Giving a New Name to an Old Concept
By now, you have likely heard of a new trend plaguing workplace cultures: quiet quitting. According to Gallup, 50% of the workforce in the United States is comprised of quiet quitters.
While you may have only recently been introduced to the term quiet quitting, in truth, it has been present in the workplace for years. Pandemic-related factors (e.g., changes in personal priorities, reassessing one’s career path, financial disillusionment, etc.) may have increased the prevalence of quiet quitting (and, undoubtably, fueled the Great Resignation), but there is no denying that it was a pre-existing condition in the labor force.
Employers each seem to have unique takes on what this phrase really means and looks like in the workplace. While there are several opinions as to what quiet quitting is and is not, what remains consistent are the impacts on employee satisfaction, employee retention, and ultimately, the success of a company. This is why taking a proactive approach to quiet quitting, before it spirals out of control and seeps into all aspects of workplace culture, is crucial.
What is Quiet Quitting
Quiet quitting occurs when employees choose not to go above and beyond at work. They prefer to stick to their job description and avoid taking on new duties that were not outlined in their job description when they were onboarded. The motivations behind quiet quitting are unique to each employee.
One popular theory is that quiet quitting is the way that some employees are dealing with personal and professional burnout and/or a lack of a healthy work/life balance. This usually manifests through apathy and disengagement. People of this camp attribute the behavior to employees being overworked, unappreciated, undercompensated, and finding little to no purpose in their work.
While quiet quitting has quickly become a term that carries a negative connotation, not everyone views it as a bad thing. Some individuals in the workforce, especially young professionals, view quiet quitting as a way to set strict boundaries with their employers in order to achieve a work/life balance and protect their overall wellbeing. People who see quiet quitting this way still aim to do a good job at fulfilling all of their job responsibilities, without feeling pressure to become a member of hustle culture.
Hustle culture is based around the idea that success in the workplace can only be accomplished by pushing yourself to your limits every single day, mentally, emotionally, and physically. While it may sound like this would lead to better outcomes on an individual and organizational level, adopting this “no days off” mentality actually decreases one’s productivity and creativity, along with the quality of one’s work. Ultimately, the question is not if hustle culture leads to burnout, but rather how long a member of the culture can go without becoming burnt out.
The reality is that you won’t find a single organization out there that can confidently pick one explanation that applies to every single person in their office who is quiet quitting. For this reason, you need to take a close look at your individual employees and organization to figure out why it’s happening.
Why are Employees Quiet Quitting?
Although quiet quitting has been around for some time in the world of work, many employers are just now beginning to ask perhaps the most important question of all: why is this happening? And taking time to find answers to this question is long-overdue, as solutions cannot be implemented without first having a strong understanding of the driving forces behind a lack of employee engagement, satisfaction, and motivation.
The challenge that employers face is that they need to make a time investment to get to know each and every one of their employees; specifically, leaders should understand an employee’s usual attitude, temperament, enthusiasm for their work, and average productivity levels. It is only then that employers can determine when quiet quitting is happening, the “why” behind it, and what potential actions can be taken to resolve the issue.
Quiet Firing
The danger in not considering what is happening with your employees on an individual level is that, consciously or unconsciously, you may begin engaging in something known as “quiet firing.” Quiet firing is a way that some employers are retaliating against employees who they believe are engaged in quiet quitting.
Examples of quiet firing include denying an employee a raise or promotion, actively looking for reasons to fire an employee, demoting an employee, and denying paid time off requests. This passive aggressive “solution” to quiet quitting ultimately does more harm than good. Not only does this cause employees to become even more dissatisfied with their jobs, but once word spreads of this behavior, it can also tank the morale of other employees. In the end, this method of dealing with quiet quitting isn’t beneficial for anyone.
7 Common Signs of Quiet Quitting
Quiet quitting is usually not a behavior that develops overnight. It is the result of a gradual increase in one’s level of job dissatisfaction, which begins to show up in the workplace in different ways. Common signs that employees are quiet quitting include:
- Clocking in late and clocking out early
- Decreased productivity
- Reduced or non-existent participation in meetings or on company-wide initiatives
- Chronic disengagement
- Refusal to participate in stretch opportunities
- Showing a lack of initiative
- Self-isolation from coworkers
Why Do I Need to Address Quiet Quitting?
If you seem to be seeing quiet quitters around every corner in your place of work, don’t let it slide. Even if you believe that quiet quitting in your workplace is simply a tactic being used by employees to establish personal work boundaries, the behavior may be negatively impacting the culture of your company, and ultimately, the company’s success.
Quiet quitting is like a virus in that it can spread rapidly in the workplace. Once you have one quiet quitter, you will undoubtedly have more. Remember, your employees talk about their work with one another. If their conversations become dominated by how displeased they are with the work environment and their overwhelming responsibilities, you will slowly start to see an unpleasant shift in your workplace culture. If you notice quiet quitters and choose not to address their behavior, over time, they can negatively influence the attitude of others in the workplace.
If employee needs go unaddressed, quiet quitting can lead to actual quitting, which is a huge burden on a company’s culture and resources. Unintentional employee turnover is linked to unpleasant experiences at work, excessive job demands, and job dissatisfaction; all of which can be driving forces behind quiet quitting.
Aspects of the replacement process, including re-defining the duties of the job, assembling a search committee, and conducting candidate interviews, put a strain on company personnel and finances. Moreover, when an employee leaves, this usually means existing employees need to permanently or temporarily absorb more responsibilities, which can lead to more employee dissatisfaction, thus creating a vicious cycle of quiet quitting in the workplace.
According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report from 2022, employee job dissatisfaction around the world is at an all-time high. It is estimated that the global economy has taken a staggering hit to the tune of $7.8 trillion in lost productivity, due to disengaged employees. The good news is that there are strategies that every company can use to increase the happiness levels of employees in order to help them feel more valued; re-ignite their enthusiasm and motivation; and reduce (or even eliminate) their quiet quitting behaviors.
6 Strategies to Tackle Quiet Quitting
1) Be Transparent During the Hiring Process:
When you are interviewing candidates for a position in your company, be honest about what the role entails, growth opportunities (if any), your expectations of them, company benefits, etc. By being open about what you can and cannot offer the candidate, as well as the responsibilities of the role, you can help ensure the potential employee understands what they would be taking on if they were to accept the job offer, thereby reducing the likelihood of them becoming disillusioned or disappointed down the line.
2) Remove Being “Quiet” from the Equation
Companies whose employees feel that the workplace culture involves “suffering in silence,” are at a higher risk of encountering quiet quitters. One easy way to combat this is by encouraging open and honest communication between employees and leadership. You may consider sending out a survey to ask employees to identify stressors they experience and areas in which they would like to receive more support. It is of the utmost importance that you make it known to employees that they will not be subject to disciplinary action for voicing their concerns through the appropriate channels.
3) Remind Your Employees That You Value Them
One of the most common reasons employees are quiet quitting is due to feeling underappreciated. Establish ways to track and celebrate employee accomplishments to help them feel proud of their work and more connected to others and the mission of the organization. You can show your appreciation through featuring employees on your social media pages, offering extra paid time off, re-visiting compensation being offered to hardworking employees, and sending emails to everyone in the company highlighting individual employee achievements.
4) Compromise on Workload
If your employee comes to you with concerns that they have too much on their plate, really listen to them in order to come up with a solution that works for all parties involved. Your employee will feel validated by their needs being accommodated, and consequently, be shown that you genuinely care about their wellbeing, not just their work output.
5) Encourage Employees to Re-Visit Their Why
Throughout our careers, it is natural to experience a period of time where we forget why we joined an organization. This could be for many reasons, such as feeling undervalued, feeling disconnected from coworkers, having little time to reflect on accomplishments, and even just losing sight of the mission of the company. Set aside time each month or quarter for your employees to engage in activities that help them reconnect with the mission and purpose of the company. This could be through team building exercises, performance reviews, or company parties. During these activities, make sure employees are shown how their work is helping others and encourage employees to share what their work means to them on a personal level.
6) Consider Offering a Tech-Based Employee Wellbeing Platform
The APA’s 2022 Work and Well-being Survey found that 81% of workers in the United States are seeking employment at companies that actively support employee mental health. While you can do your best to create a culture of open communication, unfortunately, some employees will still not feel comfortable disclosing their concerns to you, which will prevent you from finding solutions with and for them. Offering and encouraging the use of an easily accessible employee wellbeing platform that includes psychoeducational material, as well as ways to connect with a live counselor, can assist you in your efforts to ensure employees are being cared for on both a personal and professional level.
Let’s Support Employee Mental Health Together
Decreasing the prevalence of quiet quitting in the workplace is not something any one person can do on their own. This is because finding solutions that work for every employee involves active collaboration that positively impacts workplace culture. Remember, quiet quitting is not a new concept, but it can be a new behavior you see in your employees that you need to address.
If you are stumped by how to address this issue, try implementing a few of the suggested strategies, and see how it impacts the culture of your workplace!
Oasis Connect can help you create a healthier workplace. Learn How Now!
