I'm Quietly Quitting the Great Resignation. Want to join me?

I'm Quietly Quitting the Great Resignation. Want to join me?

In 2019, people all over the world were working hard. They went to work day in and day out to achieve the outcomes set by their employers. They stayed back after work to exceed the results set by KPIs and project milestones. Employers sent out 'engagement' surveys and received good results.

... and people were happy. ??

OR were they...

In 2020 a collective experiment, oops I mean experience, in vulnerability and isolation, was undertaken by people, businesses and governments. This experience provided many people with time to consider the 'important' things. Many of them discovered that their jobs weren't as important to them as they had thought. In fact, many of them, once the major economic threat of the pandemic was passed, decided to leave their 'happy' jobs and move elsewhere. Others decided to stay with their employers, but not sell their souls to their careers and instead seek balance and wholeness in life.

Companies did not like this.

And therefore the media... loved it, thus 'the great resignation' and 'quiet quitting' were born. The media loves a sound bite, particularly if it has a negative edge to it. But are they actually negative?

Let's explore these terms and do a bit of myth-busting.

Anthony Klotz, a USA Organisational Psychologist coined the term 'The Great Resignation' in an interview with Bloomberg in May 2021. ?The media picked this up and completely misrepresented it. What Klotz was talking about was not just the numbers that showed that people were quitting their jobs more in 2021 than in the past 5 years. Actually, he was highlighting that people were recognising that there is more to life than the 9-5 rat race and they are making a conscious decision to rebalance their lives. This time according to Klotz should be seen as "... a moment of empowerment for workers ..."?He was talking about a positive thing, something that we've been wishing for in HR and OD for many years.

Unfortunately, it's turned into a big scary self-fulfilling prophecy... Companies are worried about their workforce leaving them because they hear about 'the great resignation' so they become worried about recruitment and salary expectations. They make short-term decisions to 'fix' the great resignation in their company - whether it's real or not. Business leaders become scared because recruitment and money are not fixing the problem, the media reports on this fear, and the cycle continues. Unfortunately, again, this has completely missed the mark.

The Great Resignation is not what it seems, in fact, to make matters clearer... here comes the term 'Quiet Quitting'.

A term popularised by TikTok users (note: 60% of TikTok users are 10-29 years AKA GenZ), Quiet Quitting has become the new scary thing for business leaders. Again, quiet quitting isn't what it seems.

When I first heard this term I assumed it was just a new way of describing what was called 'presenteeism', ie: when employees do the bare minimum productivity in their jobs to fly under the radar.

When I listened to the TikTok video by Zaid Lepplin, I was struck by how similar it was to the original discussion about the great resignation, and that it was not 'presenteeism' at all. Lepplin described it as "no longer subscribing to the hustle-culture mentality that work has to be your life". He brings this message home by saying "your worth as a person is not defined by your labour".

When you listen to the original messaging from Klotz and Lepplin they are both talking about the same thing. They are saying that employees are more than their job and that they can, and will, make changes that demonstrate this.

Unfortunately for companies, this message is actually a lot harder to manage and combat than the misaligned and misunderstood message that these two things are the result of employees quitting or giving up on a tough job. When you blame the individuals or the generation, eg: those damn GenZs <shakes fist wildly>, you can sidestep blame and avoid addressing the systemic issues.

The Great Resignation is not about people quitting because they want more money or can't cope with hard work - it's about people recognising that their employer is not able to provide them with the kind of workplace experience that will earn their contribution.

Quiet Quitting is not about people turning up to work and not giving their all to their job - it's about people recognising that their lives outside of work, and their personal effort, are worth more than just meeting KPIs and milestones.

GenZ has entered the workplace in the past 5-10 years and they are shaking things up. They are asking for personal and professional growth, flexibility, and meaningful work, and in exchange, they don't want to have to give up their home lives and health...imagine that? What an unreasonable request...

In truth, these are not unreasonable at all. In fact, it's what we've all wanted but never thought we were allowed to have. The generations before were taught to be grateful for the job and income they received and to not rock the boat in case they disappeared. Well guess what, our kids (yes I'm looking at you GenX and Y) are being brought up to believe in themselves and believe in their self-worth - is it any wonder they are bringing this attitude into the workplace?

What can companies do:

1.????They must acknowledge that these issues won't be solved by recruitment, remuneration or benefits alone.

2.????They must accept that there are systemic problems in their ways of working that must be addressed.

3.????They must act in a way that rips down the old-fashioned systems of work and rebuilds new systems of work that meet the needs of the new generation of workers.

4.????Listen to their employees and discover what they need - don't assume, just ask.

Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions however we can look at Quiet Quitting and The Great Resignation as not problems to solve, but instead looking at them as opportunities to build a new way of working together. It's actually time for the "great reality check" in our organisations.

So I'm quietly quitting the great resignation... well at least the popularised and unhealthful version that has been promoted, because it's not helpful for me, my business, or my client's companies.

Instead, I'm choosing to examine our culture and method of working to determine if my company can provide the kind of workplace experience that will earn the contribution of the best employees. If you want help to do this for your organisation then get in touch with me and my team at SynergyIQ and we'll help you to create the culture you need to deliver the outcomes you want.

Author: Michelle T Holland, Culture, Change and Workplace Experience Specialist.