Investigating misalignment burnout

Employers need to pay heed to what employee burnout is costing them – especially when it’s a result of misaligned values

The post-pandemic workplace is fighting hard to remain relevant and keep its employees present and engaged. Securing an employee’s time is one thing, but in order to truly thrive as a business and resonate with your workforce, your corporate culture and values should be closely aligned to that of your employees, particularly if you want to avoid your employees suffering from a kind of burnout called ‘misalignment burnout’.

According to Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace report, 59% of the world’s employees are ‘quiet quitting’, which means they’re physically present at the workplace but not contributing in a meaningful way and clock-watching until they can go home. As the report outlines, these employees are at a greater risk for stress and burnout because they’re disengaged and “feel lost and disconnected from their workplace”.

Numerous factors can lead an employee to burnout, including a heavy workload, unrealistic employer expectations, and poor work/life balance. But as psychologist and Forbes contributor Mark Travers explains, one cause of burnout that is often overlooked is being in a prolonged state of misalignment.

“Misalignment burnout happens when we constantly engage with environments and in activities that go against our innermost values and beliefs, leading to a disconnect between our true selves and professional identity,” Mark explains.

Over time, this can compromise an employee’s long-term goals and sense of fulfilment, causing the employee to question their career path and experience “feelings of dissonance, emotional exhaustion and, inevitably, burnout”.

“When there’s a strong fit between an employee’s values, personality, and their job demands, the likelihood of experiencing burnout significantly decreases,” Unisure’s Head of HR, Amanda White, explains. “Misalignment burnout, on the other hand, emerges when there’s a discrepancy between an individual’s personal values and the organisational culture. Over time, this can erode job satisfaction and engagement which is why it’s so important for HR to create robust onboarding processes that communicate the organisation’s values clearly and hire personnel not just for their skills fit, but also for how the candidate’s values and culture align with the company.”

Time management coach, Elizabeth Grace Saunders, wrote an article on burnout for Harvard Business Review in which she unpacks research around the six areas of working life that cause burnout. One of the six areas is a ‘values mismatch’ and speaks to how an employee’s motivation and drive can dip when they highly value something that their organisation doesn’t.

In cases like this, employees need to think carefully about how important it is for them to match their values with those of the organisation. Elizabeth provides these helpful questions that they can ask themselves:

• How does my boss make decisions and invest resources?
• Similarly, how does my team and organisation make decisions and invest resources?
• Do I feel good about those underlying motivations?
• Do they seem open to change?

“Self-evaluation is critical when it comes to planning your career path and recognising what is or isn’t working for you as an employee within a specific role and organisation,” Amanda concurs.

“Imagine an employee working for a company where the predominant approach to project management and client interaction is an aggressive sales tactic and prioritising revenue over client needs. If that employee values building long-term client relationships based on trust and integrity, then over time they’re going to feel increasingly uncomfortable with the company’s approach. This misalignment could cause significant stress and dissatisfaction, it will likely eventually contribute to a sense of burnout.”

If this happens, employees reach a crossroad: Do they compromise their values for the sake of job security and career advancement within the current company? Or do they seek opportunities elsewhere that are more congruent with their personal beliefs and values?

“This is a poignant reminder that career growth extends beyond promotions and skill acquisition,” Amanda emphasises. “It’s equally about finding a work environment where one’s values, integrity, and sense of purpose are acknowledged and respected.”

So, what can a company do to ensure its employees are aligned with its organisational culture and values? Amanda gives corporates some expert guidelines¹ to ensure that their values foster a sense of ownership and engagement among employees:

1. Create a forum for value identification: Provide employees with opportunities to articulate and discuss their personal values. This can be done through workshops, team meetings, or even one-on-one sessions with HR.
2. Integrate personal and company values: Encourage open discussions about how personal values align with the companies. This can be incorporated into team meetings or retreats that facilitate a dialogue between employees and leadership.
3. Connect personal goals to professional objectives: Working on a one-on-one basis with employees to understand their personal goals and see how these can be integrated with their professional development plans. This not only aids in personal growth but aligns it with the company’s objectives.
4. Promote open communication: Promote and uphold an environment where communication is valued, and employees feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, feedback, and concerns without fear of retribution.
5. Increase transparency: Be open about company decisions, challenges, and successes in town hall meetings or department huddles. The more employees understand about the company’s direction and why certain decisions are made, the more they can see where their values align with the company’s trajectory.

By implementing these steps, a company can significantly enhance its value alignment, leading to a more engaged, satisfied, and productive workforce.

As Harvard Business Review’s article, What Does Your Company Really Stand For?, sums up, “When you align your organization’s values with both your strategy and the values of your employees – creating what we call values alignment – you reap all sorts of benefits: higher job satisfaction, lower turnover, better teamwork, more-effective communication, bigger contributions to the organization, more-productive negotiations, and, perhaps surprisingly, more diversity, equity, and inclusion.”