Quiet Quitting Is Not A New Trend!

What employers can do to keep employees engaged

Despite the recent buzz online and on social media, Quiet Quitting isn't a new trend. However, with many employees still battling the impact Covid-19 had on their lives and also the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, it is plausible that there is an increase of employees ‘Quietly Quitting’ to retreat from stress and hectic workloads, in an attempt to find balance.
 
What’s important for business leaders and talent professionals to understand is that this is not a group of employees who are truly underperforming or not doing their job. Instead, it’s employees who are not sufficiently engaged or motivated by their job to do more than what is required. But it’s also important to remember that it’s the employer's role to ensure processes are in place that encourages a well-balanced working culture and inspire employees to go above and beyond in their roles. 

When employees are happy and enthusiastic about their job and the organization, they tend to be better employees. Engaged employees have increased productivity and performance and are more likely to stay with the company long term. 

Promoting transparency around clear career progression for employees is one way to keep them motivated and on track. When workers have clear benchmarks to hit, they are more likely to put in the work to reach those goals.  
 
A good rewards and recognition program also helps employees see that their company values them and their contributions to the success of their team. Some employee programs require significant monetary investments (e.g. top-notch health insurance) but there are also cultural mandates that cost your company nothing but give your employees priceless breathing room. 
 
Here are a few:

Don’t Glorify Over-Work

There are peak times when work is more hectic than others and requires more time than usual, but the constant hustle and grind at the expense of friends, family and hobbies are not something employers should expect from team members. Rather, they should encourage employees to keep their schedules in alignment to prevent burnout. It goes a long way to remind your team that balance isn’t the exception but the norm in your workplace. But the example needs to be set from the top down so that you create a culture where employees feel it’s truly acceptable to set these boundaries.

Implement Policies Like Half-Day Fridays, Flexible PTO or Company-Wide Shutdowns

Take a whole-person approach when designing employee programs. Meeting the needs of whole people requires thinking of employees as complex beings with physical, mental, social, spiritual, and emotional needs that should be considered at work.

Taking time off to recharge, be with family, and do the things you love makes all of us better when we show up to work. Remind your teams to respect calendar blocks and engage in good vacation behavior. 

Company-wide shutdowns are particularly effective. Most of us relate to the anxiety of thinking work is piling up while you're out. If workers know that everyone else on the team is off recharging as well, it eliminates that tension.

Implement Chatbots to Improve Employee Experience

Employees expect a consumer-like experience throughout their entire employment journey. From frequent check-ins that improve engagement while recruiting to on-demand answers to benefits questions and assistance with learning and development, AI-driven chatbots augment HR teams by creating value throughout the employee's journey. They’re also more engaging, interactive and insightful than an occasional company-wide survey. Conversational AI in HR uses natural language, and multi-channel capabilities to enhance employee experience. 30-, 60-, and 90-day new hire check-ins and proactive communication and reminders are just a few ways automation is helping organizations create a world-class employee experience.
 
It’s important to remember that employee motivation and engagement are not constant. Both will naturally fluctuate due to a number of factors, such as the cost of living crisis we are currently seeing. But implementing these strategies to improve engagement and work-life balance can help to maximize employee motivation.  

Tom Cornell is a Senior Psychology Consultant at HireVue, the global leader in video interviewing, assessments, and text-enabled recruiting tools. Connect Tom Cornell