Work can be stressful and can stress can progress to a more serious condition: burnout. This is what happens when people suffer from chronic workplace stress. It’s a state of workplace-related exhaustion that leads to disengagement and impaired ability to perform in the job. Obviously this isn’t good for staff, or for your business. It can be particularly problematic in relation to your cybersecurity.
Why Burnout is a Cybersecurity Issue
Burnout can happen to just about anyone. After all, most jobs will entail a certain level of stress. When it’s ongoing, unremitting and is not properly managed, the result can be burnout. Cybersecurity professionals are vulnerable because the task of ensuring that the systems they work with are secure from the avalanche of threats out there is a huge responsibility. This can sap their energy and lead to disengagement and demotivation.
The reality is that the responsibility for cybersecurity should not fall entirely on the shoulders of your IT staff. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that IT systems remain secure.
Symptoms and Consequences
The disengagement associated with cybersecurity burnout can manifest in various forms:
- Increased likelihood of error. This can be something as simple as missing the signs of a phishing attack.
- Apathy, that can lead to lowered attention to best practices, such as password security and use of shadow IT (programs and digital tools that aren’t officially approved for use).
- An overall dip in productivity and efficient accomplishment of tasks.
- This can all culminate in increased staff turnover, as people leave in search of more congenial and less stressful work environments.
The negative consequences for a business are obvious. The question is: how can it be prevented?
Keeping Staff Engaged
Burnout, no matter how it manifests, is manageable with thoughtful planning.
Burnout happens when a staff member becomes emotionally and mentally worn down. They’re constantly running on empty. They need opportunities in the working day to recharge. Providing these breaks for people to recover is important, and it’s also crucial that the work environment is not so pressured that they are unable to take advantage of time to unwind and recuperate. Part of the program should be to identify the burnout triggers and work patterns.
When staff have regained some of their former capacity, act to restructure their work practices so they are less demanding and stressful. That can be accomplished by identifying priorities, including the vital importance of maintaining cybersecurity.
Additional Strategies to Prevent Burnout
No two workplaces are identical, so it’s important to assess what it is about the work environment you provide that might be producing burnout. Another way to assist is to ensure that staff members have support from colleagues, instead of battling along alone and suffering in silence.
We Can Help With the Burden of Cybersecurity
It’s because maintaining cybersecurity is so complex that it’s so demanding. Quikteks can help with the cybersecurity your business needs. With our help, you can spread the load, so your staff can focus and be productive in their work roles.
For more information, call us at 973882-4644.