How to deal with burnt out staff?

[pandaa]

Maybe you've dealt with this problem before. Often times, you hire a staff member who is absolutely great, and they do wonderful things for your site. But, after a while, for one reason or another, your staff member is suddenly not that active and doesn't have enthusiasm for their job like when they first joined.

How would you deal with a situation like this?

 

[Foster]

Burnt out staff members isn't real a situation for me. It's just like dealing with inactive staff. As a warning, I would just shoot them a "come back" PM. If they don't come back after that, I'll say my goodbyes and just simply demote/fire them.

 

[IINinjaZaneII]

Maybe you've dealt with this problem before. Often times, you hire a staff member who is absolutely great, and they do wonderful things for your site. But, after a while, for one reason or another, your staff member is suddenly not that active and doesn't have enthusiasm for their job like when they first joined.

How would you deal with a situation like this?

I would issue them with a official board warning. Then if they ignore that I would remove them from staff.

 

[Sharon]

Maybe you've dealt with this problem before. Often times, you hire a staff member who is absolutely great, and they do wonderful things for your site. But, after a while, for one reason or another, your staff member is suddenly not that active and doesn't have enthusiasm for their job like when they first joined.

How would you deal with a situation like this?

Just talk to them, on a more personal level. I find that corresponding with my staff members directly helps them remain active in the forum. Find out what's going on in their personal life (no need to get all in their business). However, when you show you care to an extent whether they show it or not generally they are grateful. Praise is also another great motivator. Recognition is usually appreciated.

 

[Cosmic]

I'd give them a good opportunity to become more active again and maybe talk with them, but after a while there's no option but to let them go, and maybe give them some type of VIP status.

 

[pandaa]

One site that I used to be on had a unique solution to this. In addition to a "retired" group, and their "super mod" group, they had a group called "super moderators emeritus." Basically, these users retained their moderation powers, but they weren't really required to be active. I'm unsure what the motive was behind it, and I can't say I really love the idea, but it was a unique idea.

 

[Kaynil]

I lean towards Sharon POV about this. I usually first wonder what is causing the inactivity. If they need time out I am happy with it so long they do let me know. Even more, I want to know if their motivation has been deflated by something in the same community, for example lack of activity overall, displeased with how I handled something, etc.

 

[MasterA]

Maybe you've dealt with this problem before. Often times, you hire a staff member who is absolutely great, and they do wonderful things for your site. But, after a while, for one reason or another, your staff member is suddenly not that active and doesn't have enthusiasm for their job like when they first joined.

How would you deal with a situation like this?

I would talk to them to understand the problem and get them to improve. If that fails, then I guess I will tell them to leave the team.

 

[Azareal]

It really depends on how new they are to the team.

If they only joined the team very recently, and they decided to a vanish for a month or otherwise be inactive then, I'd have to question whether they had the motivation to go through with it to begin with, otherwise I'd give them a fair bit of leeway.

 

[Forces of Steel]

Try hitting them up to see how things are going in their personal lives. It's never impolite to ask them how committed they are anymore. If they're not monitoring the community or visit only once every two weeks, then it's time to consider cutting them off.

 

[Migi]

It's never impolite to ask them how committed they are anymore.

This. As long as the higher ups don't come knocking with an annoying attitude, they should be able to talk and find a way to solve it peacefully, even if it ends up with the burnt out staff being removed.

One site that I used to be on had a unique solution to this. In addition to a "retired" group, and their "super mod" group, they had a group called "super moderators emeritus." Basically, these users retained their moderation powers, but they weren't really required to be active. I'm unsure what the motive was behind it, and I can't say I really love the idea, but it was a unique idea.

If they are still inactive after being put in the emeritus group, will they be demoted at a time? I was once in this kind of situation, but it was for a forum of a manga scan group. So after a while in emeritus group without me doing anything, I requested to be completely removed from the group because it felt weird.

 

[cpvr]

Maybe you've dealt with this problem before. Often times, you hire a staff member who is absolutely great, and they do wonderful things for your site. But, after a while, for one reason or another, your staff member is suddenly not that active and doesn't have enthusiasm for their job like when they first joined.

How would you deal with a situation like this?

It happens, just give them some time off and allow them to get back into their groove again. You actually want to see an active staff member return and not turn them 100% against the forum.

 

[ddoesmc]

Unless they told me they would be inactive, I would contact them. If they did not respond within 72 hours, I will send them another notice telling them that if they do not respond within the next 24 hours their job may be at risk.

 

[Deleted member 25872]

I would send them a private message and if they do not respond to the private message within 48 hours, they would get removed from staff.

 

[Allenafaith]

I haven't had this issue but if I ever do I would talk to them first. Maybe there was something in their personal life that has stopped them from being active every where not just your forum and talking with them about it might help.

 

[Reverse Flash]

I'd shoot 'em a PM or e-mail and make sure everything's okay and stuff, but if they don't respond and it's been a couple of weeks, I'd demote them.

 

[Sharon]

I'd shoot 'em a PM or e-mail and make sure everything's okay and stuff, but if they don't respond and it's been a couple of weeks, I'd demote them.

Yeah there is no reason to keep someone as a staff member if they make no attempt at communicating. In my opinion it doesn't take much to say "Hey, things are getting pretty hectic in the offline world I have to back off forums for a while. Sorry. I should be back in a month or so." ...or anything in that nature.

I've been on the other side of it myself where I felt completely burnt out and lacked motivation because the forum owner weren't active themselves and I've made several attempts at reaching out to them they would respond but it started to feel like they were just saying things I wanted to hear but really had no interest in being active in their community. I don't like that. I think as forum owner you need to have more of a drive to post than anyone else in the forum relying on your staff members and regular members to keep the conversations going won't work long term and eventually your community will die/become inactive.