Figure 1-1: Quiet Quitting
There’s a good reason why the topic of quiet quitting has received much attention lately. Around 50% of the American workforce, according to Gallup data, are “quiet quitters.” This recently developed term refers to workers who perform nothing more than the bare minimum necessary to fulfill their job descriptions. Companies must be aware of quiet resignation, which can result in more serious organizational rifts, including disengagement, low productivity, and uneven workloads.
It can be difficult to spot a quiet quitter because these workers still perform their duties but exhibit subtle indicators of disengagement with their jobs. Since managers need more visibility in remote organizations, spotting these indications could be more difficult. Companies must determine what is demotivating or inspiring their staff to address this difficult issue.
- What factors contribute to quiet quitting?
Figure 1-2: Factors Contribute to Quiet Quitting
Quitting quietly is rarely the result of a single factor. Employers disregarding their employees’ mental health and well-being, insufficient compensation, no work-life balance, a lack of appreciation, and imprecise expectations are common causes.
While these issues are obvious to employees attempting to solve them, the same is not often true for executives. Do you know if your employees feel overburdened and undervalued? If you’re not sure you’re satisfying your employees’ needs, you can miss some less visible signals that they’re leaving quietly.
Asana’s 2022 Anatomy of Workreport says that seven out of ten workers have felt burned out in the past year. The study also found that employees who are burned out are less interested in their jobs, make more mistakes, leave their jobs, and are more likely to have low morale.
As the pandemic turned workplace culture on its head, it brought silent resignation to the forefront. According toLinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2022 research,more people are taking stock of their professional lives, asking tough questions, and looking for a better work-life balance.
Employees who refuse to take on new responsibilities are a tell-tale indicator of a silent resignation, but the more subtle signs are more difficult to detect. So, here are five ignored signals that your workforce is changing.
- 5 Telltale Signs of Quiet Quitting
Employees may show signs of quitting quietly, based on why they want to cut back on work. If an employee is unhappy, the signs may be much clearer than if they just want a better mix between work and life.
Let’s have a look at signs of quiet quitting.
1. Doing Just the Bare Minimum
Figure 2-1: Doing Just the Bare Minimum
This person gradually puts in less effort, showing up to complete the tasks necessary to get them through the day rather than going above and beyond to see how their work can benefit other team members.
Someone may start their shift at their regular time and then gradually leave at the appointed time. Presenteeism does not necessarily mean a person is not subtly leaving their job. Presenteeism may be used to cover up someone who has lost interest in their work.
Making an effort to look productive is not the same as being productive. You can tell if someone plans to leave in silence by focusing on their level of effort rather than their output.
2. A Mindset of “That’s Not My job”
Figure 2-2: A Mindset of That’s not my job
The most obvious examples of this attitude are those who are completely unmotivated and disruptive at work. Still, you can also see it creeping in before someone quits without anyone noticing.
They might delegate a task to someone else on the team. Other team members may notice an increase in workload, which may serve as a warning sign that an employee is leaving the company invisibly.
When someone is really into what they’re doing, they’ll beexcited to see the bigger picture.As a result, they won’t think of themselves as isolated workers who do nothing but their assigned tasks. However, this willingness to go above and beyond their role will dwindle as quiet resignation sets in.
3. No Interest in Career Advancement
Figure 3-1: No Interest in Career Advancement
If you have someone in mind for a promotion but have begun to second-guess that choice, they may quietly leave the company. Again, the individual in question may not be aware of what they are doing, but their desire to obtain the next promotion has waned.
This major red flag needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Reestablishing a person’s path toward promotion in their field can restore their sense of purpose and enthusiasm for their work.
- They Try to Avoid Meetings
Figure 3-2: Try to Avoid Meetings
Or they stop participating in group discussions and contributing new ideas. Workload and deadlines may occasionally cause someone to want to leave or skip a meeting, but persistent avoidance will reveal a more serious issue.
4. Disconnecting From the Team
Figure 4-1: Disconnecting From The Team
Quiet quitters will begin to disengage from their team as well. This can manifest as a desire to avoid social gatherings and group discussions. Most likely, the team members will notice these small changes first.
As we’ve seen before, someone who feels disconnected from their team is less likely to pitch in and offer help, support, or ideas. This will impact the entire team in terms of productivity and energy.
How Can You Stop Quiet Quitting?
It wasn’t like workers suddenly decided they only wanted to do the minimum required of them. It took some time for them to reach the point where they could quietly quit. To win them back will require similar efforts and time. However, you can get the ball rolling with a few strategies.
Showing your employees that you care about them goes a long way, even if you are unable to reduce their workload at this time, through expressions of gratitude and appreciation. One way to go the extra mile is by sending a thank-you note and a Starbucks gift card. Sometimes it’s as simple asrewardingthe sales team with a fantastic trip after they’ve closed a major deal.
Here are some of the suggestions:
a) Being an attentive listener
b) Promoting a balanced approach to work and life
c) Making sure people get paid fairly
d) Giving employees the flexibility they want
e) Creating clear expectations
f) Supporting the health of your employees
g) Developing a system to appreciate and reward workers
h) Boundaries must be respected.
i) Not taking goals for granted
On a final note:
Last but not least, it’s important to investigate why people are quiet quitting to see if there’s a disconnect between your leaders and their teams. Everyone on the team, even those secretly leaving, will benefit from this. It is always better to help staff be happy and engaged, even if their careers might take them to new organizations in the long run. While they are working for you, you want them to give their all to both their position and their team. Stay safe and learn more about health-related continuing education, eetsonline.com.