Quiet Quitting: What Can Employers Do About It?
There’s a new trend sweeping the workforce: quiet quitting.
While much ink has been spilled over the Great Resignation, quiet quitting is another undercurrent running parallel to it. Propelled by social media, quiet quitting is part of the drastic change in the future of work following the pandemic.
What Is Quiet Quitting?
Quiet quitting has nothing to do with actually resigning. Instead, employees are doing the bare minimum as required by their job descriptions – not going above and beyond with additional tasks. Basically, this means leaving work on time, not checking emails outside working hours, turning down projects, and generally feeling less invested in work.
This presents a problem for companies as formal job descriptions are often too narrow to meet the needs of modern business. Companies that have a workforce willing to go the extra mile possess a crucial competitive advantage in today’s interconnected world.
Collaboration with colleagues, meeting customer demands, managing stakeholders – these are as important, if not more so, than the day-to-day tasks defined by a job. Therefore, organizations rely on their members to step up when needed. This has become even more critical during the shifting landscape brought about by the pandemic.
What’s Causing Quiet Quitting?
Quiet quitting has been described as an alternative to resigning, but it is being driven by the same factors inspiring the Great Resignation. Employees, especially younger ones, are increasingly feeling disillusioned by the constant need to ‘hustle’ at work and lack of work-life balance. And job creep – in which employers gradually increase work requirements outside the job scope – is more and more common.
While putting in the effort to help out and take on extra work is admirable; even important for career advancement, many employees do not feel that their hard work is commensurate with the rewards. In fact, they often find that loyalty and hard work are rewarded with glacial career advancement and paltry pay increases amidst historic inflation rates.
Furthermore, with employers advocating for a return to the office, it’s little wonder that employees are pushing back against this. They’re either resigning outright or mentally checking out of the job, unwilling to work more than necessary and reducing work-related stress. Those that are lucky enough to land another job join the ranks of the Great Resignation, while those that don’t will quit quietly.
But at the core of it, employees are feeling underappreciated for what they do. Businesses constantly ask them to do more, yet many employees feel that they don’t have a voice to say ‘enough’. Whether it’s about salary, work-life balance, or simply finding passion for a job, quiet quitters are silently repudiating the rat race in favour of living for themselves.
What Can You, the Employer, Do About It?
The problem is clearly not slacking employees. Any employee, no matter how motivated, can fall victim to quiet quitting. It may be a larger symptom of burnout, but it does point to deeper problems at the company.
Essentially, quiet quitters feel like they are not being engaged enough. Management needs to support and invest in employees to make them feel part of a greater whole. In addition to taking the time to connect with employees directly, leaders must also encourage managers to care about staff morale and ensure that they have the resources necessary to do so. Encouraging a healthy culture of respect and communication is the best way to tackle quiet quitting.
Additionally, employers can use different strategies to further motivate and engage employees. By tailoring recognition activities to individual employees, managers can encourage going above and beyond. For example, by giving employees exciting projects to work on that are tailored to their skillset, or arranging public recognition for their actions.
There needs to be a dialogue between management and employees about what is best for them – and ultimately what is best for the company.
Avoid Quiet Quitters with BrioHR
With HR software like BrioHR, you can automate the repetitive functions of HR. This leaves you room to do strategic, productive work like teambuilding and employer branding – as well as engage the employees that matter most, avoiding quiet quitting.
With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.
This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.
Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.
There’s a new trend sweeping the workforce: quiet quitting.
While much ink has been spilled over the Great Resignation, quiet quitting is another undercurrent running parallel to it. Propelled by social media, quiet quitting is part of the drastic change in the future of work following the pandemic.
What Is Quiet Quitting?
Quiet quitting has nothing to do with actually resigning. Instead, employees are doing the bare minimum as required by their job descriptions – not going above and beyond with additional tasks. Basically, this means leaving work on time, not checking emails outside working hours, turning down projects, and generally feeling less invested in work.
This presents a problem for companies as formal job descriptions are often too narrow to meet the needs of modern business. Companies that have a workforce willing to go the extra mile possess a crucial competitive advantage in today’s interconnected world.
Collaboration with colleagues, meeting customer demands, managing stakeholders – these are as important, if not more so, than the day-to-day tasks defined by a job. Therefore, organizations rely on their members to step up when needed. This has become even more critical during the shifting landscape brought about by the pandemic.
What’s Causing Quiet Quitting?
Quiet quitting has been described as an alternative to resigning, but it is being driven by the same factors inspiring the Great Resignation. Employees, especially younger ones, are increasingly feeling disillusioned by the constant need to ‘hustle’ at work and lack of work-life balance. And job creep – in which employers gradually increase work requirements outside the job scope – is more and more common.
While putting in the effort to help out and take on extra work is admirable; even important for career advancement, many employees do not feel that their hard work is commensurate with the rewards. In fact, they often find that loyalty and hard work are rewarded with glacial career advancement and paltry pay increases amidst historic inflation rates.
Furthermore, with employers advocating for a return to the office, it’s little wonder that employees are pushing back against this. They’re either resigning outright or mentally checking out of the job, unwilling to work more than necessary and reducing work-related stress. Those that are lucky enough to land another job join the ranks of the Great Resignation, while those that don’t will quit quietly.
But at the core of it, employees are feeling underappreciated for what they do. Businesses constantly ask them to do more, yet many employees feel that they don’t have a voice to say ‘enough’. Whether it’s about salary, work-life balance, or simply finding passion for a job, quiet quitters are silently repudiating the rat race in favour of living for themselves.
What Can You, the Employer, Do About It?
The problem is clearly not slacking employees. Any employee, no matter how motivated, can fall victim to quiet quitting. It may be a larger symptom of burnout, but it does point to deeper problems at the company.
Essentially, quiet quitters feel like they are not being engaged enough. Management needs to support and invest in employees to make them feel part of a greater whole. In addition to taking the time to connect with employees directly, leaders must also encourage managers to care about staff morale and ensure that they have the resources necessary to do so. Encouraging a healthy culture of respect and communication is the best way to tackle quiet quitting.
Additionally, employers can use different strategies to further motivate and engage employees. By tailoring recognition activities to individual employees, managers can encourage going above and beyond. For example, by giving employees exciting projects to work on that are tailored to their skillset, or arranging public recognition for their actions.
There needs to be a dialogue between management and employees about what is best for them – and ultimately what is best for the company.
Avoid Quiet Quitters with BrioHR
With HR software like BrioHR, you can automate the repetitive functions of HR. This leaves you room to do strategic, productive work like teambuilding and employer branding – as well as engage the employees that matter most.
With 9 powerful modules, BrioHR’s software covers the entire employee journey from recruitment to onboarding, payroll and claims, to performance and analytics, and more.
This enables business owners and HR teams to truly focus on what matters most – people.
Visit briohr.com and get a free demo now.
