You may have an employee who seems less engaged than usual. Perhaps they’re not contributing in the way they used to, maybe they’re avoiding out of hours events and opportunities. 

Could they be quiet quitting? ​

What is quiet quitting?

We’re sure you’ve all heard about the quiet quitting trend … but just incase you haven’t.

Whilst your employees may not be handing in their notice, when quiet quitting they’re doing nothing extra outside of their job description. 

This could mean no out of business hours networking, no checking emails outside of work hours, not attending none compulsory meetings … you catch our drift. 

Why is quiet quitting happening?

Stemming from a lack of engagement and satisfaction in the workplace, quiet quitting has been a long time coming for some employees. 

If this sounds like someone in your team, don’t worry, it’s not just you. 

In fact it’s a much bigger issue in the talent market, as studies show that only 9% of UK workers feel engaged at work.

Such huge levels of dissatisfaction in the workplace suggest that employees are increasingly feeling the balance between contribution and return in the workplace is unequal, and they’re not getting enough in return for their time and effort from employers. 

Why is quiet quitting a problem?

Outside of talent acquisition, quiet quitting is a key challenge businesses are likely to face over the coming months. 

• As the economic climate toughens, employees who are less engaged may be less likely to change jobs in favour for security. The likelihood they’ll quiet quit may increase. 

• If this becomes a team or business wide issue, current levels of productivity could decline. 

• But it’s not always about output. If businesses have key individuals or teams who’re less engaged in going the extra mile, innovation and collaboration could suffer. 

• This could be negatively impactful for creative industries and those who have adopted a hybrid or fully remote working pattern. 

• Longer-term it could lead to reduced staff retention. 

How can we prevent quiet quitting?  

Whilst it’s not always something that can be 100% prevented, there are things you can do as an employer to control the risk of it happening.

Taking the time to listen, recognise and adapt to employee challenges could be important. It may mean some adaptations to benefits packages, especially around salaries and flexibility in the workplace. 

But when it comes to satisfaction - offering clear training, development and progression packages is one of the more important elements, which has for many been neglected post Covid.

Workers who believe their skills are valued and in short-supply are significantly more empowered and happier in the workplace. With 80% satisfied with their job and two-thirds feeling listened to by managers, creating an environment which nurtures development and communication could be important to controlling quiet quitting. 

​

Image credit:

Header and gif banner: Image adapted from Photo by Huy Chien Tran: https://www.pexels.com/photo/team-holding-their-hands-on-seashore-1756665/​