Why Every Employer Should Know About Quiet Quitting

You’ve probably heard the term "quiet quitting" tossed around in conversation. This viral trend first gained popularity on TikTok and quickly morphed into a topic taking the HR world by storm. After facing the great resignation, employers are now forced to confront a new phenomenon. 

This concept is also known as “silent quitting”, and related to “quiet firing”. In this insightful blog, we will dive into how you can understand and address quiet quitting as an employer. 

In this blog, we will cover:

• What is quiet quitting
• Signs of quiet quitting
• How to prevent your employees from quiet quitting
• How to deal with quiet quitting as an employer

Without further ado, let’s get into it:

What is Quiet Quitting?

Quiet quitting is a form of employee disengagement where team members stop going above and beyond in their roles. Employees will perform the necessary tasks to keep their jobs without working longer hours or participating in team events. More often than not, it is due to an employee feeling unsatisfied with their position and the company’s culture– eventually leading to the employee resigning. The term “quiet quitting” was previously known in the HR world as the age old tale of employee disengagement. Employees that became unhappy with their position would slowly do less, but continue to do just enough to keep their position. 

Symptoms of quiet quitting include an employee showing up late or exactly on time, and only completing tasks assigned to them at or after the deadline without looking toward the future. Read on to learn more signs that your employee may be participating in the phenomenon of quiet quitting.

Signs Your Employee Might Be Quiet Quitting

It is important to recognize the signs of employee disengagement, before it is too late. We have crafted a list below of the signs to look for when you think your employee might be quietly quitting:

• Employees are clocking out exactly on time, and are unwilling to work longer when required: As mentioned earlier on in this blog, employees that are unsatisfied in their position are unlikely to work longer hours. These employees are doing the bare minimum in order to keep their employer happy while disengaging themselves in the workplace. 

• Employees are unwilling to take on tasks outside of their job descriptions or contracts: Unhappy employees are more likely to draw a hard line between their job description and additional responsibilities. They don’t see themselves at the company long enough to take on additional responsibilities that may lead to a raise or promotion. 
  
  
• Employees do not participate in company culture events such as happy hours and team meetups: If employees are showing a resistance to participating in company culture events or team social gatherings, one of the reasons may be due to unhappiness within the organization. Please note that there may be other factors at play, such as social anxiety.

Although the matter of employee disengagement is a challenging topic to solve, there are procedures you can put in place as an employer to create a healthy work environment. 

Foster employee voice through supportive workplace relationships, allowing employees to voice their concerns and any struggles they may be having. Open communication with employees regarding their feelings will create a healthy professional bond. 

Help employees understand what it means to offer high quality work, motivating your employees through workplace recognition and praise. Re-focus your corporate culture on employee recognition and engagement plans. Review your workplace wellness programs and employee benefits plans to see if they are up to date and compete with the industry standard. 

Avoid overworking your team– consider offering paid days off in addition to vacation such as flex days or health & wellness days or extended long weekends.

Related blog: How to Attract and Retain Talent in 2022 With Flexible Employee Benefits 

How to Deal with Quiet Quitting as an Employer

Now that you understand what quiet quitting is and how to recognize it as an employer, it is time to learn how you can address this issue within your team.

Focus on strengthening your professional relationship with employees. Create a safe space for employees to voice their concerns, needs, and potential information that may be the reason behind your employee’s disengagement. Make sure to act on the information received. Be willing to make changes or be prepared for increased employee turnover. 

As an employer, it is crucial to take a look inward to determine what changes may be necessary. Are there concerns with work assignments, a lack of opportunity to learn or progress within the organization, are there unrealistic expectations with respect to workload, or is there a problem with a particular manager or department head. Organizations that are willing to identify and address problems can often reengage employees, and create a healthy work environment for both the employee and employer. 

Lastly, implement a strong workplace wellness program. At Montridge, we offer an extensive workplace wellness program catered to your organization with an emphasis on serving you as an employer. 

Conclusion: A Look Beyond Quiet Quitting 

In conclusion, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to addressing quiet quitting. The term is a new way of phrasing employee disengagement, an age old workplace issue. Invest in a strong workplace wellness program, create a healthy workplace environment where employees feel comfortable voicing concerns, and be prepared to act and report back on changes made to help improve workplace culture.