Quiet quitting is a term that is used to describe the act of resigning from a job without any notice. It is considered to be a very unprofessional way of quitting and can often lead to negative consequences. If you are considering quiet quitting, it is important to first understand what it is and how it can impact your career. According to recent survey results from Gallup, employee engagement in the United States is declining across all generations. However, only 31% of Gen Z and younger millennial employees who were born after 1989 reported being engaged at work.
Quiet Quitting: What is it?
In a world that is constantly telling us to be louder and to never give up, it can be easy to forget the power of silence. But what if quitting while everyone else is still fighting is the best thing you can do for yourself? This article will explore the concept of quiet quitting and how it can help you get ahead.
I often refer to the idea of “quiet quitting” as what I do when I am unhappy with my career. It’s not a very fancy term, but it describes exactly what I mean: quitting your job without anyone knowing about it. Quitting your job can be a scary thing, but it doesn t have to be. You might have just received a promotion and are looking for another challenge or maybe you ve decided to move on from the company you ve worked so hard for.
Employees who draw a strong line in either circumstance might:
felt overworked and unable to continue.
You lack motivation to work for your organization.
Do not feel at ease setting boundaries with you.
don’t know why they are working or what they are attempting to achieve
All of these topics will be covered shortly, but first, let’s speak about some broad actions you can take if you suspect an employee of being on the verge of resigning quietly.
What to do if a worker quietly quits
We operate in circumstances where there are less face-to-face encounters than there were a few years ago, despite the fact that many organizations are instituting return-to-office programs. Leaders could find it challenging to recognize silent resignation over phone calls and emails. Employees may find it more difficult to identify with their work’s goal when they interact with managers and other coworkers less frequently. However, it might be similarly challenging to see silent resigning in person.
Quitting quietly, whether in person or virtually, is likely to manifest as a lack of interest or desire for the job. This may be observable. Find out if a worker isn’t enquiring about and looking for new tasks like they used to. Do they look attentive during meetings, or are they just there to show up? Over the past few months, have they consistently rejected new duties or responsibilities? These are all signs that something may be going on in an employee’s personal life, but they may also be signs that they are no longer motivated to work for you and your business.
According to Travis Lindemoen, some actions you can take if you see a worker consistently turning down additional assignments or opportunities for advancement include:
Find out what your employees’ priorities are and what success means to them.
If they don’t know what success looks like for them, they could be faced with a dizzying array of obligations and lack the ability to set priorities. Address that problem and make an effort to balance their workload.
Check to see if the employee’s current expectations for success align with their existing duties.
Know the aspirations of the employee’s career. Be sure to make it obvious how taking on these extra duties will help them reach their goals, whether they are to advance, assume leadership, or take on a new role.
When an employee quietly quits, it can be disruptive to your business and culture. Here are a few things you can do to minimize the impact:
1. Talk to the employee’s co-workers. See if anyone has any inkling that the employee is planning on quitting. This can give you some clues as to why the change in performance and/or attitude.
2. Review the employee’s files and performance reviews. This will help you get a sense of whether there are any warning signs that they are unhappy in their role.
3. Reach out to the employee directly, if possible and have a heartfelt conversation about the situation and how to move forward.
Ensure that workers are aware of your company’s vision and purpose
Quiet resignations could be a sign that your staff members are just dissatisfied with their jobs at your business. In some industries, like government, it’s simple to pinpoint that goal, but it’s crucial to establish your business’s vision and objective for the entire organization.
As a leader inside your organization, ponder the following:
Do your staff members understand your company’s mission?
Has your business’s mission been made clear to all of its employees?
What is the purpose of the tasks you are giving your employees to complete?
What happens once you reach significant milestones for the business?
The employee may be inspired to develop and achieve their own professional goals while working for your organization if they are aware of their mission. With sound work-life balance and confidence in the leadership’s unwavering support, they ought to be able to do this.
Respect Worker Limitations
You are not building a great culture if your employees feel uncomfortable discussing the need for a balance between their professional and personal lives with supervisors. It’s acceptable for workers to require a break or a relieve from their workload. People who quietly leave their jobs often do so because they don’t feel comfortable telling their employers. They might believe that if they don’t take on additional work and persevere, their career would suffer.
The most important aspect is that last sentence. You must take the time to get to know your community. While you don’t have to be completely familiar with every detail of their private life, you do need to know things like:
to pick up or drop off children at a specific hour each day
consultations for mental health or medicine every week
Weekly extracurricular activities, such as sports leagues and volunteer work
Employees experience problems when they feel that they have to keep these things a secret out of concern for the repercussions of engaging in personal activities during regular working hours. It will be easier for you to grasp what boundaries your folks need or want if you know them better personally.
Expectations for your employees should be clear
Setting clear expectations for your staff is another method to prevent quiet resignation. Tell them if you expect them to perform more work than they are already completing.
According to Lindemoen, you want your staff to have a “career for life” mentality rather than a “hustle for life” mentality. Establish clear guidelines for how employees might achieve a “career for life” lifestyle rather than one that involves constant stress, hustle, and overwork.
Can employees do anything?
Employees who feel the need to take a huge step back and set a strict boundary may have every right to feel that way. However, Lindemoen has some advice for you. As follows:
Discover your mission and what success means to you. You might not feel successful in your current situation, and you might not understand your goal. But give those topics some thought so you may discuss any necessary improvements with leaders.
Make it obvious to your leader what your ideal work environment would entail.
Create a schedule that works for you and make an effort to follow it. To take care of things in the morning, you might need to start and conclude an hour later than some people. That must be alright.
Ask if you can discuss a new duty during regular business hours if you believe it will help your professional development. Ask whether you can take on that chore later when things start to calm down if you now have a full plate.