“Cross-training allows the employee to work in different
areas rather than face the tedium of constant repetition.
This keeps things interesting when the employee is
faced with a new and stimulating challenge.”
— MITCHELL FREEMAN
-“Any successful business requires
employees who are operating at the best
version of themselves. A burned-out
employee is an unproductive, unhappy,
disengaged employee. No one benefits
from that. The employee suffers, the
customers suffer, and the business
suffers,” says Bryan Williams, chief
service officer at B.Williams Enterprise,
LLC, based in Bowie, Maryland.
Faith Freeman, chief creative officer at
Primal Elements, located in Huntington
Beach, California, agrees that employee
burnout has a direct impact on customer
service. “It’s important to address
burnout among employees so that it
doesn’t impact the customer and guest
experience in a negative way. It is
always important to keep staff in a
positive and winning attitude,” Freeman
says.
Warning Signs
Kate Mearns, principal consultant at 5
Spa Consulting, LLC in Williamsburg,
Virginia, says it is critical that spa
directors and business owners prevent
and recognize early signs of employee
burnout because it can become contagious.
“If just one employee displays the
signs of burnout, a spa director or owner
must know the sentiment is toxic and
will quickly spread throughout the staff,”
she says. “In my experience, employee
burnout begins to manifest itself
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through a slip in an employee’s overall
performance, as well as their interaction
and communication with others. This
may include performance deficits such
as tardiness, adherence to schedules or
even small guest service issues. The
‘burned-out’ employee begins to
separate from the group and avoid
leadership.”
Williams sees similar warning signs,
adding that high absenteeism, along
with an inclination to do only the
absolute bare minimum of job requirements, are often signs of a burned-out
employee.
Jacquee Thompson, spa manager of
SiSpa at Fort Lauderdale Marriott
Pompano Beach Resort & Spa in Florida,
says a noticeable decline in positive
guest feedback and satisfaction is
another good indicator of work burnout.
Primal Elements Sales & Marketing
Director Mitchell Freeman says it isn’t
always easy to pinpoint if an employee
is burned-out from work or simply facing
personal issues; however, there are clear
signs that one is losing his or her edge.
“Whet