How to cope with Brown Out? Definition, Symptoms and Advice

The “Brown out” in the company is a very serious recent phenomenon, referring to the loss of meaning at work and the loss of interest in an employee, who loses all motivation to carry out his or her tasks.

This syndrome is a subtle but pernicious reality that infiltrates the lives of our employees. This affects not only their well-being, but also productivity and, ultimately, the success of your business. To prevent and effectively manage brown out, it’s important to understand the phenomenon, its causes and symptoms, and how to spot it.

Want to know more about brown-out at work? Intuition Software explains it all:

The brown out, in a nutshell

• Brown-out is a state of disinterest in one’s work;
• It can be caused by internal or external factors;
• The consequences are felt by both the employee and the company, with potential health problems and a drop in productivity;
• Those most affected are young people, who attach greater importance to meaning at work;
• Employee well-being and manager training are among the strategies for combating brown out.

What is brown out?

Brown out is a state of professional lethargy, where an employee becomes disengaged, losing motivation and passion for work, without showing outward signs of exhaustion or stress.

In the corporate world, it’s a relatively recent term, but the concept isn’t new. However, it is affecting a growing number of professionals around the world due to the rapid societal changes of recent decades.

The loss of interest linked to brown out can often lead to “quiet quitting“, and, in the most serious cases, to the employee’s definitive resignation if no solution is proposed by managers.

What’s the difference between burn out, bore out and brown out?

While the terms may sound similar, brown out differs from burn out and bore out:

• Brown-out is the loss of meaning in work,
• Burn out is the extreme exhaustion caused by overwork and high levels of stress,
• Boredom is a state of total boredom with one’s work.

Employee burnout and bore out are easier to spot than brownout, as the syndromes are more visible: physical or mental fatigue, stress, psychological disorders, etc. Brown out, on the other hand, is more difficult to identify, because if the employee lacks energy and motivation, this does not necessarily translate into fatigue or stress.

What are the symptoms of brown-out and how can you identify them?

The most common symptoms of brown-out are :

• A lack of motivation: you notice a noticeable drop in enthusiasm and commitment to the various tasks and missions assigned.

• An increase in absenteeism : the employee takes more and more sick leave and is increasingly late for work.

• A drop in productivity: you observe frequent delays in deliverables and a reduction in the quality of the employee’s work. It takes longer to complete tasks and objectives are not met.

• Disengagement: the employee shows less interaction and participation in team meetings or events. He generally avoids tasks or projects requiring additional responsibility.

• Dissatisfaction: a general feeling of dissatisfaction or frustration with work emanates from a brown-out sufferer, who complains more than usual.

These symptoms of brown out can often go unnoticed within your company. Yet it’s important to recognize these early warning signs and take proactive measures before the situation worsens.

Other symptoms may also appear in the employee, such as reduced innovation and creativity, a general change in attitude and behavior, or health problems.

Are there any tools for detecting brown out at work? Yes, various analysis and data tools can help you identify trends or patterns that could indicate an impending brown out. There are three main types:

• Performance analysis tools (15Five, Peakon):share employee successes, challenges and questions with the aim of improving engagement.

• Employee engagement surveys (SurveyMonkey, Voxco):provide survey templates and offer the option of customizing them.

• Monitoring KPIs related to employee well-being (Tableau, Microsoft Power BI):allows you to visualize and analyze data related to employee well-being.

What causes brown out in the workplace?

The causes of corporate brown out can stem from internal factors, such as a lack of recognition or an unsuitable corporate culture, or external factors, such as a global crisis or a change in the industry.

Internal factors

The loss of meaning at work can be fuelled by various internal factors within the company. It usually appears when employees don’t feel valued or supported. Their commitment and passion for their work can then quickly evaporate, giving way to indifference and disillusionment; The most common internal factors are :

• One toxic corporate culture: in an unhealthy environment, employees can lose their motivation, as in a company that favors competition between colleagues rather than collaborative work, or one in which mistakes are punished rather than seen as learning opportunities.

• One lack of recognition: if employees’ personal efforts or sacrifices are not recognized or rewarded, they can start to feel neglected and undervalued.

• The lack of career development prospects: even if they excel at their jobs, the absence of clear progression paths or career development opportunities can lead employees to disengage.

• Excessive workloads: this also happens to companies who, in an attempt to cut costs, constantly overload their employees with workloads that are unrealistic and unsustainable in the long term.

External factors

Factors external to the company can also contribute to brown out, such as :

• Changes in the industry: rapid digital transformation can force employees to adapt to new technologies and working methods. If the company doesn’t provide enough support (training, resources), employees can feel neglected and disengaged.

• Market pressure: some companies are subject to a highly competitive market, such as technology companies, which have to innovate fast to stay ahead. Employees can therefore feel under pressure, and a lack of support from the company can lead to brown out.

• Global crises: during the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, employees had to adapt to telecommuting while managing economic uncertainty and juggling personal and professional challenges. This prolonged uncertainty and stress can contribute to brown out by creating an uncertain working environment.

We’re obviously thinking of pandemics, but a sharp recession, an increase in the cost of living, political instability or growing insecurity will also have an impact on the way employees experience their jobs.

What are the consequences of brown-out?

The impact of brown out can be devastating for both employees and the company. It can lead to a significant drop in productivity for the company, and spread to all employees through a contagion effect.

The impact of brown-out on the company

For the company, brown out often translates into lower productivity, higher staff turnover and a weakened corporate culture. However, the evolution of the consequences can be very gradual and difficult to detect:

• A drop in productivity: if one or more employees are disengaged due to brown out, the company will see a drop in its figures and an increase in unhappy customers.

• High staff turnover : the proportion of employees leaving the company has increased, and the company is finding it difficult to retaining key talent.

• A weakened corporate culture: brown out impacts not only the employee in question, but also his or her colleagues, potentially causing general disengagement within the company.

The impact of brown-out on employees

For employees, the consequences of brown out can lead to a loss of joy and satisfaction in their work, which can also affect their general well-being and personal life.

What’s more, this kind of atmosphere and behavior has an unfortunate tendency to be “contagious”. If your colleagues are always in a state of half-awake, looking dull, joyless and unmotivated, how are you going to keep yours?

Who is affected by brown out at work?

It’s the younger generations who are most affected by brown out, as they are more interested in the question of meaning at work and often find themselves in unrewarding positions where their skills are given little prominence. What’s more, the emergence of “bullshit jobs” – unstimulating jobs with repetitive tasks – is leading to an increase in brownout within companies.

However, according to a Deloitte study, more than half of all employees feel that the meaning they find in their work has deteriorated, and may therefore be experiencing brown out at work. Thus, any category of employee can be affected, because as we’ve seen, this can depend on internal factors, such as a lack of recognition, or external ones like market pressure.

How to cope with brown-out?

Managing brown out requires a combination of proactive and reactive solutions and approaches:

• By being proactive, you can prevent loss of interest and motivation at work, with wellness and recognition strategies,
• By being reactive, you can manage existing cases of brown out and help employees regain their motivation and commitment.

Preventing brown outs

It is possible to prevent brown out to the maximum, with attention to details such as the meaning of work, ethics and employee well-being. There are two main prevention strategies:

• Implementing wellness and support programs : the implementation of mental health programs, professional development opportunities, and initiatives that promote work-life balance can play a crucial role in preventing and managing brown out.
• Training leaders and managers: By training these crucial players in brown-out management to recognize the signs of work fatigue, and providing them with the tools they need to support their teams, you can create a healthier work environment geared towards support, listening and mutual aid.

Furthermore, according to a 2015 study by BNP Paribas & The Boson Project, 1 in 5 young people would choose the most ethical company for the same job. You can therefore highlight certain information about your company and its values right from the recruitment stage. However, it’s essential to be honest with the candidate so that he or she doesn’t become disillusioned once the position has been filled.

Communicating with employees to manage brown out

Establishing open and transparent communication channels is essential to understanding employee morale and concerns, and combating brown out. Encourage honest feedback and create an environment where employees feel safe to voice their concerns without fear of reprisal.

1. Open communication channels: regular team meetings, anonymous suggestion box (physical or digital), discussion forums (via Slack, Teams, Discord, etc.).) ;

2. Encourage honest and constructive feedback: anonymous surveys, 360° employee evaluations, etc;

3. Un environnement sécurisé pour l’expression : politique de non-rétorsion (pas de pénalisation pour avoir partagé son feedback ou ses préoccupations), sessions d’écoute actives des préoccupations des employés.

4. Acting on feedback: action plan based on feedback, and regular monitoring of the company’s actions, with adjustment of strategies according to changing needs.

5. Transparent communication: regular updates on organizational changes, challenges and successes, and the use of a variety of channels (e-mail, meetings, in-house newsletter, etc.) to ensure that messages are communicated effectively.) to ensure that important messages are well received.

As brown out is a common corporate phenomenon that can happen to anyone, your employer brand must combine productivity and performance with the well-being and fulfillment of every team member. By staying engaged, listening and implementing effective strategies, it’s possible to combat brown out. An HRIS can help you free up time for this.