Although burnout in human services providers is nothing new, the pandemic certainly changed the game. With the demand for services rising and showing no signs of stopping, nonprofits face potential burnout in direct service providers with increasing frequency. But what can a nonprofit do to mitigate these effects?

There are three overarching causes of burnout: chronic workplace stress, high emotional labor, and an increase in service demand coupled with the stagnation of resources. This means that the most effective means of combatting burnout focuses on reducing stress, supporting emotional labor practices, and reducing service demand or increasing resources. It is not only possible to resist burnout by these means, but vital to do so.

1. Reduce direct service provider workloads: Train direct service providers how to work with a maximum of 30 households at one time. Focus on time management strategies to help balance more involved cases with more self-directed ones. Once 30 households are mastered, or proven to be too much, adjust based on service provider abilities.
2. Train service providers to engage in emotional labor: Formally acknowledge emotional labor as an occupational requirement for direct service provision. This will allow funding to be earmarked for this specific training and increase the accuracy of job expectations in this role. Prepare direct service providers for emotional interactions by recognizing authentic feelings, changing each judgement into a question, using questions to motivate clients, and then reflecting upon the experience.
3. Increase professional development opportunities: Understand what trainings are already offered and the resources it takes to keep them. Analyze and identify what work might need improvement, then determine what training can be given and if it’s helpful for the direct service providers. This will show them that management is invested in their professional growth and care how it affects their positions.
4. Promote support and feedback from supervisors: Begin with clear job descriptions, making sure everyone understands what is being asked of them. Once hired, schedule regular check-in appointments with all direct service providers with the understanding that they can cancel the meeting, but management will not. This fosters a culture of direct communication, trust, and conscientiousness as other team members will be on the lookout for burnout symptoms in others.
5. Implement human resource-led performance management: Look at pre-existing performance management structures. Decide on performance specifics to evaluate direct service providers. Let them know what areas those will be and then evaluate. This will allow the providers to know what to expect when time for evaluations.

Whether or not obvious, burnout is a consistent challenge for workers and it is the ethical responsibility to protect all employee and service recipient well-being by combating burnout. In this way, direct service providers can have peace of mind to do their best work with clients, and recipients will know they can rely on good service.

Maria Stadler is a 2022 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. As an undergraduate, she studied interdisciplinary studies including teaching and spanish, and minored in music, at Eastern Oregon University. She currently works as an employment specialist for Volunteers of America Western Washington. Maria enjoys playing her many instruments and reading through her bookshelves.

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