Events over the previous two years have made several enduring corporate issues worse, like maintaining a good work-life balance and prioritising one’s own needs over those of the company. The Great Resignation resulted from these tectonic alterations in employee behaviour.
Aside from the Great Resignation, businesses around the world are currently grappling with employee silent resignations. Quietly leaving a job is seen by employees as a means to reject the hustling culture and strike the ideal work-life balance.
What is ‘quiet quitting’?
Making the bare minimum effort required for the job position is the main principle of quiet resigning. Quiet quitters reject working more hours since they do not prioritise their work in their lives. Additionally, they are reluctant to accept responsibilities that strictly fall under the purview of their job description.
Employees who quietly leave their jobs want to establish clear boundaries to better work-life balance. Such workers carry out their duties but do not adhere to the work-is-life philosophy to advance their careers and stand out from their colleagues.
It can take different forms depending on the employee and their reasons not to actively participate on the work front. Some signs that are commonly associated with quiet quitting are:
- Arriving late or leaving early;
- Lack of contribution to team projects;
- Absence of passion and enthusiasm regarding work;
- Lack of participation in meetings; and/or
- Considerable reduction in the quality or quantity of work being done.
What causes quiet quitting?
Common justifications for quitting quietly include:
To Prevent Burnout
For many workers, this issue has become a commonality, particularly for those who work remotely. For instance, as per research, remote employees are clocking in more hours than they did previously. In these situations, quietly leaving the company becomes a means of avoiding burnout, and the affected workers declare they will no longer overwork themselves.
A Self-Care Strategy
For some workers, leaving a job is more about their mental health and self-care than it is about feeling underappreciated. Many workers constantly worry about the task they are doing, even when they are not. These workers prioritised non-work-related activities without feeling bad about them.
Steps Organisations Can Take to Avoid Quiet Quitting
Ensure that the Group is Fairly Compensated
Depending on the new function and responsibilities, any change in job duties should be discussed with the employee along with any potential wage increase. The maintenance of trust between the employer and employees is ensured by adequate compensation, which also prevents employees from feeling undervalued.
Explain their Roles and Duties in Detail
How they end up doing more responsibilities than they were recruited to perform is a typical gripe among employees. So it is best to be very up about role development at the interview stage. Discuss the role with the applicant in detail and assist them in understanding how it will expand in scope to accommodate new roles and responsibilities in the future.
Celebrate Staff Accomplishments
Employees need to feel respected and acknowledged at work. It serves as one of their main engagement motivators. Your employees will know they are valued if you appreciate and recognise the effort they put forth. You also demonstrate how it benefits them to go above and beyond what is expected.
Maintain a Work-Life Balance
One of the main causes of people starting to quietly leave their jobs is burnout from their jobs. Implementing a few policies, such as making after-hours calls and emails optional and encouraging staff to take time off, is advantageous.
Build Trust Between the Employees and the Management
Building a relationship between employees and their bosses aids in creating a feedback loop. Workers are more committed to their employers when they perceive them as more than just authority figures. These employees are more likely to open up to their managers about problems they are having at work, allowing managers to address those that could result in silent resignation.
Conclusion
In today’s work culture, it is just a matter of time before someone finds a better opportunity someplace else and quits or someone does not find the current work purposeful and quits. Therefore, companies nowadays have to function considering several factors as their employees are their only assets. Engaging staff members and fostering a sense of value in them can easily prevent quiet quitting. Workplaces that encourage collaboration and learning can drive employees to perform at their highest level by making them feel valued.
