Workers suffering from 'misalignment burnout' find it hard to feel committed to their professional tasks, and become progressively disengaged from their work. — AFP
THE Covid-19 pandemic acted as a wake-up call, prompting millions of working people to question their work and their professional expectations. Many feel increasingly uneasy about working for a company that doesn't share their values, which can lead to "misalignment burnout."
The notion of misalignment burnout was theorised by Mark Travers, an American psychologist who co-founded the telemedicine platform Awake Therapy. It refers to the physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that results from prolonged investment in a job that's at odds with your personal convictions. For example, an employee with a strong ecological conscience may feel a strong value conflict if they work for a company with little commitment to the fight against global warming.
This psychological unease can plunge employees into a downward spiral from which it is difficult to extricate themselves. The signs of misalignment burnout are similar to those of other forms of burnout, whether physical, emotional or cognitive. The worker who suffers from it finds it difficult to be fully committed to their professional tasks, and becomes progressively disengaged from their work. Feeling in an inextricable situation, they may become resentful – even hostile – towards the people they work with. In the most extreme cases, this can lead people to quit their jobs.
Quest for meaning
Misalignment burnout touches on the very idea of meaning at work. Studies and opinion polls all agree that employees, especially younger ones, attach importance to working for a company that shares their values. The latter are not prepared to compromise their ecological and environmental ideals to enter the job market. Thus, 57% of French 18-30 year-olds questioned in a survey by Pour un réveil collectif and Toluna Harris Interactive would be prepared to resign if they felt that the company employing them was not doing enough to combat climate change.
This growing quest for meaning is partly explained by our relationship with time. The contemporary individual lives in the present moment and has difficulty projecting themselves into the future: they are more motivated by the prospect of working in a job that interests them and suits them personally and ethically, than by the prospect of a career. This need for fulfillment can lead to "job hopping," if the coveted job turns out to be disappointing. Two-thirds of the members of Gen Z polled in a survey by UK firm Resource Solutions plan to leave their current employer within the next two years.
Against this backdrop, companies would do well to give more thought to the social, societal and environmental impacts of their activities if they wish to boost employee motivation and prevent misalignment burnout. They need to clarify their missions to leave no room for vagueness, and above all, avoid their employees feeling trapped in a job that's at odds with their fundamental values. – AFP Relaxnews
