WTF is ‘boreout’?
While most HR professionals have developed strategies to combat employee burnout, a new workplace phenomenon is gaining attention: “boreout.” Unlike burnout, which is perceived as stemming from overwork, boreout happens when employees feel disengaged and unmotivated due to lack of challenge or purpose.
A growing problem
With employee engagement hitting its lowest point in a decade, per a Gallup study, to say that boreout has become an urgent workplace issue is an understatement.
According to Tina Bennett, vp of people and culture at Panopto, a corporate and educational video platform, boreout differs fundamentally from burnout in that it stems not from excessive workload but from employees feeling unchallenged and unmotivated in their roles.
“Implementing effective engagement strategies for employee learning and upskilling is critical in today’s digital-first workplace. However, many enterprise learning programs still use incredibly outdated approaches that don’t truly capture attention, spark meaningful connections or motivate employees in their role,” Bennett said.
“Boreout isn’t just the opposite of burnout — it’s the workplace’s silent productivity killer,” said Patrice Williams-Lindo, CEO at Career Nomad, a career coaching firm. “When employees are disengaged not because they’re overwhelmed but because they’re underutilized, we’re looking at a leadership issue, not a laziness problem.”
“Humans are wired to seek meaning and mastery. When roles become overly repetitive or devoid of feedback loops, employees experience what’s known as ‘motivational crowding out,’ where internal motivation fades due to lack of autonomy, progress signals or social reinforcement,” added Ivo Vlaev, a business professor at the University of Warwick in England.
Karishma Patel Buford, chief people officer at Spring Health, a mental health services company, offers that to help reduce wasted time and boreout, organizations need a streamlined, intuitive knowledge management system. That starts with a single source of information designed to reduce friction in the search process with smart structure, strong search, and content that’s both reliable and relevant. Employers can also make AI tools like ChatGPT available to streamline knowledge access.
The warning signs of boreout are subtle but obvious. Bennett identifies several key indicators, including decreased participation in company initiatives, withdrawal behaviors such as quiet disengagement, loss of curiosity about growth opportunities and minimal ambition for career advancement.
Significantly, those symptoms can be misinterpreted by managers as lack of effort when in reality they signal a deeper disconnection from work.
Beyond just boredom
Boreout isn’t just about having too little to do — it often stems from fundamental workplace issues, including:
Outdated learning approaches. Many enterprise learning programs use traditional methods that fail to capture attention or spark meaningful connections. Bennett notes that her team has moved away from even using the term “training” in favor of integrated learning experiences.
Accessibility barriers. With approximately 20% of the workforce having learning and attention issues, lack of accommodations can lead to frustration and disengagement. That becomes even more critical as workforces diversify globally.
Information inefficiency. Employees typically spend a full day every week searching for information — time that could be devoted to more valuable and engaging activities. Modern workers expect real-time answers rather than waiting or hunting for information.
Under-leveraged talent. Williams-Lindo observes that boreout often affects high-potential professionals being buried under busywork, unclear goals and outdated development pathways. The result? Disconnection, low morale and missed opportunity — especially among top talent positioned for growth.
Evidence-based solutions
HR leaders can combat boreout by implementing several targeted strategies, among them:
Reimagining learning programs. Move away from traditional training to integrated learning experiences. Focus on incorporating day-to-day learning into employee workflows rather than mandated courses. That transforms learning from what Bennett calls a “must-complete” to a “must-experience.”
Enable knowledge accessibility. Create inclusive learning environments that accommodate different learning styles and needs. Video-based resources with features such as automated captions, transcripts and adjustable playback speeds make information accessible to all employees regardless of their learning preferences.
Redesign roles and development pathways. Managers are advised to redesign roles to include autonomy, variety and impact and recognize boredom as a sign of under-leveraged skill rather than underperformance. Williams-Lindo advises management to “reignite growth” by way of modern development plans and cross-functional collaboration.
Track meaningful metrics. Bennett recommends monitoring specific engagement indicators to identify potential boreout, including engagement scores, turnover rates among top performers and responses to targeted survey questions. In her role, she tracks whether employees feel motivated to do more than they would in similar roles elsewhere and whether they understand how their work contributes to company goals.
Sandra Moran, chief customer experience officer at WorkForce Software, part of ADP, noted that burnout and boreout require distinct metrics and KPIs due to their differing causes. “Burnout stems from overload and is measured by emotional exhaustion, workload efficiency, and depersonalization, while boreout arises from under-stimulation and is tracked through boredom scales, low innovation contributions and disengagement indicators,” she pointed out.
There are KPIs for engagement improvement like NPS surveys that ask employees their feelings about career growth, upskilling, scheduling flexibility and safety at work, she continues. “Organizations should be monitoring turnover and absenteeism, but it’s important to catch these potential red flags while they’re happening and technology can help make this connection early for managers,” she said.
The bottom line
Maintaining a healthy work environment isn’t just about preventing burnout — it requires ensuring that work remains meaningful and aligned with both personal and professional goals. By addressing boreout proactively, HR leaders can re-establish connection to purpose and ensure employees feel valued, appropriately challenged and connected to the organization’s mission.
As Williams-Lindo put it, “Managers can’t afford to ignore burnout in a time when employee engagement is at an 11-year low. It’s not about giving people more work — it’s about giving them meaningful work.”