Quiet Quitting, coined in the early 2020s, refers to employees who do the bare minimum required by their job. The employee is disengaged, shows a lack of enthusiasm and does not do more than required.
What causes employees to quietly quit? There are several reasons, such as lack of work/life balance, burnout/stress, misalignment in compensation, feeling inadequate management support, disconnect from colleagues, lack of recognition for efforts, ambiguous job expectations/responsibilities, toxic work culture, and a general feeling that their employer doesn’t care about their well-being.
According to Hays Canada, 2024 Salary Guide and Hiring Trends, 71% of employees want to leave their jobs in the next 12 months; 55% of employees feel more stressed in 2024 than the previous year; and 46% of employees felt unmotivated due to reasons, such as stagnant wages, job dissatisfaction, and perceived inadequate benefits.
Quiet quitting can also negatively impact a company by decreasing team morale, loss of potential innovation and growth, and a decline in customer experience, which can damage brand reputation and reduce customer retention rates.
How do you identify quiet quitting?
Quiet quitting signs manifest subtly, so managers need to recognize the signs early to mitigate the negative impact on the team and company. Below are some signs to look out for.
- Diminished engagement and lack of enthusiasm.
- Withdrawal–Lack of participation in meetings and/or team discussions; reduced communication with managers and peers; avoiding social interactions.
- Decreased initiative in taking on new projects.
- A reluctance to provide input during performance reviews.
- Displaying signs of frustration, exhaustion, or cynicism.
- Showing indifference to company goals and values.
- Decline in productivity and work quality.
- Increased absenteeism or tardiness: Signing on to work or signing off early, consistently or taking longer breaks.
What managers can implement to combat quiet quitting.
Managers can take a proactive approach to protect themselves from the negative impact of quiet quitting. Here are some key long-term strategies managers can implement.
- Foster open communication: Encourage regular one-on-one check-ins and/or implement anonymous feedback channels to identify issues early.
- Set clear expectations and goals: Establish meaningful goals to give employees a clear sense of purpose and direction. Avoid overloading employees with unrealistic expectations, which can lead to burnout and disengagement.
- Recognize and reward contributions: Acknowledge hard work through both formal (bonuses, promotions) and informal (public praise, thank-you notes) recognition programs.
- Offer career development opportunities: Provide access to training, mentorship, and skill development to help develop employees.
- Promote work-life balance: Encourage flexible work arrangements, and offer mental health resources, e.g. wellness programs.
- Improve workplace culture: Foster an inclusive and positive work environment that values diversity and collaboration, encourage team bonding activities and social interactions to strengthen relationships and connectedness, and address toxic behaviors or workplace conflicts promptly to prevent them from spreading.
- Provide competitive value proposition that resonates with your employees
- Train leaders to be supportive and empathetic: Equip managers with the skills to identify and take appropriate action that addresses disengagement and encourage a coaching approach rather than a micromanagement style to empower employees.
- Conduct ‘stay’ interviews: To understand what motivates employees to stay and what improvements they’d like to see.
- Monitor employee engagement metrics: Use surveys, pulse checks, and performance analytics to assess engagement levels regularly, track absenteeism, productivity, and turnover rates to identify potential issues, and act on the data gathered to make evidence-based improvements in the workplace.
Is Quiet Quitting here to stay?
Quiet quitting is likely here to stay. According to Eirkoo, experts predict that this trend could continue to grow, especially as the workplace keeps evolving.
While the financial impact of quiet quitting varies by industry and organization size, it is clear that disengaged employees can cost organizations thousands of dollars per employee per year in lost productivity, increased turnover, and reduced innovation.
By proactively addressing the root causes, employee needs, and adapting to changing workforce dynamics; employers can significantly reduce the risk and hidden costs of quiet quitting, retain top talent, create a more engaged, productive, and satisfied workforce, and improve overall business performance.
Author: Joanne Lepin, Talent Acquisition Specialist