Why ‘quiet quitting’ is a bigger problem than you think…

What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting is a term used to describe a situation where employees do the bare minimum required for their jobs without going above and beyond.

Rather than quitting their job outright, these employees disengage both emotionally and mentally, maintaining just enough effort to meet job requirements.

To us HR consultants, it’s a huge warning sign that something is wrong in your business.

Why is it a bigger problem than you think?

Your team are your greatest asset and greatest cost.

They’re expensive to find and even more expensive to replace.

For this reason, keeping them ‘engaged’ should be one of your top priorities.

In the HR world, the word ‘engaged’ is an umbrella term we use to describe an employee’s happiness, contribution and productivity in their role.

Their engagement level can depend on many factors, such as their pay, job satisfaction, their managers, how they feel they’re treated, inclusion and culture.

For you to get the very best out of your employees, engagement is key.

That’s why, as HR consultants, we’re always looking for signs of disengagement.

Quiet quitting is one of the more worrying signs of disengagement we see, because it’s often too late to fix and they’re already on their way out of the door.

When an employee quits, there’s not only operational disruption, but there are huge costs and time involved in finding new people and getting them up to the same speed as their colleagues.

What are the signs of quiet quitting?

Reduced engagement and participation

The employee appears disengaged during meetings, rarely contributes ideas or only participates minimally in discussions.

Decline in performance or effort

They consistently meet only the basic requirements of their job, showing no initiative to exceed expectations or take on extra tasks.

Minimal communication

The employee communicates less frequently, responds slower to emails or messages and avoids informal interactions with colleagues or supervisors.

Lack of initiative

They stop volunteering for new projects, tasks or responsibilities and may resist taking on anything outside of their defined job scope.

Decreased enthusiasm and motivation

The employee shows a noticeable drop in enthusiasm for their work and is less likely to express interest or excitement about team goals or projects.

Reduced availability

They strictly adhere to work hours, showing reluctance to stay late, arrive early or handle work outside of normal hours.

Boundary-setting

Employees may explicitly or implicitly set firm boundaries about their work expectations, such as refusing to answer after-hours emails or calls.

Avoidance of extra work

They avoid volunteering for additional duties, team-building activities or optional training sessions, focusing strictly on their assigned tasks.

Increased absenteeism

There may be a rise in the use of sick days, personal days or last-minute requests for time off, reflecting a lack of commitment.

Withdrawal from social aspects of work

Employees disengage from social work activities, informal gatherings or team-building exercises.

What should you do if you see signs of quiet quitting?

Depending on the situation, there are lots of things that you could do.

You could speak to the employee to figure out what’s going on, conduct an employee survey to see if it is a manager issue and review all the different factors that contribute to your employee’s engagement.

As an expert HR consultant, we have helped lots of business owners with engagement issues and will consult with you to find the best action plan to tackle it.

If you’re worried about quiet quitting or your team’s engagement, then please get in touch for a confidential chat.

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