Employee Boredom at Work: How Do You Support and Re-engage Them?

There will be times when an employee becomes bored at work. What will you do to support them in those cases?

See if job rotation or job enrichment is possible. Arrange some fun-filled activities. Lunch with the CEO. Show them some interesting documentaries or movies. Involve them in some CSR activities.

Do not immediately jump into doing something in the hope that it will drive away his boredom. Probably, that might not be why he is actually feeling bored. If a baby is crying because he is hungry, you need to give him baby food, and there is no point in dangling an expensive toy before him to calm him down. Therefore, you need to sit with the employee and hold a constructive conversation with him to understand why he feels disengaged—whether it is the monotony of the job, lack of motivation, a bad boss, disruptions in the team, or lack of recognition of his contributions, etc. Diagnosis of the malady shall be necessary to decide on specific redressal or action to engage him.

Regards,
B. Saikumar
HR & Labour Law Consultant

"Diagnosis of malady shall be necessary to decide on specific redressal or action to engage him."

The reason for boredom should be found out by interaction with employees. Working on assumptions could lead to wrong solutions. Interact with employees at the workplace and canteens, observe them at work, and then come to a conclusion. Then look for a feasible solution.

Hello,

Even though you are based in Vietnam, I guess human nature is the same everywhere. Further to what B. Saikumar and Nathrao mentioned or suggested, are you sure they have sufficient work to cover the full working day? Prima facie, the employees surely don't 'enjoy' what they are doing. Else, 'getting bored' doesn't arise. 'Tired' or 'fatigued,' yes, but not bored.

Regards,
TS

Thank you very much for all of your support. I have noticed some signs from my staff that are similar to those outlined in "15 Signs Your Employee Wants To Quit," but he is a quiet person. I am having trouble identifying exactly what is happening with him in order to take further actions.

Dear Seniors,

I am also facing the same issue in my office. I analyzed the situation and talked to some of the employees. The main reason behind their boredom is limited work or no work in the office. There is not much support from the Director as most of the time he is not available to discuss the issues. As an HR professional, is organizing only fun or employee engagement activities the only solution to this? Please suggest.

Employee Getting Bored?

Possibilities of such nature on the worksite are found with some employees who are either high performers finishing their job before the timeline or employees who lack self-motivation or initiative.

Analysis of both conditions is necessary to work towards finding appropriate solutions. However, it is always better to ensure that employees are integrated into the mainstream of the business to understand their role and their importance to the organization. Apart from engagement activities, encouraging employees to contribute their creative ideas and concepts for the development of the business, along with awards and rewards connected to it, will keep their minds occupied.