Quiet Quitting: A Wake-Up Call For Better Management

How to recognize and combat quiet quitting

Popularized by TikTok, the phenomenon of quiet quitting has now found a prominent spot in the media, with an increasing number of outlets discussing the issue and citing it as a precursor to the great resignation.

Quiet quitting describes an employee’s decision to perform the absolute minimum amount of work required to fulfill their duties.
 
Although associated with Gen-Z’s culture, quiet quitting is a new buzzword that describes an issue with long-standing roots in our society. Quiet quitting can be common when employees are faced with unrealistic demands and workloads, as well as being symptomatic of bad management – of which lack of communication and recognition are chief causes.
 

The quiet quitting phenomenon is another sign that good management and providing leaders with the right tools to navigate these new challenges can make the difference between a successful organization, and a failing one. Not combatting it can have devastating consequences for businesses, and fighting it requires proper evaluation of the factors that influence employees to take this path.  

Workloads and Expectations

When the demands on employees are unrealistic, the quality of work will go down. Frustration and fear will change a motivated person into a demotivated one.  Managers should monitor workloads regularly and check in with teams to ensure workloads are not causing burnout.

Salary

Focusing on work and delivering outstanding results can be hard to prioritize when struggling to pay bills. Whilst the comfort of financial security is a powerful source of commitment and dedication in people’s relationships with their jobs, the cost-of-living crisis and soaring energy costs could be pushing workers to their limits. If teams feel that they’re not being paid their worth, quiet quitting can take place quickly.

It's crucial for organizations to monitor salaries in their sector and ensure they remain competitive. Obviously, companies can only pay more if they’re making enough profit, but if the rewards are lower than their competitors, they need to consider how else they can keep their staff.

Career Progress

Quiet quitting can often be a response to a lack of career prospects and growth. Managers must remember that employees are inspired by the opportunity to advance in their careers. A fulfilling work environment allows employees to work towards their individual goals knowing there is a path to advancement. This type of drive will also bolster productivity and engagement.

Wellness and Mental Health Support

Hybrid and remote working comes with significant advantages; from more work flexibility to reduced costs of commuting, however, these models certainly have their fair share of shortcomings too.
 
In today’s job market, the digitalization of workspaces and the use of platforms including Teams, Slack, and Trello have created an “always on” expectation, while also increasing physical distances between teams and their leaders. This new way of working can have a serious impact on the mental health of your workforce.  

Leaders should provide adequate well-being support to ensure stronger relationships and to protect individuals who may feel isolated.
 
Providing a good holiday allowance (and ensuring employees take the time to shut off), a fair sickness policy, and extra flexibility when needed can really help. Having an open and safe channel for communication and activities centered around personal care and wellness are also essential.

Honest Communication

Regular check-ins via one-to-one meetings can greatly impact an employee’s state of mind and increase the bond between managers and staff. Creating regular moments of honest communication allows leaders to prompt solutions, but also to manage expectations, e.g., if an employee is unhappy about her current salary but a raise is not economically possible at that time, then honest communication allows leaders to explain the reasons and set out a plan that’s satisfactory for both parties.

When feedback to management is difficult or impossible, aspects of quiet quitting can soon develop. Conversely, if teams feel safe and respected when giving feedback, motivation and engagement will increase. It’s a win-win.

Author Bio

Sathya Smith is the Founder and CEO of Piper. Sathya has 15 years of management and leadership experience and previously worked as Head of Partner Technology at Google for 12 years. An engineer by training, Sathya started her career at Ericsson as a Software Engineer. She went on to work as Chief Technology Officer at one fine stay (acquired by Accor) and a Venture Partner at London-based venture capital firm Local globe. In her free time, Sathya enjoys angel investing in women-led companies and mentoring women in STEM. Visit www.piperhq.co Connect Sathya Smith