If I told you I knew how you could drastically improve your work metrics by up to 281 percent, what technology would you think I was promoting? Generalized artificial intelligence? Generative AI? Agentic AI?
How about a non-technical solution: Enhance the psychological wellness of your customer service professionals.
A recent survey by the Wellness + Resiliency Division of Research with approximately 9,000 TaskUs customer experience employees found a strong correlation between employee wellness metrics and work metrics. Among its findings were the following:
- Advanced ability to cope with unwanted thoughts, emotions, and stressful situations was correlated with a 79 percent reduction in unplanned leave, while low burnout was correlated with a 281 percent reduction.
- Low burnout was associated with 69 percent better job performance and 96 percent higher retention intention.
- High compassion satisfaction, the pleasure derived from helping others, was correlated with a 117 percent increase in employee satisfaction, whereas low perceived stress was linked to a 30 percent increase.
What's behind these compelling numbers? And how can companies help front-line representatives improve their lives while clearly benefiting the business? In part, the answer lies in understanding a challenge particular to those charged with helping others—vicarious burnout—and then helping them build resilience.
While especially common in healthcare professionals regularly exposed to the suffering and trauma of others, vicarious burnout can also show up in people who regularly solve problems for others in high-stress environments. Dealing with customer issues and complaints all day certainly qualifies.<
This kind of burnout happens gradually, but its physical manifestations are real and significant. Burnout triggers the sympathetic nervous system, which releases stress hormones like epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. This can cause a host of physical problems: chronic fatigue, weakened immune response, recurring headaches, widespread muscle pain, disrupted sleep and appetite patterns, breathing difficulties, and heart palpitations.
But it also takes an emotional toll: nagging negative thoughts, self-doubt, overwhelming fear, feeling helpless, lonely, and dissatisfied, and constantly failing.
These physical and emotional effects inevitably affect work behavior. A professional suffering burnout might avoid responsibilities, withdraw from others, procrastinate, or miss work. Over time, coping mechanisms, such as substance use/abuse, overeating, or alcohol dependence can become habitual behaviors. Burnout typically results in lower job satisfaction, increased staff turnover, and a higher risk of errors.
Fixing the problem after it appears can be daunting. Here the adage, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" proves true: Preventing burnout is the better approach for the professional and the company.
Building Resilience
Fortunately, customer service professionals can build some preventative practices into their daily routines:
- Maintain connections. Strong relationships with people we trust is a powerful tool for calming the nervous system. Build and maintain these relationships and engage with community activities to find people who share your values.
- Know when to disconnect. Setting limits on dealings with negative people is good, but so is defining when to hit pause on social media. Regularly review commitments and end those that no longer serve your well-being. And avoid being a work martyr by skipping breaks and time off. There's a reason they exist. Unplug and refresh yourself.
- Take stock of where you are and why. Notice the positive impact you create. Instead of dwelling on challenges, see how your role makes a difference to maintain perspective. Check in regularly on your basic needs for adequate sleep, nutrition, physical activity and adjust as needed.
- Show compassion to yourself. Think about how you talk to yourself and replace criticism with supportive messages. Try, "I've worked hard and deserve time to recharge" instead of "I have so much more to do." It makes a difference. Sometimes professional counseling can also provide valuable tools to avoid burnout.
- Simple new habits can be transformative. Perhaps a gratitude journal, deep breathing, or even gently touching your lips. This calms you by activating the parasympathetic system. Activities like these can boost your mood and your immunity by triggering feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin.
- Set boundaries. Learn to say no when needed so you can prioritize personal needs. Watch for signs that your boundaries need strengthening, like creeping resentment. Don't ignore them.
The Company's Role
As important as individual resilience practices are, ultimately organizations must work to foster a caring culture for their teams. It's tempting to think of this as a balancing act between employee well-being and productivity. But as our study shows, that might be the wrong way to think of it; if employee well-being slips, likely so will productivity.
Instead, companies can view supportive policies as supporting not just employee health but also continued productivity. Flexible scheduling, designated no-meeting days, and robust paid-leave policies can help. View wellness goals as a part of performance metrics.
Employees need straightforward access to mental health support, so make it easy for them to know what's available and how to tap into it should they need. Counseling services, employee assistance programs, and designated wellness champions throughout the organization can create a supportive environment.
Crucially, company leadership must model healthy behaviors. By respecting work boundaries, encouraging employees to take earned time off, and maintaining open dialogue about how to avoid burnout, leaders can reassure employees so they take steps to keep refreshed and at their best.
Companies should also embrace evidence-based approaches rather than adopting a few superficial wellness perks. Clinical-based practices like stress management and resilience training provide scientifically proven support with measurable outcomes.
Finally, company leaders need to keep an eye on how their teams are doing. Tracking well-being metrics such as stress levels and workload satisfaction will help them identify and mitigate burnout risks before they become systemic issues.
The world is abuzz with excitement about how AI and its evolving incarnations will support great productivity increases. Part of its promise is to empower customer service professionals in radically new ways. But ultimately, it's happy, balanced professionals who will be at their best manning the front lines to ensure customers have the best experience possible.
To keep them in good health—physically, mentally, and emotionally—companies can encourage employees to take simple steps each day to avoid stress overload. And they can cultivate a supportive work environment and culture that makes it easy for them to do so.
Rachel Lutz Guevara is a licensed mental health professional and division vice president of trust and safety at TaskUs.