Earlier studies pointed out that recovering from burnout makes it tougher to get back into the professional game since employers are less likely to hire or promote someone who’s been through burnout. Now, research from the University of Ghent took a different angle: do people recovering from burnout make different career choices?

To find out, the research team had a bunch of Belgian workers, representing different jobs, check out imaginary job offers with different features.

What they found was interesting. Workers who had recently faced clinical burnout were more interested in jobs that offered more remote work options and regular feedback. Surprisingly, they didn’t see training opportunities as valuable compared to workers who hadn’t dealt with burnout recently.

“From previous research, we know that burnout can be explained by excessive work demands and too limited resources that can buffer these demands (such as appreciation in the workplace),” the researchers explain. “Our recent analyses now indicate that job demands and resources are similarly important in explaining the career choices made by individuals who experienced burnout.”

Dealing with burnout

These discoveries align with earlier studies on workers who’ve dealt with burnout, emphasizing the importance of support from supervisors for a successful comeback to work.

“First, it appears that job crafting is a valuable instrument for workers with a history of burnout who are looking for sustainable re-employment. Arranging opportunities for feedback would be an example of a potent job crafting intervention,” the researchers explain.

“Second, following up on and encouraging the professional training of burned-out workers remains crucial because learning opportunities are positively related to mental health outcomes. All this, of course, within the constraints of recovery requirements.”