The unique combination of post-Covid pandemic, a cost of living crisis, a rise in flexible working and the increased awareness of the importance of maintaining wellbeing and good mental health has seen concept of ‘quiet quitting’ gain traction.
What is quiet quitting?
Quiet quitting is not a worker simply giving up their job, instead, the term means where an individual completes only the basics of their role but nothing more. They essentially work to rule.
Potential signs of quiet quitting.
- A reduction in productivity or a slowdown in the pace of work
- A reluctance or repeated failure to attend meetings.
- Disengagement in general
- A change in attitude or enthusiasm eg, negative comments
- Becoming less available to colleagues or customers eg. not answering emails or calls
So, why would an employee ‘quietly quit’?
There are a number of reasons, some of which are out of the employers control but some that can be identified and tackled.
- Workers addressing their worklife balance
- The rise of hybrid/remote working
- Employee burnout
- The rise in the cost of living leading to real terms pay cuts for workers
- A lack of career opportunities at the company
Is quiet quitting ever a good thing?
Yes, when identified, this is where good line management comes in to play. If a line manager spots that a worker is becoming demotivated, they can have a discussion with the worker to get a better understanding of why they are feeling that way and what can be done to rectify the issue.
Simple steps could be reducing the workload (if deemed too much), allowing them to change their working pattern or tweak their role.
In a challenging labour market it is important to remember that people leave people and not companies, the more organisations can share in terms of purpose, trust and empowerment, the higher the likelihood that overall retention will improve.