What is Quiet Quitting And How to Respond to It?

One of the worst scenarios for a company is unmotivated employees. Any organization is built upon employees and having a bunch that is uninspired, and lethargic. This is where the concept of quiet quitting comes. The term gained more prominence during the Covid-19 crisis. So, what is quiet quitting and the response to it? Also Read: The Secret to Hiring Success: A Comprehensive Guide to Applicant Screening. 

Quiet quitting is described as a condition when an employee disengages from his role for an extended period of time before eventually leaving their job. During this time, the employee does the bare minimum work without taking initiatives or presenting new ideas. 

The only motivation for the employee is to just earn the paycheck. It is called quiet quitting because the employee quietly alienates themselves from their role before actually leaving as soon as they get a better offer.

However, for any organization to thrive there should be an appropriate response to quiet quitting. 

Causes of quiet quitting 

Quiet quitting in and after Covid-19 increased at such a pace that it forced companies for the first time to acknowledge it. But, what are the causes of quiet quitting?

Lack of recognition 

In a survey it was found that stress in employees increased when their increment time came. And it is not without reason. The increment time is where the employees are rewarded for their work through increased or promotions or both. However, not every employee gets what he wants which can cause resentment. This lack of recognition for an employee is the biggest demotivator which reduces his commitment to his workplace.

Poor work-life balance 

Another main demotivator for an employee is excessive workload starts to interfere in his personal life. Every employee in an organization has gone through a phase where he may have to put in extra hours just to complete a large project before the deadline. This time is stressful because the employee has to either cut back or altogether abandon his personal life. However, if this poor work-life balance continues for a long period it can severely affect the morale of a person prompting them to quit.

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Toxic culture at workplace 

When quiet quitting first came to notice one of the reasons touted for it was toxic culture. The Covid-19 pandemic came as some sort of encouragement for employees who from the comforts of the home found that toxic culture was not worth the remuneration they were being paid. Toxic culture has always been a major reason why people left a company but during Covid-19 this also became a major reason for quiet quitting.

Upskilling and career advancement 

There are stages in someone’s work career, especially young employees when they want to upskill to move forward in their career to better paying opportunities. This means that they want to devote more time to develop new skills. This means that they would be less committed to the job. In such a scenario quiet quitting seems the best alternative for an employee as they continue to receive a paycheck while also having to do bare minimum work.

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Response to quiet quitting 

We have established that quiet quitting is a major problem but is not unsolvable. Many organizations have already started to conduct surveys and improve conditions in their workplace. So, what should be the appropriate response to quiet quitting?

Promote good work-life balance 

The easiest way to motivate an employee is by showing that an organization cares about them. A great step towards it can be to promote a good work life balance. Companies must be sympathetic that their employees have a personal life outside of their workplace. A good work-life balance is not only a great response to quiet quitting but also motivates the employee to give his best towards his job.

Encourage employees to give honest feedback 

Quiet quitting also happens when employees feel they can’t express themselves honestly. This makes the employee alienate themselves from their role. In this case, making a system that encourages everyone to discuss their problems can go a long way in improving the environment of a company.

Honest feedback also ensures that employees who may be quitting improve their work for the remainder of their stay in the company.

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Have sessions with quiet quitting employees 

Despite taking all measures, some employees will still practice quiet quitting. In this case, the best course of action is for seniors to have a personal session with such employees. Having a personal session will give confidence to the employee that at least their problems are not being ignored and the company is trying to solve it. This might help them to change their stance and become a more committed member of their company.

Have clear roles for employees 

One of the main reasons employees start feeling stress on the job is when they feel they are being burdened with work that may far exceed that role that they were initially assigned. This resentment can increase further if this additional work is not complemented by a rise in pay or promotion or both. 

So, organizations need to have a clear communication where they are clearly told about their roles.  Alos any increase in their roles should also be clearly communicated so the employee does not feel blindsided.

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Conclusion 

While companies can try a lot of responses to quiet quitting, it could still happen. However, it may not be all gloom and doom. Quiet quitting can also be beneficial for a company if managed the right way. With employees leaving, companies can reset their goals and expectations. Having a fresh batch of employees can allow them to start afresh with new policies that ensure that all the malices of the company is solved.

And to ensure that quiet quitting does not happen again companies need to hire the best talent. ANd for that company can rely on BarRaiser, the interview intelligence platform that can revolutionize hiring.

BarRaiser is the best AI interview platform that features structured interviews, AI-generated interview notes, interviewer training, and tools to ensure quality hiring while eliminating biases from the recruitment process. In addition, we also provide training to interviewers so that they can seamlessly use our tool. For organization who do not have the resources and manpower to conduct interviews on their own we also provide interview as a service where we conduct the entire interview process on our won to ensure you get the best candidate for your company.

With BarRaiser’s support, you’ll be well-equipped to build a strong team of sales associates who will drive sales and deliver exceptional customer service.