Every job task, interaction or deadline is either a withdrawal or a deposit. Some days, we end in credit. Other times, we’re running on empty, edging into our overdraft.
When that overdraft becomes a pattern, that’s when people may start to feel singed or scorched – and that’s where burnout begins.
The silent drain on energy at work
While it might feel like it to the person experiencing it, burnout is not an individual’s fault. It’s not about trying harder, better time management or even personal resilience. Even the strongest swimmer will eventually drown at sea if there’s no one to pull them to safety.
Burnout is often the product of badly balanced jobs or unrealistic work expectations, where there are too many demands and not enough resources to meet them.
Read more: Four ways for HR to avoid burnout
This is where the job demands-resources (JDR) model offers HR a powerful lens. First developed by Dutch researchers in 2001 to explore the causes of burnout and engagement, it shows how every job has demands – things that require effort – and resources – things that support us to do that effort well.
What are job demands?
Demands are the daily withdrawals from our energy accounts. They come in many forms. Some demands can be stretching and motivating, helping people grow and find meaning in their work. Others, particularly when unsupported, can become draining and unsustainable.
Common job demands include:
- Cognitive demands, for example complex problem-solving, learning new skills, or managing frequent task switching
- Emotional demands, for example managing the needs of others, handling emotionally charged tasks, or dealing with conflict
- Bureaucratic demands, for example navigating unclear responsibilities, frustrating systems or rigid processes, which adds a layer of challenge to getting work done; and
- Managerial demands, for example responding to high expectations, inconsistent direction, or a lack of meaningful feedback, which can make it harder to maintain motivation.
Of course, demands often overlap and have both a task and mental component. Personally, I find submitting expenses both bureaucratic and emotionally draining. The point isn't to categorise perfectly, but to recognise that demands are multi-layered, and that, without the right support, they steadily withdraw energy from people’s internal resources.
Read more: Three quarters of CEOs feel overworked and burned out
What are job resources?
Job resources, by contrast, are the deposits. They help people rise to challenges, recover from effort, and stay connected to their work. These include:
- Autonomy, having control over how and when we work;
- Feedback and recognition, feeling seen, valued, and supported;
- Social support, strong relationships with peers and leaders; and
- Clarity and purpose, knowing what’s expected and why it matters.
Resources don’t remove demands, but they buffer their impact. They help people bounce back, stay engaged, and sustain performance over time.
The sweet spot
The magic happens when demands are stretching but not overwhelming, and resources are strong and steady. It’s a place where people are energised by challenge but not crushed by it.
A functioning balance of demands and resources enables employees to move from languishing to thriving; not because their jobs are easy, but because they feel equipped and supported to do important work well.
The role of HR
The role of HR isn’t to remove all demands or to smother people with resources. What we can do is raise awareness, support better conversations, and redesign jobs to help people manage their demands and build the resources they need to thrive.
Here’s how:
- Diagnose the energy leaks. Use surveys, pulse checks, and conversations to map out where demands are outweighing resources.
- Redesign with intention. Don’t just add wellbeing programmes; support teams to re-engineer the work. Simplify processes. Clarify roles. Build in autonomy.
- Coach managers as energy enablers. Support leaders to recognise when team members are in overdraft, and how to make deposits (support, clarity, flexibility) before burnout sets in.
These aren’t grand gestures, they’re everyday design decisions that shift the balance from strain to strength.
Redesign before burnout
Burnout, attrition, and quiet quitting are symptoms, not root causes. When we see these signals, it’s often a sign that the jobs themselves need redesigning.
As HR professionals, we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to address this head on. Not with another initiative, but with a shift in mindset: from fixing people to fixing the design of the work itself.
Read more: Bring job design back into focus
In the next article in this series, we’ll explore how 'Smart' work design principles can help us build jobs that promote autonomy, mastery, and meaning.
But for now, ask yourself this: what’s the collective energy bank balance of the people in my organisation? Are people overdrawn? If so, what can I do to help individuals, teams and the organisation get back in credit?
It’s time to design work that gives more than it takes.
By Rob Baker, founder of the Tailored Thinking consultancy
This is the second of a four-part series. Read the first article here.
