Quiet Quitting...
Liesl Jacobs-Smith
Vice President | Talent Acquisition | HR | Comp & Bens | CapeBPO Advisory Board | Ambassador at BossBabes of South Africa
Have you heard of the term of “Quiet Quitting”?
Quiet quitting is?a form of employee disengagement where team members stop going above and beyond and fulfil the bare minimum job requirements to keep their jobs.
Quiet quitting is when employees stop putting in extra effort and do the bare minimum to get by at work. These team members are not outwardly non-compliant and may not cause obvious conflicts. However, quiet quitting still presents a problem because these employees are not engaged and satisfied and tend not to trust leadership, and true collaboration and innovation fail to flourish under these conditions. This blasé behavior can also cause tension in teams and the workplace.
So what is this “quiet quitting” stuff all about?
Quiet quitting is a new term, not a new concept (something conceived in the mind: thought, notion). The phrase refers to a phenomenon when overwhelmed and overworked employees stop going above and beyond and do the bare minimum to get by at work. In other words “I’m just here to get paid and go home”. These disengaged employees may already be in the job market or may have absolutely no intention of quitting, but they are no longer motivated to really give their all to the organisation any longer.
Quiet quitting is employee disengagement, a rebellion against uneven work-life balance, and a silent form of non-compliance. While the employee is still fulfilling job responsibilities and is not insubordinate, they resist new responsibilities and often employ methods of avoiding extra effort over and above their standard role requirements. These employees will turn down new projects, stop volunteering for supporting additional tasks, take on easy assignments, or claim to be too busy to help or support with anything additional.
This signifies a huge disconnect between the employer and employee. Now it doesn’t mean that the employee refuses to do more work than is required, but rather that the employee does not trust their employer to support them adequately, reward them for their efforts or show any kind of recognition. This will erode the employer-employee relationship, cause unhappiness and demotivation in the employee, and create conflict and a toxix working environment for other employees.
What causes an employee to “Quietly Quit”?
1. Excess workload
One common complaint from quiet quitters is “doing the work of 2 to 3 employees.” This overwork can also result from an employee picking up the slack for other team members and a lack of accountability within the group. Employees may feel the need to take on extra work to keep up with co-workers or to prove themselves. In many cases, conversations about workloads are one-way, with the employer dictating expectations with no room for the employee to voice concerns or negotiate limits.
2. Poor compensation
One argument for quiet quitting is “only doing the work you are paid for.” Many quiet quitters feel they do too much work for too little pay. The real root of the problem is that employees feel improperly rewarded for the amount of effort put forth. In return, employees scale down that effort. Often, employees ask for better compensation and rebuffed or strung along, or they have reason to believe that the employer will not be receptive to these requests.
Money aside, the issue is a matter of respect. When not being awarded for working extra, employees feel like the employer does not correctly value the employee’s sacrifice and effort. As a result, employees feel taken advantage of.
3. Blurred boundaries
Quiet quitting is sometimes a reaction to poor work-life balance and a disregard for work and personal life boundaries. Perhaps co-workers or leaders call or email after hours and expect an answer. Maybe work interrupts vacations, or managers turn down PTO requests. Employees who feel that the company will not respect and protect their personal time resort to extremes and enforce those boundaries absolutely.
4. Lack of manager support
Employees are often able and willing to endure tough work conditions when they know the boss is in their corner and ready to support them. A caring and considerate leaders can go a long way in keeping employees motivated. However, team members are more likely to check out when they feel their leaders do not have their best interests at heart or cannot advocate for them. When employees feel like their leaders cannot or will not help them, those workers help themselves by putting up barriers.
5. Unclear or shifting expectations
“This is not the job I signed up for”. Perhaps leaders keep adding responsibilities to the job description without prior discussion. Perhaps the employee winds up working an entirely different position to that which they were hired for and expected or takes on a dual role and does the work of two or three different positions.
6. Poor communication or conflict resolution skills
Sometimes, quiet quitting comes about because an employee does not know how to express their issues or is afraid to speak to their leaders. Maybe the employee is afraid of conflict and never raises the issue, quietly pulling back instead of looping in the boss. This is when the employer should be creating a safe environment where employees feel comfortable to speak up. It is also helpful to provide communication and conflict resolution training.
So what do employers need to do?
1. Keep increases in workload short-term
Employees should have consistent and agreed workloads. However, sometimes the business world is chaotic, and additional time assigned to a task or project would be required. But there is a difference between clocking in extra hours during the busy season or waiting for a new hire to start and being constantly overworked.
Continually working at or beyond maximum capacity is not sustainable. Employees need days off to rest and mentally recharge, they need personal time to connect with family and loved ones or time to just go and renew that driver’s license that they have not had the time to have done. Most employees are not opposed to working extra occasionally, but when this willingness is abused, and a favour becomes the norm, problems arise.
If you ask employees to step up and assume extra responsibilities, understand that this should be short-term and ideally agreed with the employee. If the employee must assume these new duties indefinitely, then the new workload should be an official promotion or carry additional remuneration or incentives.
2. What’s in it for me?
Pay discrepancies are one of the leading causes of quiet quitting. The issue is not necessarily that employees are unwilling to do extra work but when they feel the likely rewards are not worth the extra effort, this causes a disconnect and unhappiness. Many times, Manager and leaders promise promotions or additional compensation just to keep the employee happy in the short-term to get the job done. These promises never materialise. It’s not right and certainly disrespectful to the employee.
More than the money, the root of a problem is a lack of respect. Continuing to pile on responsibilities despite employees’ comfort levels, current workloads, or protests sends the message that employers only value output/profit, not employee wellbeing. An equal exchange of work for compensation is an integral part of maintaining trust. Without appropriate rewards for extraordinary effort, the employee will likely feel devalued.
It is vital to keep pay competitive with market rates and current living standards and to boost compensation in response to extraordinary effort or results. Keep in mind that compensation can be non-monetary and take the form of recognition, perks, benefits, and flexibility. However, if you are severely underpaying staff, then making a case for ancillary compensation will be less convincing.
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3. Do I have to?
Not every employee has the same career ambition or wants additional responsibilities. Career changes should be two-way conversations. Rather than assuming employees want to climb the corporate ladder or are ready to take on new challenges, assess how the employee feels about expanding their role. The employee may have a goal for their future that is different from yours. You can offer employees extra opportunities and encourage them to try new tasks, however, you should not force them into leadership roles, especially if they come with new responsibilities but no official title, influence, or pay.
4. Say what?
Quiet quitting does not start quietly. Often, employees express concerns that leaders acknowledge yet fail to address or simply ignore. Team members who feel like their managers are oblivious to their problems may take action by taking inaction. Worse still, these employees lose faith in their leaders and the organisation.
Listening to your employees and validating their feelings and experiences can go a long way in preventing them from checking out. Empathy is a powerful tool in the fight against quiet quitting. When employees feel like you understand them and have their best interests in mind, they are less likely to take matters into their own hands and fade away into the background.
Regular meetings and conversations with employees are a great start to this strategy, and practicing active listening will make the method even more effective.
5. Maintain boundaries
Quiet quitting allows employees to set boundaries and prevent co-workers or leaders from overstepping and intruding on personal time. Before employees’ resort to this extreme reaction, you can reinforce those boundaries on employees’ behalf.
How do we do this?
Advocating for employees can be a highly effective method of preventing quiet quitting. The more vocal you as a leader are about employees’ right to private time, the less likely team members will be to overstep those bounds. Employees will be thankful for you for being in their corner, and you speaking on their behalf will save them the stress of confrontation.
6. What is my future like here?
A common gripe of quiet quitters is that they wind up much more than they were initially hired to do. The reality of the ever-changing business world is that most jobs evolve beyond the job. It is not unheard of for positions to widen in scope with time. However, when these changes happen soon after hire or are drastic, employees may be caught off guard.
One way to prevent employees from disengaging is to be upfront about role growth at interview stage. You can mention that vision of the role is to expand to include other responsibilities based on the growth of the organisation or the change in ways of working. Discussing this possibility early allows you to manage expectations and find a candidate comfortable with this growth.
7. Do you see me?
Quiet quitters tend to feel under-appreciated. When the work goes unnoticed and un-recognised, employees feel they could stop without leadership catching wise or caring, and they are often correct.
Employee value propositions are a great way to motivate and encourage employees in a positive way. By acknowledging and awarding employees for standout work, you show that what they do matters to you and the organization. In addition, employees who receive visibility and acknowledgment are less likely to fade into the background.
8. I know people
Quiet quitting is the result of a disconnect between employees and employers. Building rapport and relationships with employees is one way to bridge this gap. Team members who feel like their bosses are human beings, and not merely authority figures or faceless entities, tend to feel a stronger sense of commitment to their job. These employees are more likely to be open and transparent with their employers, enabling leaders to resolve the concerns before progressing to quiet quitting. Nurturing strong social ties between employees and their co-workers and management can encourage a sense of duty and a drive to avoid disappointing colleagues.
9. Bleh…
Quiet quitters are not chronic under-performers but tend to be disillusioned high-performers. If your top talent pull back, take note. A sudden drop in productivity or enthusiasm is a red flag. When outspoken employees go quiet in meetings, and key contributors are suddenly nowhere to be found, do some digging to get to the cause. This behaviour may also mean that the employee is in desperate need of a break to recharge or be facing personal difficulties.
10. I got you
Mental Health has become a buzz word and a true reality of our lives post the Covid pandemic. Many employees quite as a result of mental health. However, if employers proactively address workers’ needs, ensure wellbeing and engage with employees to do regular check-ins, this will be highlighted early on. Prioritising employees’ mental, physical, and emotional health, supports the employee in feeling less need to defend themselves against potential harm by taking on less professionally. Be an ally to your employees, not a danger to their wellbeing. Emphasize your commitment to wellbeing and taking action to back up these promises, to ensure that the workplace as a safe space to help your employees be themselves and tap into their full potential.
11. Take a break
Employees need breaks and the chance to recharge, regularly. A slight dip in productivity is no need for alarm but when complacency becomes the norm a problem arises. There has to be acknowledgement between rockstar and burnout. Empower employees to take time to recharge and regroup instead of giving up and ensure that your company benefits allow for sufficient leave to account for this.
What now?
Quiet quitting can be tricky to spot because some warning signs, like absenteeism, low mood and morale, and changes in work performance, may be non-intentional or signals of other conflicts. However, regardless of the cause, it is typically a good idea to address shifts in mood or performance or concerning employee behaviours.
Some workers champion quiet quitting as a positive step towards a healthy professional life. However, there is a difference between work-life balance and quiet quitting, and the latter is not an optimal outcome. Quiet quitting involves a disconnect between employer and employee, leaving the worker dissatisfied and demotivated.
While there may be initial relief in scaling back responsibilities and reclaiming time and autonomy, the refusal to take on new challenges can slow employees’ growth and hurt their careers long-term. There is a difference between drawing boundaries and putting up barriers. Not to mention, this attitude can leave employees unfulfilled. The worker may think that this step is healthy and necessary, however, quiet quitting is harmful to the employer and the employee.
Employees deserve to have reasonable working conditions and demands, positive cultures, and the chance to be passionate about their jobs and to learn and grow while still having a life beyond the office. It is the responsibility of leadership to nurture these conditions and fix workplace dysfunctions so that employees can strike a healthy work-life balance without checking out.