Quiet Quitting is a workforce trend that continues to challenge HR and talent leaders. The term refers to employees doing the bare minimum, often avoiding additional projects outside of their job descriptions. Quiet quitters rarely go above and beyond and lack interest in investing any emotional connection to their jobs. Simply put, they finish their tasks and log off for the day.
Why Are Employees Quiet Quitting?
- Disengaged and disconnected: Employees underwent major shifts during and after the pandemic. Layoffs, remote work, and return-to-office mandates or hybrid scheduling have impacted work relationships in lasting ways. According to Gallup, only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, meaning the vast majority are either not engaged or actively disengaged.
- Lack of growth and development opportunities: Many employees feel they have reached a dead end in their current roles. This feeling grows when employees are not presented with a clear career path and the resources needed to develop their skills.
- Underpaid or overworked: Many employees feel their compensation is less than they deserve. Roles that expanded in scope without additional compensation or recognition leave people feeling the imbalance.
- Setting work boundaries: Employees burned out by years of pressure are no longer interested in sacrificing their work-life balance or well-being, putting an end to hustle culture as a default expectation.
Identifying Potential Quiet Quitters
It is important for leaders to recognize signs that could indicate a quiet quitter on the team, otherwise employee satisfaction, team dynamics, and the broader work environment can suffer. Common signs include:
- The employee seems disengaged from their work or the team
- A lack of participation in group meetings or brainstorming sessions
- Declining productivity or quality of work
- Disinterest in participating in team-building events
The level of involvement and enthusiasm among employees in the workplace dropped for the first time in over ten years.
– Gallup
Combating Quiet Quitting
Growing companies should consider implementing these tactics to prevent quiet quitting from spreading:
Build a Culture of Connection
Quiet quitting, for some, is not about avoiding work, it is about lacking a sense of purpose. Communication is key to preventing an employee from becoming disengaged. Frequent one-on-one meetings can foster a strong relationship between managers and employees. These weekly syncs are an excellent opportunity to cover both professional and personal development. Leaders should highlight how an employee’s work impacts the company’s overall success to build meaning in their work.
Another way to connect with employees is to make them feel their voices are valued and heard. Soliciting feedback through engagement surveys provides an avenue of communication to help them get their ideas to leadership. Employees want to feel they are making a difference, so collecting and acting on their feedback is essential.
Invest in Your Employees
One of the top reasons people disengage is a lack of career development and growth opportunities. Organizations must play an active role in building career paths that align with the interests of both the employee and the company’s goals. Investing in adequate resources and programs to grow employees is a big part of an effective retention strategy.
Leaders should develop a habit of asking employees about their interests and career goals, are there particular skills they want to develop or leverage? Is there a specific project they want to be a part of? From there, management can build a career map with potential opportunities and resources to support professional growth. A flexible career path gives employees visibility into their future at the organization and can directly impact their motivation, career satisfaction, and productivity.
Part of keeping employees engaged is keeping them excited about their future and letting them have a say in their careers. 94% of employees would stay at a job longer if they had access to career development.
– LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report
Plan Your Workforce
Workforce planning helps forecast business demands and identify current gaps to determine specific hiring needs. Part of this includes assessing the skills of existing employees and placing them in roles where they can leverage those skills, improving engagement and retention. Effective workforce planning also helps identify skill gaps so leaders can provide the necessary training and resources to develop existing employees for the future. Proactively preparing for future business needs helps maintain adequate staffing levels and avoids overburdening existing staff.
“Organizations sometimes have a one-size-fits-all orientation. This approach doesn’t account for the different skill and experience levels that should be considered for onboarding. While it may not be feasible to make customizable orientations, companies should look at the existing orientation and determine if there are some parts that aren’t necessary for all new hires, based on prior experience.”
– Dina DeMarco, Hueman People Solutions
Recognize Your People
Employee engagement is directly correlated with recognition. Why would employees try to go above and beyond if their efforts go unnoticed? Organizations should create fair and consistent recognition and promotion guidelines to help employees feel seen. Setting specific goals and expectations within teams, divisions, and departments helps standardize the process, helping employees feel more valued at work.
Recognition can extend beyond financial compensation. Celebrating milestones, work anniversaries, or actions that embody your organization’s core values can help build a great culture. It is important to remind your employees that their efforts are appreciated.
Are you seeing signs of disengagement in your workforce? Hueman Professional Recruitment can help you build a strategy to develop a talented, engaged team. Contact us to learn more to learn more.
