Why we need to default to autonomy to reduce burnout

There’s one factor fueling the Great Resignation that often gets overlooked: burnout. And contrary to popular belief, it’s not the same thing as feeling stressed from time to time. It’s actually a much bigger problem that causes employees to lose not only their motivation, but their passion and enthusiasm for the work they do.

To make matters worse, all signs indicate that burnout is on the rise. A survey from earlier this year found that nearly two-thirds of employees believe the feeling has worsened over the course of the pandemic. And our own research reveals that 43.3% of workers are currently burnt out. Much like the Great Resignation itself, we have a lot of data about the severity of today’s burnout crisis, but few insights into what’s causing it and what we can do to turn it around.

As the bestselling author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink understands the mismatches between scientific research and business function that are exacerbating burnout. He explored the powerful role that autonomy plays in reducing burnout when he joined us at Gloat Live, and because his exclusive talk was not recorded, we’re sharing the top takeaways you can use to improve retention and keep your workforce motivated.