How To Identify Quiet Quitters 4 Tell-Tale Signs

Technological advancements combined with the pandemic have recently created a plethora of issues that companies never had to address previously.

One of the most challenging issues that employers are currently managing is the ‘quiet quitters’ phenomena. It is imperative for organizations to both acknowledge that this is a rapidly growing unfortunate trend, as well as learn ways to quickly identify and resolve the problem.

What is Quiet Quitting?

Quiet quitting is a practice glamorized on TikTok where a professional mentally checks out when working, but does not resign because they want to continue to claim a paycheck. In an era where hustle culture dominates, the quiet quitters only do the bare minimum of what is necessary to maintain their current employment.

This disgraceful practice has become increasingly popular among members of the millennial and generation Z as they question the idea of a fully engaged employee.

Tell-Tale Signs of Quiet Quitters

The most obvious tell-tale signs of quiet quitters include the following:

1.???Disengagement At Work

The first red flag to help you identify a quiet quitter among your employees is when someone exhibits a trend of becoming increasingly disengaged.

There are many signs that someone is no longer mentally engaged and invested in their work. The most obvious signs are failure to attend or apathy in meetings, a slower response to emails and text messages, and an overall lack of enthusiasm for the job.

We all have days when we feel disengaged from work due to factors like personal issues, short-term burnout, or an especially hard day on the job. The difference in quiet quitters is that they are on an increasing downward spiral, inexplicably and progressively continuing to withdraw with each additional week without rationalization.

2.???Poor Teamwork

Quickly identifying a quiet quitter is imperative. When you have someone that is not carrying their fair share of the workload, that translates into other team members having to pick up the slack.

There really is great truth in the old adage that ‘A bad apple can ruin the bunch’.

There are many moral and ethical breaches that happen when someone chooses to disengage but does not have the integrity to resign, electing instead to officially remain as part of a team, collecting a paycheck while not collaborating with their team to complete the job they are paid to do.

When a team fails to meet a deadline or the quality/quantity of their work deteriorates, be sure to promptly investigate to identify and understand what has changed.

3.???Isolation From Team/Colleagues

A potential quiet quitter will become withdrawn not only from their assigned tasks, but also from work colleagues. They appear to no longer value working relationships, which reduces cohesion amongst the team.

4.???Declining Performance

Another tell-tale sign to identify a quiet quitter is declining performance. Increasingly diminishing results is one of the most prominent signs a quiet quitter displays.

Consider it a red flag if your employee, who is generally high performing and eager to take on work and responsibilities, is suddenly demonstrating a marked lack in performance. Is someone who previously hit every benchmark suddenly disengaged and doing the bare minimum? They are likely a quiet quitter. The sooner the change in behavior is identified and addressed, the better the outcome.

Identifying quiet quitters and proactively finding solutions is important for many reasons.

Ensure you have the right professionals on your team by utilizing a dedicated team of experienced recruiters, combining amazing technology with years of experience to deliver top talent to your interview table.

Since 1999,?International Search Consultants? has provided exceptionally qualified candidates for our clients across the US.

Call?ISC ?today to speak with experienced?executive recruiting professionals who will help strategize on your next critical fill hiring need.

Ann Zaslow-Rethaber is President of?International Search Consultants .?You can reach Ann directly at 888-866-7276 or email her [email protected].

Jaami Clement is an Executive Recruiter with?ISC . You can reach Jaami directly at?888-866-6625 or email her [email protected].