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Tag: HRLeadership

  • Why High Performers Burn Out First and Quit

    Why High Performers Burn Out First and Quit

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    Christy Suerth, MS, SPHR, CPC, CHC

    Your highest performers tell you they are leaving because they’ve been offered more money at another company. But it’s not always true.

    Some leave because they’re exhausted.

    And often, you won’t see it coming.

    In my HR career, I sat in countless Talent Review Meetings. Leaders spent enormous effort identifying high-potential talent – our “Hi-Pos.” We invested heavily in their development, planning for a future ROI.

    But what if they burn out before the return is realized?

    Take “Elena” (not her real name). She was brilliant, articulate, and already seen as a future VP. At the same time, she was a mom, caring for an ill parent, and married to a partner with an equally demanding career. From the outside, she had it all together.

    On the inside, she was running on fumes. Skipped meals. Sleepless nights. Guilt over missed school events. Guilt over leaving work at 5:00. Anxiety that she was “barely enough” at work and home.

    When she finally spoke to me, she was in tears. She was already deep into burnout and seriously considering quitting.

    Her story isn’t rare. It’s a pattern I see often: High-performing women, carrying heavy loads at work and at home, who silently burn out. Then, something breaks.

    Why High Performers Burn Out First

    • They say yes too often. Elena rarely turned down requests, even when she was stretched thin.
    • They self-silence. She didn’t want to appear weak, to others or in her own eyes, so she kept going.
    • They set very high standards. She expected excellence in every domain. No tolerance for “good enough.”
    • They become over-relied on. Her leadership team leaned heavily on her because she always showed up.

    These dynamics don’t just exhaust energy. They erode engagement, focus, and resilience.

    Recent Data on Burnout in High Performers: The Numbers Back It Up

    To show this isn’t just one person’s story, here are some recent findings:

    • A McKinsey/LeanIn survey of ~65,000 U.S. employees found 42% of women report feeling burned out, compared with 35% of men. Constant “always-on” expectations make a difference. (UNLEASH)
    • Deloitte research across 5,000 women in 10 countries showed 53% of women say their stress levels are higher than a year ago, and almost half feel burned out. (Deloitte)
    • According to McKinsey Health Institute, 37% of adult caregivers report high burnout symptoms (emotional, exhaustion, cognitive impairment), compared to lower rates for those caring for children. Caring for ill family members is a serious risk factor. (McKinsey & Company)
    • In a report about “high performers,” 53% of them said they are burnt out; higher than the rate among typical employees. (Modern Health)

    These stats show that burnout isn’t rare; it is widespread. And for high-potential talent, like Elena, the risks are compounded.

    The Leadership Blind Spot – Burnout in High Performers

    Many leaders assume that if someone is delivering, they’re okay. But that assumption is dangerous. High performers, especially those in caregiving roles or with heavy home responsibilities, often:

    • Mask their stress
    • Push through until they don’t have a choice
    • Avoid asking for help to protect their reputation

    This means that by the time the visible signals show up (e.g., a decline in quality, missed deadlines, withdrawal, lost enthusiasm) it’s already very serious.

    What Leaders Can Do About Burnout in High Performers

    Here are practical actions to prevent the burnout of your top people:

    • Redefine what success looks like. Celebrate sustainable performance, not just long hours.
    • Spot subtle signals. Fatigue, irritability, disengagement. If a previously reliable leader becomes quiet, don’t assume it’s just “busyness.”
    • Normalize asking for help. Create real space (not just a policy) for people to speak up when they’re overloaded.
    • Audit workload and responsibility. Distribute critical tasks more evenly; avoid defaulting always to your top people.
    • Support caregivers explicitly. Recognize that caregiving responsibilities (for children or adult parents) are major stressors. Flexibility and benefit plan design matter.

    The Bottom Line

    Elena’s story is painful, but we can learn from it. Burnout doesn’t just cause turnover. It dims innovation, erodes trust, damages reputation, and weakens organizational culture.

    If your high performers are burning out first, then the real risk is not only losing talent, but also momentum, credibility, and the strategy you’re trying to execute.

    I’ve worked with many leaders to identify burnout risk, redesign what’s broken, and protect their people (and culture) from burnout. If you want to be the leader who prevents that from happening, let’s connect.

    Sign-up for my weekly newsletter on LinkedIn.

    Learn more about ways to recognize burnout on your team: Your Team is Burned-Out! Nine Ways to Recognize It

  • AI Is Revolutionizing the Workplace, But at What Cost? 

    AI Is Revolutionizing the Workplace, But at What Cost? 

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    Christy Suerth, MS, SPHR, CPC, CHC

    How HR Leaders Can Prevent AI-Driven Burnout and Ensure Employee Well-being Using Maslach’s Six Areas of Worklife

    AI is transforming the workplace faster than most organizations can adapt. From automated workflows to AI-driven analytics, employees are being asked to work alongside new coworkers: machines.

    How effectively are we factoring in the human cost of AI? HR leaders are now on the front lines. They are responsible for designing AI adoption in ways that protect engagement, meaning, and psychological safety.

    The Hidden Risk: AI Can Increase Burnout

    Technology should make work easier. But we all know from experience, it can have the opposite effect too:

    • Increased mental strain: Employees are expected to learn how to use new tools, interpret AI outputs, monitor automated processes, or make decisions faster.
    • Loss of control: When AI dictates decisions, tasks, or priorities, employees may feel disempowered. They may fear that AI will replace them.
    • Change fatigue: Continuous adaptation to technology and AI systems can create stress, even for technologically-oriented employees.

    These issues highlight why burnout is not just about workload or hours. It’s about the design of work itself.

    The Solution: Maslach’s Six Areas of Worklife

    Christina Maslach’s research identifies six key areas that determine whether employees thrive or burn out. Using these areas, HR leaders can design AI adoption in a way that safeguards human well-being.

    A Real-World Example

    In one multinational HR department I observed, AI was introduced to support recruitment efficiency. Initially, employees felt disempowered and stressed. There was concern that AI would eliminate their jobs. By applying the Six Areas framework, the director was able to maintain engagement within the team and prevent burnout. How did they do it?

    Applying the Six Areas of Worklife Framework:

    1. Workload: The AI system was used to automate the initial screening of resumes, prioritizing the best-fit candidates. This significantly reduced the time spent on a repetitive task. Leveraging AI allowed staff to focus on more complex and strategic activities like proactive recruitment and relationship-building, interviewing candidates, and developing recruitment strategies.
    2. Control: While the AI provided recommendations on which candidates to shortlist, the final decision-making authority remained with humans. This ensured that they retained control over the recruitment process and could make decisions based on their expertise and judgment. Also critical, the human decisions supported compliance.
    3. Reward: Led by HR, the company updated its recognition and development plans to include AI-related skills. Employees who effectively utilized the AI system and demonstrated proficiency in managing AI-driven processes could be rewarded with recognition, remuneration, and opportunities for further career development.
    4. Community: Prior to the introduction of the new technology, regularly scheduled team meetings and collaborative projects were maintained to ensure that staff continued to build strong interpersonal relationships with one another. Leadership also organized training sessions to help employees understand and adapt to the new AI system, fostering a sense of community and support.
    5. Fairness: The AI system was designed to be transparent, with objective and legally compliant criteria for how resumes were screened and shortlisted. Employees reviewed the AI-generated assessments, using their judgment and discretion. In addition, regular audits were conducted to ensure that the AI’s decisions were fair and unbiased. Employees were trained to understand the AI’s decision-making process and to explain it to candidates when asked.
    6. Values: The introduction of AI was aligned with the company’s objectives to improve recruitment efficiency while maintaining a human-centric approach. The AI system was implemented in a way that supported the company’s values of fairness, transparency, and employee well-being.

    Key Insight: AI adoption doesn’t replace human-centered design. It amplifies the need for it.

    Practical Steps for HR Leaders

    1. Conduct a Burnout Audit: Map current workloads and stress points. Identify where AI tools may help or exacerbate strain.
    2. Communicate Transparently: Employees should understand why AI is being introduced, what will change, and how they’ll be supported.
    3. Redesign Roles Thoughtfully: Marry AI to human judgment. Clarify responsibilities, and make sure employees retain autonomy over decisions that matter.
    4. Train and Upskill: Offer skill-building programs that help employees adapt to AI without feeling overwhelmed.
    5. Measure Engagement and Perceptions of Safety: Track not only results but also psychological safety, workload perception, and satisfaction as AI tools are implemented.

    Why Leaders Must Act Now

    AI adoption is accelerating fast. Executives and HR leaders who ignore the human impact risk disengaged teams, hidden productivity losses, and high turnover. By integrating Maslach’s Six Areas of Worklife into AI implementation strategies, organizations can unlock efficiency without sacrificing well-being.

    Takeaway

    AI will continue to reshape work, but burnout is preventable when leaders focus on human-centered design. Use the Six Areas framework to ensure that technology serves people, not the other way around.

    Call to Action

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