27 Sep Quiet Quitting and How to Minimize It at Your Business

Quiet Quitting and How to Minimize It at Your Business

Quiet quitting is the new trend that many are talking about. It’s been getting so much attention that even U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh has mentioned it. Some would have you believe this new trend of disengagement at work will ruin lives. But, is quiet quitting a new phenomenon that’s as serious as some say?

As the workforce development board serving Mecklenburg County, we believe businesses thrive when workers are engaged. Even if you haven’t heard this new phrase, it is something that could be happening at your workplace. We thought it would be helpful to talk about what it is and how to prevent it, so your business can thrive.

What is Quiet Quitting?

The definition can vary depending on who you ask, but quiet quitting is when workers do exactly what is needed to maintain their job. They are not trying to go above and beyond and they do not seek out or accept additional duties. This has recently become popular on TikTok with workers saying they feel overworked, undervalued, or that they want a better work-life balance.

“When combined with the 18% of actively disengaged workers, workers with some level of disengagement make up 68% of the workforce.”

Gallup claims workers fall into three categories: engaged, not engaged, and actively disengaged, with quiet quitting workers in the not engaged group. Their recent poll shows that this group makes up 50% of all workers. When combined with the 18% of actively disengaged workers, workers with some level of disengagement make up 68% of the workforce. So, if you own a business, you likely have some employees that feel this way.

With the rise in popularity of the term, it may seem as if this is a new and alarming trend. As the image below shows, this is not the case, with these numbers falling on average with the previous 21 years. So, while the term is new, the phenomenon of quiet quitting is not.

What Pushes Employees to Quiet Quit?

Gallup mentions poor management as the primary cause of quiet quitting. There are many ways inferior managers can push employees to quiet quit. Some of the most common are: not providing adequate pay, increasing workloads for long periods, failing to support workers, having poor communication, not having boundaries, or not showing workers they are valued.

How to Prevent Quiet Quitting

Since there are specific reasons that motivate (or in this case, demotivate) someone to quiet quit, there are also ways to help minimize it.

Teambuilding has put together the following list of ways you can help minimize quiet quitting at your business (you can read more about it here).

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Keep increases in workload short-term
                              2. Properly compensate your team
                              3. Make stepping up optional
                              4. Listen to your employees
                              5. Maintain boundaries
                              6. Be upfront about role growth
                              7. Employ employee recognition strategies
                              8. Build rapport and relationships
                              9. Monitor mood and behavior changes
                              10. Support employee wellbeing
                              11. Encourage breaks and sustainable growth

 

This is not a comprehensive list and there are many great resources online. Since quiet quitting is a new term, you can find tips under different categories such as: boosting employee morale, creating a better work environment, retaining workers, or preventing burnout.

The responsibility of minimizing quiet quitting falls on management. Weak management will push people to disengage, while strong leadership will make people feel like their work is valued and meaningful, leading to better engagement.

While hearing this new term thrown around may make you think there’s a new anti-work phenomenon happening, but this idea is something that has been around and there are ways to minimize it at your business. Ensuring that management helps build a culture where employees feel valued for their work will help increase engagement. This will not only minimize quiet quitting but will also help to attract and retain talent.

If you need help attracting or retaining talent, our Business Engagement team can help!

By: Ryan Nelson

Data Analyst