Frustrated employees can be a major drain on any organization, impacting everything from productivity and morale to customer satisfaction and brand reputation. But what is the true extent of employee frustration today?
According to a recent Gallup report, 50% of U.S. workers reported feeling stressed at their jobs on a daily basis, with 41% being worried, 22% feeling sad, and 18%, angry. It’s not just about decreased productivity anymore—frustration can bring about high turnover rates and take a massive hit on your employee experience.
That said—why aren’t we taking it more seriously?
Part of the problem might lie in the perception of frustration as a cause for concern. While most managers and business leaders understand its existence and acknowledge its consequences, they perceive it as less of a threat than the more popular foe—disengagement. But what’s the difference?
Differentiating disengagement and frustration
While the terms ‘employee frustration’ and ‘disengagement’ may be used interchangeably, they are actually quite distinct. Although it can be difficult to ascertain whether an unhappy employee is frustrated at work or altogether disengaged from it, understanding the difference between the two can be crucial for managers and business leaders.
Let’s look at employee disengagement first.
A disengaged employee has lost interest and motivation in their job and is not invested in their work. They may feel like their efforts are not recognized or appreciated, or they may lack a sense of purpose or fulfillment in their job. This disengagement can lead to apathy, reduced productivity, and poor performance.
A frustrated employee too may exhibit symptoms that are commonly associated with disengagement.
For example, frustrated employees may show signs such as decreased productivity, reduced quality of work, and lack of enthusiasm. However, what differentiates them is that they can still be engaged in their job and may strive to perform well but may be stuck in circumstances—such as hostile work environments or gender bias in the workplace—that make it difficult to do so. They may seek help from their colleagues or manager, ask for feedback, or suggest ways to improve the situation.
How can you tell if an employee is frustrated or disengaged?
Managers can differentiate between frustrated and disengaged employees by paying attention to certain behavioral and attitudinal cues.
Frustrated employees may exhibit signs of agitation, and tension and may voice complaints about specific issues or situations. They may also seek out reassurance or feedback from their managers because they are still engaged in their work and may be motivated to make changes to improve their situation.
On the other hand, disengaged employees may appear indifferent or apathetic towards their work and may show little interest in contributing ideas or suggestions during meetings or discussions. Here are some of behavioral cues that are unique to employee frustration:
Managers may perceive disengagement as a more serious issue than frustration because it is often associated with a lack of commitment and investment in the organization. As a result, managers may be more likely to take immediate action to address disengagement—such as through performance improvement plans or disciplinary action.
However, this leads managers to overlook or downplay frustration in their employees, which can be just as damaging if left unaddressed. Frustrated employees may still be invested in their work, but if their concerns are not addressed, they may become disengaged over time.
“Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person—not just an employee—are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”
— Anne M. Mulcahy, Former CEO, Xerox Corporation
Why highly engaged employees can also be highly stressed
While employee engagement is an important factor in organizational success, it's common for business leaders to categorize high levels of engagement with happy employees. While this may be true to some extent, employees who are deeply invested in their work and feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment may also experience significant pressure and emotional strain as a result of their commitment.
According to an article by the Harvard Business Review, 1 in 5 employees who are highly engaged are also at risk of serious burnout—and frustration and stress are the biggest culprits. But high levels of engagement often mask their frustration, causing it to go unnoticed by team managers. This is one of the biggest reasons why engagement alone is not an effective indicator of employee happiness.
How stress manifests itself in your organization
Stress and frustration can have a significant impact on team dynamics and organizational productivity. When employees are feeling overwhelmed, overworked, or undervalued, their frustration can manifest in a variety of ways—from decreased engagement and motivation to increased conflict and communication breakdowns.
This, in turn, can have a ripple effect on the rest of the team, leading to a lack of psychological safety within the organization. Frustrated employees may be less likely to collaborate effectively, communicate clearly, or take ownership of their wor—all of which can have a significant impact on the overall success of the organization.
How successful companies handle frustrated employees
Major corporations understand the seriousness of employee stress, especially among Gen Z employees, and take adequate steps to mitigate it. For example, Google offers employees access to on-site massage therapists, nap pods, and meditation rooms, while software company HubSpot offers employees unlimited vacation time in addition to a company-wide week off in July.
However, frustration due to work-related issues is a completely different story, and no amount of vacations, ping-pong tables, or yoga classes can solve the problem at hand—a difficult work environment. Unless you remove the factors that cause employees to become frustrated in the first place, there’s little that your benefits and perks can do to help your employees.
One way companies can find out the perpetrators of frustration is by prioritizing open communication and feedback to help frustrated employees. This includes providing employees with opportunities to voice their concerns and work collaboratively to address sources of frustration.
For example, Buffer, a social media management company, has a culture of transparency and open communication. Their regular company-wide meetings and opportunities for employees to share feedback help keep employee frustration in check within the organization.
Companies have also leveraged the use of technology and data to help employees track their stress levels and identify patterns or triggers. Employee mood measurement is a rapidly developing field that seeks to make engagement surveys as a sole tracker of employee satisfaction a thing of the past.
People managers play a crucial role in preventing and addressing employee frustration
Frustration, if left unchecked, can quickly escalate and cause irreparable damage to employee morale, productivity, and ultimately, your organization’s reputation. Unfortunately, frustration often goes unnoticed till it turns into full-blown disengagement, by which time it becomes much more difficult to fix.
It is imperative that people managers take a proactive and empathetic approach to addressing employee frustration to ensure that the underlying issues are resolved.
Recognizing and addressing employee frustration in time is key to creating a positive and transparent work environment where employees feel supported and motivated to contribute their best to the organization.
