“Quiet quitting” has taken social media by storm, frequently being used synonymously with encouraging employees to “act their wage.” It’s a term that directly challenges the prevalent “hustle culture,” instead encouraging people to draw boundaries and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
What does “Quiet Quitting” mean?
Quiet quitting is not actually quitting at all (surprise, surprise!), but a term used by employees who are either doing the bare minimum or simply refusing to go above and beyond for their job.
With remote work becoming the norm, there is now an increasing pressure to perform and go the extra mile, especially for employees in industries combatting turmoil.
When you’re looking to increase productivity and output, it’s important to have engaged and proactive employees who are truly looking to add value to their work – and quiet quitting can mean the opposite of that.
So perhaps the secret to retaining employees who want to bring more to the table starts with understanding the origins of this trend.
How did Quiet Quitting begin?
It has been noted that employee productivity actually increased during the pandemic. The reason? People put in extra effort to go the distance and ensure they coordinated and contributed to all that was needed (and more!)
However, following this boost in productivity, post-pandemic burnout became a widespread concern. This led to a sense of disengagement and disinterest, eventually giving a rise to a culture of employees “acting their wage,” otherwise termed “quiet quitting.” It became a way for employees to strike a better balance as they shrugged off hustle culture and instead prioritized their well-being.
Lessons for Employee Engagement
Since it all started with the blurring of the boundary between work and life, the best way to respond would be to respect that boundary and encourage a better balance overall.
So, the very first step would be to combat that burnout and address employee concerns. Be encouraging employees to take time off and prioritize their mental health, companies not only ensure happier employees, but also people who are more driven and productive!
After all, a workplace that doesn’t offer a good balance, recognition, or even boundaries can quickly turn toxic.
The best way to ensure your employees remain productive and engaged despite the social chatter is by addressing all these issues.
Top lessons to learn:
1. Create a culture of trust
If your employees can count on you, they’re more likely to trust you with their concerns, making it easier for you to address them before they snowball into something bigger.
2. Be proactive
When you expect your employees to be proactive in an effort to be more productive for your organization, the same goes for you. Take regular pulse surveys to keep an eye on employee sentiments and take early action to ensure your employees know that you’ve got their back!
3. Encourage boundaries
Outside of work hours, people’s time is their own. Whether it’s a vacation or a day off, draw the boundary to ensure your people don’t feel like they always have to be available, giving them time to rest up and recharge.
4. Recognize contributions
Show gratitude for all that your employees are doing. By validating their efforts and the value they add, people will feel encouraged to truly connect with the work they do, ensuring that they put their best foot forward.
5. Encourage ‘good enough’
Yes, we all want things perfect. But perfectionism can actually increase anxiety, making it difficult for employees to complete their task exactly right. Instead, encouraging “good enough” work is a great way to get work done without the high bar of perfectionism looming overhead!
The Phenomena and the Outcome
While quiet quitting remains a controversial topic, it actually holds several pivotal lessons on employee engagement and how to improve your work culture.
It’s easy to assume that quiet quitting will increase the disconnect between work and life, encouraging employees to not care as much about the things they do. While this may be the case in some instances, there’s a flipside!
Employees participating in “quiet quitting” will be better able to maintain a work-life balance, thereby leaving behind the pressure to overperform. This in turn will reduce stress and likely boost productivity in their given work hours.
Sure, you might not have people taking on more work than is needed, or working extra hours, but this will compel businesses to give better offers and eventually foster a healthy culture when both work and life thrive.
At the core of ‘quiet quitting’ is employees’ desire for a healthy, engaging, and inspiring work environment. So, the best way to get started with understanding how your employees feel is to just ask!
SogoEX helps you to connect with your employees by tracking key metrics and implementing powerful analytics to help you read between the lines.
Not sure how to get started? Get in touch with our experts and we’ll help you get started!
