Understanding ‘Quiet Quitting’: A Guide for Recruiters on the Latest Buzzword

Quiet Quitting : An Overview

Quiet quitting refers to a growing trend in the workplace where employees disengage from their jobs and leave their employers without formally resigning or giving any notice. This phenomenon is becoming increasingly common and presents a significant challenge for recruiters and organizations seeking to retain top talent.

Unlike traditional quitting, where an employee gives notice and works through their notice period, quiet quitting involves employees gradually becoming less invested in their work, disengaging from their colleagues, and eventually leaving without warning.

In this context, recruiters and HR professionals must be able to identify the warning signs of quiet quitting and take proactive steps to address employee dissatisfaction and disengagement before it’s too late. This guide will explore the concept of quiet quitting in more detail and provide practical tips for recruiters on how to tackle this challenge in the workplace.

Exactly what does “quiet quitting” entail?

For many, ‘Quiet Quitting’ is a relatively new concept that pushes back against the overwhelming pressure that many employees face in the workplace. Often linked to burnout, Quiet Quitting is a deliberate decision to disengage from work and make a conscious effort to focus on one’s own well-being.

As the name suggests, Quiet Quitting is a quiet form of resistance that involves employees withdrawing their emotional investment in their work and distancing themselves from their colleagues and managers. This trend is a growing concern for employers and HR professionals, as it can lead to high turnover rates and lost productivity.

By understanding the root causes of Quiet Quitting and developing strategies to address them, employers can foster a more positive work environment and retain their top talent.

How come ‘quiet quitting’ is all the rage yet so awful?

If an employee is “quietly quitting,” they are merely going through the motions at work and not putting in any extra effort or enthusiasm. The worker in this case does not resign from their position, but also does not give their all while on the job.

Beginning in the early 2020s, as the lockdown was taking hold, a new phenomenon known as “quiet quitting” gained widespread attention in the United States and elsewhere. The frequency with which the trend is observed has also been called into question, in addition to the question of whether or not it is a recent development.

At least half of the American workforce, according to a Gallup poll from 2022, consists of people who are just waiting for the right moment to quietly leave. This casts doubt on claims that the rise of the “quiet quitter” is a new phenomenon or that “worker dissatisfaction” has a new name.

Maintaining a good work-life balance has long been recognised as important. We learned a lot from Great Resignation, and one of the most important lessons is that people aren’t afraid to leave toxic work cultures in favour of more peaceful ones.

How do you prevent Quiet Quitting?

Employees who engage in the practise of “quiet quitting” may not be intentionally avoiding work. As a result, they become increasingly disengaged from their work and express extreme levels of dissatisfaction with their current position.

A stressful work environment and a “hustle culture” mentality can be one of the main reasons why people are unhappy.

Let’s keep reading to find out how to stop this from happening.

1. Exploring Human Resources Information

The results of a well-designed employee survey can tell you a lot about the health of the company’s culture and what employees think about their jobs. Examine in detail the HR records in order to make smarter choices about the staff. One of the most important things you can learn from analysing your staff’s data is whether or not your company has a higher turnover rate than the competition. Have there been more absences recently without a clear cause? Is there a trend upward in pay, benefits, etc.

To discover the causes of employee discontent and the resulting trickle-down resignations, it is necessary to analyse the HR data’s underlying trends. Better scientific understanding of the situation and an objective approach to fixing it will result.

2. Motivate the “quiet quitters” among us to step up their participation

Tips for re-engaging the “Quite Quitters”

To reduce the prevalence of silent departures, it is important to implement strategies to increase employee engagement among those on the verge of leaving. Productivity in the workplace can be increased with the help of an effective employee engagement plan.

Building a positive company culture requires implementing a number of strategies aimed at increasing the participation of all employees, which are explained below-

1. a) Enhancing employee recognition: Genuine appreciation is paramount to well-being, both as a giver and a receiver.

1. b) Meaningfulness: When employees are given tasks that matter, they feel like they are part of something important and work hard.

1. c) Values:  Build a strong set of values into your company’s culture so that your employees can handle problems.

1. d) Inclusion:Build a welcoming workplace where everyone is treated fairly and where workers feel safe to speak up for the company and stay loyal to it.

1. e) Communication: Increase staff enthusiasm through open lines of communication. Employees feel respected when they understand the “why” and think leadership understands daily events.

3. Take care that your staff is compensated fairly

Employees who are being paid less than their coworkers are more likely to resign without making a commotion. The issue is perceived unfair pay, not unwillingness to work. Workers lose respect and confidence in their managers when they are promised raises that never materialise, or when they are asked to do more without receiving any additional pay. It’s essential to provide non-monetary compensation like recognition, perks, benefits, and flexibility in addition to a salary that’s competitive in the market and reflects employees’ efforts and accomplishments. Non-monetary pay is great, but if employees are underpaid, it won’t be enough.

4. Explicitly communicate role expansion prospects

Quietly resigning employees often feel they are working more than expected. Startups often evolve jobs, but abrupt changes can surprise workers. Discuss job growth and potential duties during the interview to avoid this. Giving realistic deadlines can also aid in setting appropriate standards.

How silent resignations impact companies?
The epidemic brought with it a slew of difficulties that raised expectations for workers and expanded their range of potential responses. In many respects, the rise of remote employment is to blame for the “quiet quitting” phenomenon.   According to the New York Times, remote workers in the United States put in an average of three additional hours per day, focusing primarily on work-related activities such as video conferences and email. That usually makes them stop or quietly quit.

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report estimates that disgruntled workers cost the global economy $7.8 trillion in lost output in 2016.

Consequently, employers are increasingly concerned about employee productivity as a consequence of looming economic uncertainty. Most workplace experts agree that while doing less at work might be tempting in the short term, doing less could harm one’s career and negatively impact the company’s productivity in the long run, so “quiet quitters” should think twice before acting on their concerns.

The best way for companies to handle “Quite Quitters”

One cannot generalise about office norms and customs. The first thing to do when discussing “quiet resignations” in a company is to inquire directly into the thoughts of the employees in question. If you’re in a managerial position, you can prevent “quiet resignations” by fostering a positive work environment. One cannot generalise about office norms and customs. The first thing to do when discussing “quiet resignations” in a company is to inquire directly into the thoughts of the employees in question. If you’re in a managerial position, you can prevent “quiet resignations” by fostering a positive work environment. The following are some methods in which an organisation can combat a negative work environment and reduce the likelihood of employees “quietly quitting”:

• First, refrain from retaliation and instead address your workers’ concerns-
  Employees can be discouraged from “quietly leaving” their jobs by having an open dialogue with their managers. Instead of taking action in response to the concerns raised by your staff members, try listening to them. It will help businesses learn important information about employee behaviour in the workplace.
• Promote a staff-centered atmosphere at your organisation-
  Strong leaders know the value of establishing a community that prioritises its employees and members. All the way from interest and loyalty to output, creativity and effectiveness.
• Pre-process job responsibilities-
  Recognize the overwhelming nature of the workload and learn to efficiently channel the requests of your workers. Make societal adjustments by trying out new approaches to improving productivity, teamwork, and acceptance in the workplace.

Conclusion

The term “quiet leaving” has a slightly cynical ring to it because it suggests that workers are uninterested in furthering their careers or that they view their current jobs as nothing more than a means to an end (i.e., a means to provide for their families). In fact, they’ve already decided to leave their job to devote themselves to what’s most important to them. Whether you find the idea of “quiet leaving” cynical or not, it is becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, we need to take a close look at what this implies in practise and in the business world. ‘Quiet leaving’ can teach us a few valuable lessons, such as:

• The value of a work-life balance;
• The futility of overworking; and
• The fact that an employee’s value is not tied to the number of hours they put in at the office.