What is Quiet Quitting?

The term ‘quiet quitting’ has become a frequent subject of discussion for organisations in recent times. It may be defined as the tendency of employees to do the bare minimum that their job requires them to do with no will or enthusiasm to go above and beyond. While some experts categorise it as a modern trend that’s a consequence of ‘the great resignation’, few others draw similarities from history and compare it to the ‘work-to-rule’ principle that governed industrial action and labour movements across the world. However, when viewed through the eyes of the present day workforce, it may seem to simply be an alternative to resignation.

Harvard Business Review in its article titled ‘When Quiet Quitting is Worse than the Real thing” substantiates this by the fact that most of the reasons behind quiet quitting may be found to overlap with the reasons behind actually quitting.?

While quiet quitters continue to fulfil their primary job responsibilities, they refuse to be any more psychologically invested in their work and ‘go the extra mile’. Superficially, this may not seem to be a problem, but in reality many organisations depend on the capability of their workforce to think beyond their job description in order to gain a competitive advantage. Some leaders may be frustrated by quiet quitting and see it as worse than quitting considering quiet quitters a ‘burden’ for the organisation. However, the flip side is employees may be feeling unappreciated for their efforts and may feel that their decision to ‘quiet quit’ is justified. With COVID and several other declining global economic trends, quiet quitting may only increase since it may be seen as a more economically feasible option than quitting.?

Here are three research-backed strategies that leaders can take to tackle quiet quitting at the root level:

1. Redefine core job tasks: The core tasks of any job are subject to change with time, and the only way to expect employees to adapt is for the managers to actually acknowledge this by recalibrating and letting the employees know what is expected of them.?
2. Listen, then invest: Other than just investing in employees and their work, organisations must also create an ecosystem that fosters openness and transparency. Managers must be proactive in having one-on-ones with their team members and understand what each of them want individually. Some might want a higher pay, whereas others might seek flexibility in work hours or tangible career growth. Thus, instead of a ‘one-size, fits all’ approach, managers should understand each person’s needs individually.?
3. Less hustle, more crafting: Rather than pushing employees to be a part of the ‘hustle culture’, managers need to understanding their team and try to customise opportunities for the individual. For instance, a task that might provide a platform for visibility with the higher management may be better suited to the employee that seeks career growth, whereas a task that is not bound by time might be better suited for the employee that seeks flexible work hours.?

Even though there’s only a letter difference between the words ‘quiet’ and ‘quit’, the impact of the former may be far more than the latter. This is why leaders need to understand the reasons behind this trend and seek to leverage a tailored approach to each of them.?

Is your Organisation doing what it takes to prevent Quiet Quitting??

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