Quiet Quitting: Why Blame Belongs in the Past

Formerly known as disengagement, the catchy new term that's striking fear in operational leaders everywhere now carries an extra layer of shame and guilt. Prior to the pandemic, it seemed like business leaders were beginning to understand the silent implication that employee disengagement was a shared responsibility. However, the recent rebranding of this sentiment as "quiet quitting" conveniently shifts the bulk of blame from the organization to the worker despite overwhelming data on the effectiveness of employer intervention .?

So what is it? Who’s really to blame? And what in the world do we do about it? In this article, we’ll offer some answers to these and other questions as we discuss the issue of quiet quitting and how to address blame in the workplace.

What is Quiet Quitting?

Before we dig into practical ways to reverse this trend, let's talk about what behaviors are associated with quiet quitting, and what this term really means. From a technical standpoint, the relationship between employers and employees is inherently transactional. When an organization identifies a need for a specific set of skills, knowledge, or abilities, they place a bid in the form of a job description in an effort to attract candidates who can meet their needs. When an employee accepts the bid for their time and effort and joins the organization, it's common for the expectations of both the employer and employee to evolve over time. In the best case scenario, the experience is positive and the employee is able to grow and develop in their role.?

However, when employers fail to recognize and reward the demonstrated growth of their employees, i.e., when they go above and beyond, a positive experience rapidly declines into disengagement. Research shows that pushing back by advocating for oneself in the workplace can lead to negative outcomes , especially for women , and employees in marginalized groups . In the absence of self-advocacy, there aren’t many levers remaining for workers who are dissatisfied with their environment. Zaiad Khan, a TikTok user quoted in a recent New York Times article , described the idea of “quiet quitting” as "quitting the idea of going above and beyond". Workers who have exhausted all available options may feel their only choice is to reduce their contribution to the terms outlined in the transactional requirements of their job description.?

The Impact on Marginalized Employees

During the pandemic, employee engagement statistics in the U.S. hit an all time low , and “employee burnout” became a common term in industry headlines. From working longer hours to balancing unrealistic expectations, it’s easy for any employee to get overwhelmed and burned out. However, most of the advice for individuals experiencing burnout includes the obvious suggestion of “just quit!”?

While finding a new job is certainly an effective way to address burnout, walking away from steady employment isn’t an option for the majority of the workforce. Once again, we see how marginalized employees face even fewer options in these situations, and may feel forced to dial down their contribution as a means of self-preservation. Unfortunately, this strategy conflicts with the reality that underrepresented groups are typically expected to outperform their white or male counterparts to be seen as equal.

I’ve witnessed this discrepancy firsthand on several occasions. At a previous workplace, one of my mentors held an ambiguous title for years while single-handedly bringing in over 90% of the company’s 8 figure revenue during her tenure. When working with the C suite of this organization to develop and implement a much-needed strategy for building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, I discovered a startling anomaly in my analysis. At that time, the senior leadership team was entirely homogenous, with personal relationships being the common factor in upward career mobility. When we examined the data by revenue generated, my mentor had outperformed the entire department responsible for business development, yet she remained on the lower half of the org chart with individual contributors and service operations. In stark contrast, the titles on the upper half of the chart that indicated oversight and responsibility for revenue performance had considerably less involvement in the company’s success. As a result of radical improvements to the organizational structure, I was pleased to see her immense contribution recognized with a new title, a much higher salary, and designation as a member of the senior leadership team, but the effort it took to make this correction was disappointingly high.

How Blame Contributes to Disengagement

A key downward force on employee disengagement is largely tied to the culture of blame that’s prevalent in many traditionally managed workplaces. The use of negative language to label a worker’s decision to enforce healthy boundaries as “phoning it in” or “doing the bare minimum” only serves to promote hostility and discontent. This can create a toxic work environment where employees are afraid to take risks or experiment, which can limit their creativity and prevent them from reaching their full potential.?

The persistence of a toxic culture can create deeper feelings of disconnection between employees and their managers. If employees feel like their attempts at advocacy are being ignored, they may start to resent their managers as well as the organization as a whole. This can lead to decreased morale, which can further contribute to burnout and cause employees to check out mentally or physically.?

How to Address Blame in the Workplace

The first step to addressing blame in the workplace is to think critically about how performance is evaluated, and whether these measurements are truly reflective of factors within the workers’ control. For example, if an insurance company chooses to stop covering a specific service and this decision creates added friction for consumers, this gap is typically reflected in customer experience metrics like net promoter score (NPS). When employees with no authority over policy writing, such as those in the contact center, are held accountable for these metrics, they are likely to feel frustrated by their lack of influence over contributing factors.

Employers can protect themselves and their employees by being transparent about performance management methodologies and adjusting criteria when gaps are identified. Managers should be clear about what is expected of employees and ensure that those expectations are reasonable. This will help to reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed and ensure that employees are not set up for failure.

Why Inclusion Matters

Creating space for employee advocacy is also key. Giving workers the opportunity to help shape their experience fosters an environment of trust and openness, which can help to reduce the likelihood of burnout and curb quiet quitting. In conversation with a senior leader at a Fortune 50 brand, she emphasizes the importance of sponsorship and advocacy when it comes to effective leadership. In her words, “when you get to a certain point in your career, I think it's mandatory for the person in that role to look around, look back, and see what people need said or done that they don't feel comfortable saying or doing. Sometimes you have to speak for others to help move the needle along.” When employees have the opportunity to see representation in senior leadership roles, they can feel more comfortable bringing their full self into the workplace and it can inspire them to re-engage if necessary. Speaking up on behalf of others is a beautiful way to create space for those who have not yet found their voice or who feel unable to speak for themselves.

A tactical approach like transparency in evaluating performance isn’t enough without also creating a culture of inclusion and belonging. An inclusive culture is one that openly rewards a wide variety of contributions from its workforce, and defines success in a way that does not inherently exclude those who are just starting their careers. Employees who feel like they’re a valued part of the team are more likely to be engaged and motivated. A combined study led by Workhuman and Gallup showed that employees who feel seen are 56% less likely to be passively or actively seeking outside opportunities .?

A culture that lacks inclusion and limits career growth can have an especially damaging effect on marginalized employees. These are employees who may already feel like they don’t belong, and the culture of blame can make them feel even more disconnected and isolated. It’s important to recognize the unique challenges that marginalized employees face in the workplace and take steps to ensure that leadership commitments to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are more than empty rhetoric. Breaking down institutional barriers to make workplaces more inclusive means representation in highly visible leadership roles, creating avenues for employees to advocate for themselves without risking their livelihood, and rewarding positive change that reinforces these values.

Re-Engagement Strategies

In this article, we’ve covered the basics of what it means when a workforce engages in “quiet quitting”, and how companies can protect against the reactionary breakdown of performance that occurs when employees no longer feel seen, valued, and heard. No matter where your organization is on the journey to building a better corporate culture, here are some tactical stratgies you can implement now to help recapture your team.??

• Examine the data. Quantitative analysis is a great way to evaluate historical trends for indications of harmful biases and divisive management practices. Take a hard look at who’s been here the longest, who’s risen the highest, and how long it takes to move up the ladder. Then sort the data by race, gender, and economic factors to see where the greatest opportunities for change exist.
• Embrace discomfort. Real, lasting change can’t happen without stepping outside of our comfort zones. When we confront painful truths and allow ourselves to be challenged to think differently, only then can we start to grow and fill those gaps.
• Assume positive intent. When an exhausted employee has made multiple attempts to advocate for themselves, their ability to trust authority is diminished. If a comment or request seems out of place, approaching the staff member with empathy and curiosity will help to ensure productive conversation.
• Share your platform. The most effective thing a leader can do to promote inclusion and recognition in a workplace where employees no longer feel heard is to amplify the voice of the front line. When someone from a marginalized group is speaking, make sure they aren’t interrupted. If someone with less authority has a great idea, show your support by lending them your audience and sponsorship.

Tying It All Together

Quiet quitting can have a damaging effect on both employees and organizations. However, by creating a culture of inclusion, adjusting expectations, and making room for change, organizations can reduce the risk of burnout and ensure that employees feel valued and connected. In addition, it’s important to recognize the unique challenges that marginalized employees face and to respond by helping to deconstruct institutional barriers. With the right strategies in place, organizations can change their environment to one where employees are motivated, engaged, and committed to success.