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  • Who’s Burning Out the Fastest? 10 Surprising Profiles at Risk

    Who’s Burning Out the Fastest? 10 Surprising Profiles at Risk

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    Christy Suerth, MS, SPHR, CPC, CHC

    Burnout hits some, more than others. Certain industries, roles, and even personality types are more in danger of experiencing it.

    Are you, or your employees, on this list?

    Knowing where burnout attacks is the first step you can take to stop losing talent, productivity, and trust.

    Here are the Top 10 Burnout Profiles Every Leader Should Be Watching

    1. Healthcare professionals: From nurses to physicians, the demand never stops, and the stakes are always high.

    2. Teachers and educators: Expectations keep climbing while resources shrink.

    3. Tech and IT professionals: Long hours, constant change, and being “always on” wear people down quickly.

    4. Middle managers: Responsible for delivering results and supporting teams, yet also reporting upward, is often the most difficult job in a company.

    5. Legal professionals: A culture of high stakes, high pressure, and little downtime make this one of the most burnout-prone professions.

    6. Women in leadership: Responsible for achieving results and carrying the weight of the majority of the invisible (home) labor, many feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

    7. Gen Z employees: Ambitious and eager to prove themselves, but often under-supported in how to sustain energy long term.

    8. Introverts in highly social roles: Sales, customer service, HR, and other outward-facing jobs can drain introverts’ energy quickly when recharging time is limited.

    9. High-performing perfectionists: Regardless of industry, those who push hardest for flawless results are at greater risk.

    10. Nonprofit and mission-driven staff: Passion fuels the work, but overextension is common.

    Bottom line? Even if you don’t see yourself or your employees here, burnout is still very likely in your workplace. Depending on the study, 30 to 75 percent of employees report burnout symptoms. That translates into lost productivity, higher turnover, more sick days, and rising healthcare costs.

    Burnout isn’t just personal. It’s systemic. And it’s expensive.

    Leaders, this is your call to stop and think. Some of your people are probably already running on fumes. Without understanding where burnout is happening, you risk underestimating the problem and overestimating the results your team will produce.

    To learn how to recognize burnout on your team, click here.

    Sign up for my newsletter here.

  • Engagement Scores Miss the Mark. How To Measure Thrivability and Prevent Burnout

    Engagement Scores Miss the Mark. How To Measure Thrivability and Prevent Burnout

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    Christy Suerth, MS, SPHR, CPC, CHC

    In boardrooms and executive team meetings, the conversation is shifting. Engagement scores miss the mark.

    I’ve seen it firsthand. I worked with a CEO who wasn’t interested in another “engagement survey.” He wanted to know something deeper: How are our people really doing?

    Just yesterday, a colleague told me his CEO asked about “thrivability.” Not retention. Not engagement. But whether employees were truly able to thrive in the culture.

    This tells me something: leaders are starting to realize that thrivability is becoming a core business metric. It’s one they can’t afford to ignore.

    Why Thrivability Matters in Preventing Burnout

    Many organizations talk about well-being. And while well-being matters, it often stops at programs or perks: meditation apps, gym memberships, wellness stipends. Well-being can mean employees are “okay.”

    Thrivability goes further. It asks: are people energized, purposeful, and contributing in ways that drive performance?

    • Retention isn’t enough. Keeping burned-out employees on the payroll costs more than turnover. Thrivability ensures people are energized, not just hanging on.
    • Innovation and agility require energy. Thriving employees contribute ideas, solve problems, and see possibilities others miss.
    • It signals cultural health. When thrivability is high, you’ll see resilience, adaptability, and trust across the organization.

    Thrivability isn’t just surviving. It’s flourishing. And that difference is what drives business outcomes.

    How to Put Thrivability into Practice

    If you’re wondering how to measure and apply this inside your organization, start small:

    1. Ask different questions. Move beyond “Are you engaged?” to “What restores your energy at work?” or “Do you feel your work matters?”
    2. Track energy as a metric. Pulse surveys at the end of the week can reveal whether teams are consistently depleted or restored.
    3. Leverage validated tools. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Areas of Worklife (AWL) Survey are gold standards for understanding where employees are at risk of burnout—and where thriving is most possible. Unlike engagement surveys, they identify the root causes of depletion.
    4. Link to business outcomes. Compare thrivability scores with retention, innovation metrics (patents, ideas submitted), or even customer satisfaction.
    5. Pilot with leaders. Ask managers to track team thrivability and discuss results in staff meetings—make it visible and actionable.
    6. Embed in scorecards. Thrivability deserves a spot next to revenue, margin, and customer experience. What gets measured gets managed. For more ideas, read my article about how one company used KPIs to prevent burnout.

    The Executive Imperative: Measure What Matters

    Forward-thinking CEOs are already asking their teams about thrivability.

    Because companies don’t burn out. People do. And when your people thrive, your business thrives.

    Question for Leaders:
    If you could add one thrivability measure to your scorecard tomorrow, what would it be?

    (And if you’re curious about how tools like the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Areas of Work Life Survey reveal these answers, send me a note. I’m always happy to share how organizations are using it.)

    Thrivability is quickly becoming a leading indicator of organizational performance. I believe in the next five years, boards will begin expecting it reported alongside earnings and customer growth.

    Do you find this information helpful: Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn:

    Learn more about the cost of burnout by reading Burnout Doesn’t Send You an Invoice but It’s Already Draining Your Bottom Line

  • Your Team is Burned Out! Nine Ways to Recognize It

    Your Team is Burned Out! Nine Ways to Recognize It

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    Christy Suerth, MS, SPHR, CPC, CHC

    As a leader in several world-class global organizations, I quickly learned that managing people well is immensely challenging.

    I remember one technical implementation project where we were under tremendous pressure to deliver results with limited resources. I had to balance performance with the wellbeing of my team.

    At one point, a team member, with dark circles under their eyes, told me: “I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

    It was a wake-up call. I realized that while pushing for results was necessary, recognizing and addressing burnout was just as critical. That moment shaped how I lead to this day.

    Burnout Isn’t a Weakness; It’s a Workplace Risk

    Burnout isn’t your team member’s personal flaw. It’s a workplace risk that:

    • Spreads through teams like wildfire
    • Erodes trust and engagement
    • Harms your department’s results
    • Damages your reputation as a leader

    The Costs of Ignoring Burnout

    • Productivity loss: Exhausted employees make more mistakes, recover slower, and need more oversight.
    • Turnover risk: Burnout is a top predictor of attrition. Replacement costs run 1.5–2x an employee’s salary. And in the meantime, the workload piles up.
    • Engagement decline: Burned-out teams don’t innovate. They do the minimum to survive, and you may never hear their million-dollar idea.
    • Reputation damage: A culture of overwork repels top talent. When word spreads, your best candidate my decline, forcing you to settle for a B or C player.

    Read more about the hidden costs of burnout.

    Nine Early Warning Signs of Burnout

    1. Withdrawal – Once-engaged employees pull back in meetings or socially.
    2. Irritability – Small setbacks spark frustration or cynicism.
    3. Declining performance – Not from lack of skill, but lack of energy and focus.
    4. Disengagement – They show up physically, but their spark is gone.
    5. Absenteeism – They take more sick days or PTO than usual. (Gallup: burned-out employees are 63% more likely to take a sick day.)
    6. Griping – Complaints and negativity about leadership become common.
    7. Physical signs – Tired eyes, low energy, weight gain / loss, and visible exhaustion.
    8. Loss of confidence – Once-bold employees shy away from high-visibility projects.
    9. Negativity – They see roadblocks instead of opportunities.

    What Leaders Can Do

    • Put your own mask on first: You can’t support others if you’re running on empty. Seek support from your manager, mentor, coach, or EAP.
    • Name it out loud: Talking about burnout destigmatizes it and opens space for honesty.
    • Model healthy behavior: Take time off, set boundaries, and don’t send late-night emails unless truly urgent.
    • Clarify workload: Burnout thrives in overload and ambiguity. Revisit priorities, redistribute tasks, and remove unnecessary steps.
    • Invest in recovery: Encourage breaks, PTO, flexible schedules, and use of wellness benefits. (The APA highlights recovery as a driver of wellbeing and performance.)
    • Recognize contributions: Recognition is free but often overlooked. Thank people for what they do and who they are.
    • Address root causes: Burnout isn’t fixed with yoga classes. It’s fixed when leaders address workload, control, fairness, community, recognition, and values alignment.

    Your Move as a Leader in 2025

    Burnout isn’t just a human problem. It’s a leadership imperative with business consequences.

    The sooner you recognize and address it, the stronger, more resilient, and more innovative your team will be.

    I gave you nine ways to spot burnout early.

    In your experience, what’s a tenth sign you’ve noticed – on your team, or even in yourself?

    Let’s build a conversation that helps every leader get better at this.

  • How One Company Used KPIs to Reduce & Prevent Burnout

    How One Company Used KPIs to Reduce & Prevent Burnout

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    Christy Suerth, MS, SPHR, CPC, CHC

    Most organizations track employee engagement. Fewer ask: What’s driving disengagement in the first place? Spoiler alert: It is burnou

    If you’re a senior leader or HR executive, you’ve seen engagement scores that fluctuate without clear cause. You’ve launched initiatives, celebrated wins, and burnout still creeps in. That’s because engagement surveys often measure outcomes, not root causes.

    At one company, a mid-sized software company with 500 employees, HR leaders faced this exact dilemma. Engagement scores were decent, but turnover was rising, and exit interviews kept pointing to burnout. So, they tried something different.

    The Six Areas That Changed Everything

    This company adopted Maslach’s Six Areas of Worklife, a research-backed framework that identifies six key dimensions shaping the employee experience:

    1. Workload – Is the volume of work sustainable?
    2. Control – Do employees have autonomy?
    3. Reward – Are contributions recognized?
    4. Community – Is there trust and support?
    5. Fairness – Are decisions equitable?
    6. Values – Do personal and organizational values align?

    These areas were measured using a short quarterly survey and tracked in a leadership dashboard.

    From Theory to Action: The KPI Dashboard

    The HR team built a dashboard that translated each area into a leadership KPI. Here’s a snapshot:

    AreaKPI ExampleLeadership Action
    WorkloadAvg. weekly hours per teamRebalanced project timelines
    Control% employees with decision authorityDelegated sprint planning to teams
    RewardRecognition frequencyLaunched peer-to-peer kudos platform
    CommunityTeam trust scoreIntroduced monthly “team health” check-ins
    FairnessPolicy equity perceptionAudited promotion criteria
    ValuesValues alignment indexConnected work to company mission in town halls

    Within two quarters, they saw a 22% drop in voluntary turnover and a 30% increase in internal mobility. Engagement scores rose, but more importantly, leaders knew why.

    Cost-Benefit: Why It Pays Off

    Cost:

    • Survey setup (internal or via external platforms)
    • Time investment for leaders to review and act on results

    Benefits:

    • Early detection of burnout before performance dips
    • Reduced attrition – Burnout is a leading cause of exit
    • Improved engagement through targeted action
    • Leadership accountability via measurable KPIs
    • Culture transformation – From reactive to proactive

    In summary, they stopped guessing and started diagnosing.

    Why Not Just Use Engagement Surveys?

    Engagement surveys are valuable, but they’re lagging indicators. They tell you what employees feel, not why.

    For example:

    • Engagement score drops → You ask: “What happened?”
    • The Areas of Work Life Survey results show workload and fairness issues → You know exactly what to fix

    Think of Maslach’s framework as the diagnostic tool, and engagement scores as the vital signs. You need both, but only one tells you where to operate.

    Final Thought

    Burnout hits your bottom line. If you’re serious about building a resilient, high-performing culture, it’s time to evolve your metrics. Maslach’s Six Areas of Worklife offer a practical, evidence-based way to turn leadership into a measurable force for good.

    Don’t just measure engagement. Engineer it.

    Sign up for my weekly newsletter.

  • The Power Gap: The Hidden Driver of Middle Manager Burnout

    The Power Gap: The Hidden Driver of Middle Manager Burnout

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    Christy Suerth, MS, SPHR, CPC, CHC

    I’ve seen it and I’ve experienced it. There’s a quiet, exhausting truth in corporate life. It rarely makes it into senior leadership conversations. People are held accountable for results without having the authority to create them. It causes burnout.

    Middle managers live here:

    • Responsible for ambitious (impossible?) KPIs.
    • Expected to keep teams engaged and productive.
    • Caught between executive vision and frontline practicalities.

    Yet, their ability to make meaningful decisions is often stripped away.

    I call this the Power Gap.

    It’s not just frustrating; it’s one of the most corrosive, and ironically, most preventable, causes of burnout.

    I spent over two decades in multinational corporations leading global Talent Development functions, training countless middle managers. I saw their commitment… their care for their people… their willingness to go the extra mile.

    And I also saw the toll.

    We invested heavily in management training, but the burnout persisted. Why? Because you can’t train away a structural problem.

    The real causes were clear:

    • Workloads that exceeded human capacity.
    • Teams stretched so thin managers became doers instead of leaders.
    • KPIs set without resources to match.
    • Relentless waves of change with no time to recover.

    These are not gaps in skill. They are gaps in design.

    The solutions require courage at the top:
    • Clarify decision rights so managers know where their “yes” and “no” actually count.
    • Balance staffing and workload to match the expectations being set.
    • Protect focus by pacing change instead of piling it on.

    In my experience, many senior leaders will not implement these decisions. They often see the cost of balancing staffing and workload as a hard cost. They view burnout as a soft cost. But, the long-term impact of burnout has significant financial implications.

    • Burnout leads to higher turnover rates, increased absenteeism, and lower productivity. These are real and measurable costs.
    • Investing in balancing staffing and workload is an investment in the organization’s future. It leads to higher employee retention, reduced absenteeism, and improved performance. The ROI from a healthier, more engaged workforce can far outweigh the initial costs.
    • A culture of burnout erodes trust and morale. By addressing the Power Gap, we foster a positive work environment, attracting top talent and ensuring long-term sustainability. Balancing staffing and workload is essential for creating a resilient organization that can adapt to changes and challenges effectively.

    When middle managers have both accountability and authority, with the resources to back it up, they transform. They stop being bottlenecks. They become bridges, connecting strategy to reality, vision to execution, and people to purpose.

    If we want workplaces where people thrive, we have to close the Power Gap. Not by asking managers to “be more resilient,” but by redesigning the very role they’re asked to carry.

    For more information on burnout and its impact, contact me or follow me on LinkedIn.

  • Middle Managers: The Missing Link in Burnout Recovery

    Middle Managers: The Missing Link in Burnout Recovery

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    Christy Suerth, MS, SPHR, CPC, CHC

    Johnny C. Taylor, CEO of SHRM, recently offered practical advice for tackling burnout: spot the warning signs, encourage open dialogue, rebalance workloads, clarify expectations, and connect people with supportive resources like EAPs. These are important. But they’re not enough.

    There’s a blind spot in most corporate conversations around burnout and it carries real business consequences.

    We’re not talking nearly enough about middle managers.

    Middle managers are the connective tissue of every organization. They interpret strategy, drive performance, absorb change, and hold space for their teams, all while trying to meet expectations from above. They’re responsible for culture on the ground. And they’re exhausted.

    This layer of leadership is too often invisible in wellbeing strategies. We focus on frontline engagement or executive leadership development. But we forget the people holding both ends together. That’s a mistake.

    Middle managers are burning out – quietly, constantly, and in plain sight. Nearly half of U.S. middle managers now fear being laid off. Many are pushing themselves beyond what’s sustainable. They show up, stay late, skip recovery time, and carry the emotional weight of others because that’s what they think good leadership requires.

    The cost is staggering. A 2025 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine estimates burnout costs between $4,000 and $21,000 per employee, per year. For a company of 1,000 that’s a $5 million annual loss. And that doesn’t include the ripple effects: higher turnover, lower morale, slower innovation, and culture decay.

    If we’re serious about employee wellbeing, and profitability,  we need to get serious about supporting the people in the middle.

    Let’s stop asking managers to do more with less. Let’s stop normalizing heroic over-functioning. Let’s build something better – intentionally, and with heart.

    Here’s what that could look like:

    • Wellbeing as a KPI – Track manager wellbeing alongside business outcomes. Make it a metric that matters, not a poster on the wall.
    • Confidential Peer Circles- Create trusted spaces where managers can talk, exhale, and learn from each other without fear of judgment.
    • Genuine Recognition and Real Autonomy – Acknowledge not just results, but emotional labor. Give managers more say in how work gets done.
    • Training That Feels Human – Move beyond compliance. Offer workshops that equip managers with real skills: empathy, boundaries, psychological safety.
    • Reverse Mentoring – Invite two-way conversations between managers and executives. Give middle leaders a voice, and help the C-suite listen.
    • Workload Audits – Regularly review what’s on managers’ plates. Make space by removing the non-essential.
    • Protected Recovery Time – Normalize rest. Not as a perk, but as a performance strategy. Model this from the top.
    • Leadership with Heart – When senior leaders speak openly about their own challenges with burnout, they create permission for others to be honest too.

    Here’s the truth: middle managers are holding up the scaffolding of your culture. If they collapse, everything falls.

    So, here’s my invitation: What’s one bold move your organization can make today to support its “missing middle”?

    Because if we want resilient teams and thriving workplaces, we must start by caring for the people in the middle – thoughtfully, tangibly, and without delay.