What is “Quiet Quitting” and how can leaders address this employee engagement challenge?
First, everyone began quitting. The Great Resignation as it was deemed. NOW…they’re not quitting. They’re “Quiet Quitting.” But there is nothing quiet about it. Regardless of what you call it, this is another employee engagement trend not to be ignored.
Quiet Quitting is defined as the idea of not actually quitting your job, it’s making the decision to quit going above and beyond at work, and employees of all ages are joining the trend. They’re saying no to anything above and beyond their job description. And saying yes to boundaries and balance.
The name may be new, the tactic may be new, but the fact that employees reduce engagement and performance when they don’t feel valued, appreciated, challenged, or get the work-life balance they expect, is not new.
Why are people quietly quitting?
Many have figured out that they’re just cogs in the for-profit game. Working hard-er and taking on new projects doesn’t necessarily lead to a promotion or even a pay raise. It doesn’t always even lead to a simple “thank you.” No, it often leads to more work with less recognition or reward.
Sad how so many things have changed in the workplace, yet so many things remain the same. This reminds me of a scene from the movie Officespace, a comedy that satirizes work-life balance in the mid-1990s.
“Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it’s not that I’m lazy, it’s that I just don’t care.
Bob Porter: Don’t… don’t care?
Peter Gibbons: It’s a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don’t see another dime; so where’s the motivation? And here’s something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.
Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?
Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.
Bob Slydell: Eight?
Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That’s my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.”
Some things have changed since the mid-1990s. Employees have begun to take more control of their own careers. And some, like Gen Z and younger millennials, aren’t exactly being quiet about quietly quitting, they’re posting to Tiktok. And they’re not shy about sharing that lack of balance, motivation, and a poor employee experience are part of the problem. And kudos to them!
It helps to know a key data point. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Across generations, U.S. employee engagement is falling, according to survey data from Gallup, but Gen Z and younger millennials, born in 1989 and after, reported the lowest engagement of all during the first quarter at 31%.”
If a mere 31% engagement doesn’t alarm you, I am not sure what will. In case you haven’t noticed, there are more job openings than unemployed workers. And there is no evidence The Great Resignation is over either.
More research, beyond TikTok videos, needs to be done to determine the real root causes of this trend. But for me, it still comes down to some basics and creating a great employee experience so employees want to give it their all – without feeling burnt out!
So how does a leader slow the Quiet Quitting trend?
✅Promote work-life balance
✅Provide for and act on employee feedback on an ongoing basis
✅Offer employees a voice in defining their job roles, tasks, and duties
✅Create a culture of learning
✅Build a culture of trust and safety
✅Focus on developing a good manager and employee relationship
✅Respect diversity and embed good DEIAB practices into your workplace culture
✅Respect boundaries and be open to reevaluating expectations
✅Provide employees support for mental health and self-care
✅Leaders, reward managers for modeling positive behaviors
…and those are just a few things to try to curb “Quiet Quitting” and create a positive employee experience.
It’s important to keep your employees happy. They keep your customers happy. These tips are inexpensive ways to create and maintain a positive employee experience and drive higher engagement within your organization. Show your people – your #1 asset – that you consider them more than just cogs and drones. When you make an effort for your people, they’ll make an effort for your business.
About Scott Span, MSOD, CSM, ACC: is CEO at Tolero Solutions. As a people strategist, leadership coach, and change and transformation specialist, his work is focused on people. Through his consulting and training work he supports clients to survive and thrive through change and transition and create people-focused cultures and a great employee experience. Through his coaching work, he supports people willing to dig deeper to identify and overcome what’s holding them back, change behaviors, accelerate performance and achieve their goals.
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