand the timeline for resolving them can help streamline communication.
Automate Repetitive Tasks
Many client onboarding tasks involve manual data entry, constantly reminding clients to upload documents, and notifying team members of next steps. Client onboarding software that includes automated workflows and notifications reduces the time your team spends following up on routine items, sending reminders to colleagues and tracking time.
Regularly ask your team for feedback during and after onboarding projects to identify areas where you need to make improvements in your processes.
Offer Flexible Work Schedules
Client onboarding processes are almost entirely remote, so they should be conducive to a flexible work schedule. Allowing your team to have some flexibility reduces stress and improves employee satisfaction. Shared calendars can help you to see when team members are online or have blocked off time to manage other responsibilities at home.
Provide Clear Pathways for Career Advancement
Establish clear career progression paths to motivate employees and improve retention. Ensure your onboarding team is well-trained in the skills that will help them advance in their roles and up-to-date with the latest technology and trends. This boosts confidence and reduces stress.
Recognize and reward employees as they complete new certifications or take on new responsibilities. Employees who feel valued in the workplace are less likely to experience burnout.
Promote a Culture of Teamwork and Collaboration
The latest SHRM research shows workers who feel a strong sense of connection at work are 2.5 times less likely to burn out. Reward teamwork and make it easy for employees to share workloads using technology that provides full project visibility. Make time to strengthen relationships among team members as well. If most of your team is located in the same area, consider having regular team lunches or outings. Remote teams can connect through virtual happy hours, book clubs, trivia games or any activity you all enjoy.
Offer Access to Mental Health Resources
Many workplaces offer counseling services, stress management workshops, and employee assistance programs to support mental well-being, but many employees don’t know they have these options. Regularly remind your team that they can access these resources, and check in frequently with individual team members to ask how you can offer support.
Lead by Example
Actions speak louder than words. Your team won’t feel comfortable taking time off and setting boundaries if they can see you’re always overworked and overwhelmed. Make sure you’re managing your own responsibilities and workload appropriately, and reevaluate when necessary. Collaborate with other department leaders to accomplish top priorities for the organization instead of taking on too much yourself.
Fight Burnout Before It Begins With Better Onboarding Technology
At Setuply, we understand the challenges that contribute to burnout in onboarding teams. Our client onboarding software alleviates these stressors by automating manual tasks, allowing team members to focus on more strategic activities. With Setuply, you can set realistic project timelines, manage workloads efficiently, and ensure tasks are evenly distributed.
Setuply also streamlines communication between clients and team members, reducing the stress of last-minute requests and miscommunications. With comprehensive project management capabilities, Setuply simplifies the onboarding process, reducing the learning curve for team members and enhancing overall efficiency.
This boosts productivity while promoting a more balanced, less stressful work environment, keeping your onboarding team healthy and effective.
Request a demo today to learn more about how we can help.