A new term in the workplace that has come to surface is ‘Quiet Quitting.’ At first, I thought this was about employees who made the choice to quietly leave their roles. Though surprisingly, it’s not. In fact, it refers back to all the employees who couldn’t quit during the great resignation but wanted to. Instead of actually walking out the door, they are now putting forth the bare minimum effort to get by. So they actually haven’t ‘quit’ their jobs at all. Different factors like the need for benefits or salary make them stay, but their drive is completely gone. And they’re not necessarily slacking because of the work, the projects, meeting deadlines – that is all getting done. But it’s highly noticeable that all motivation is lost. All because they don’t feel valued, heard, and understood.
Seeing Who Truly Holds Value
You may have had employees in the past or even currently who have expressed feelings of burnout or dissatisfaction. Some of them may have slumped into this quiet quitting phase because they’re mentally focusing on efforts to transition into a new job or lifestyle. But the quiet quitting practice allows them to fill the gap and skate by, until the deed needs to be done. When your people don’t feel valued, they may choose not to help the rest of the team on a project, or they clock out of work a few minutes early each day. All drive that they may have once had to come in early and stay late or put forth that little extra push to help a co-worker meet a deadline – is now out the window.
Another huge piece of the puzzle is employees not getting the recognition they deserve and continuously. You may ‘recognize’ that they’re pulling away from their position – but have you actually recognized their performance in said position? Because most of the time, they were the ones going above and beyond before they made the shift, but it always went unnoticed or was never appreciated. Don’t assume those who are at senior levels don’t need genuine appreciation, either. It can be just as easy for a manager to leave a role as it is for a front-line employee. Instead, create an environment that fosters recognition at all levels by all people. This will go a long way in not only keeping your best talent but showing your employees how much you value what they bring to the table. If they’re already in the stage of quiet quitting, they no longer care if you notice because they’re one foot out the door.
Retaining Your Best Talent
The good news is that the root of the Quiet Quitting problem is the same as the root of the Great Resignation. It’s because people aren’t feeling like their voice matters, and when that happens, out goes your retention. As an authentic organization, your ultimate goal should always be to transform the workplace into one where those who commit to your mission are actually happy to show up and grow within your organization. The key is to wholeheartedly listen to them, to truly listen to the feedback they provide, and go through the process of implementing such. Because when the organization stays quiet, they stay quiet. When organizations stay stagnant, they stay stagnant. And slowly, but surely, along comes quiet quitting.
The culture and how your leaders lead your people ultimately becomes the road to organizational success. From your executive team to HR to the frontline – they all hold direct reflection on what you have built around them by exhibiting your organization’s values. But when it comes to retention, it’s not about how many replacements or open positions you can fill when people quit. That doesn’t matter if the pull to stay wasn’t strong enough for even some of your long-term employees to stay. It;’ important to be aware that sometimes, there is no way to conform to everyone’s changes and visions. Ultimately, there will be people who will walk out the door without warning, and there’s nothing in their minds you could have changed.
Conclusion
My company, Employee Fanatix, specializes in helping you build a culture where everyone feels that they can bring their whole selves to the table and recognize signs of things like quiet quitting. Head over to employeefanatix.com and download our free guide, “The Cycle of Listening,” to learn how you can better listen to your people, reengage with them, and build a culture around putting your people first. We can help you transform your workplace into one where employees are actually happy to show up, put forth their best effort, and grow with the organization. Each organization’s solution is different. We assist organizations with culture transformation that makes those at work feel heard, valued, and understood. The key is to listen, to truly listen – as listening is at the heart of deeper success. We are excited to work with you!