While the term “quiet quitting” is new, the concept of “delivering the bare minimum” probably isn’t.
What is quiet quitting, you ask?
Quiet quitting became popular as an effect of the pandemic and the Great Resignation, where many employees started questioning what they want out of a regular 9 to 5 job. Now, we have employees who are saying no to the extreme hustle culture and prefer a more relaxed approach to work.
This puts employers in a difficult position. Quiet quitting could affect key areas of any business and negatively impact profitability and growth. It is completely understandable why employers are looking for ways to prevent this from happening.
If you see signs of quiet quitting in your employees, then it is important to understand why this is happening. It can be a sign that there are things that need to be improved in your workplace.
Here are specific steps that can help prevent and combat quiet quitting in your workplace:
1. Give your employees proper compensation
Let’s be realistic. It all starts here. In the first place, most employees are working because they need the money. If they are poorly incentivized, what motivation would they have to actually give their best at work?
While it may not be possible to increase wages given today’s economic landscape, it is important to at least make sure that employees get paid for additional hours of overtime work. Don’t expect them to do anything for free. It would even be better if your company can create programs that reward performance through bonuses. Workers who see the financial rewards of what they do are less likely to quiet quit.
2. Maintain reasonable work expectations
Sure, it’s nice to have employees who go “the extra mile” or “above and beyond” but it’s unreasonable to expect them to always give their best. After all, they are not robots. Give employees a reasonable workload and let them work at a healthy pace so that they can deliver consistent and reliable work without burning themselves out. More than “one hit wonders” in the workplace, what actually matters more is learning how to hustle in areas with the greatest impact within the allotted work time. If you would need to make systematic changes in order to make this happen then do it – it will be worth it.
3. Improve management style
Leadership and management style plays a big role in preventing quiet quitting. In particular, those in the middle management are in the best position to connect with their colleagues and actually stop quiet quitting from happening in the first place. Empower the leaders in these key positions and help them understand their roles in creating a healthier work environment. Oh and please remind them NOT to micromanage!
4. Respect personal boundaries
While a company-sponsored happy hour or yoga class seems like a good idea, most employees would actually want to do these things on their own rather than with colleagues. Don’t expect them to spend their personal time with you when they could be spending it with their friends and family.
Also, don’t expect employees to regularly work overtime just because things are urgent. They should not be expected to check emails during the weekend too! Understand that in order to stay mentally and emotionally healthy, your employees need time for hobbies, bonding with friends and family, and just taking care of themselves overall. What they do during their free time is – quite frankly- none of your business.
5. Define the work role and show opportunities for growth
A lot of employees become disengaged when they do not understand their work function and they don’t see opportunities for growth in the company. After all, how do you expect them to care if you just want them to complete one task after another? To keep employees engaged, they need to see the big picture and they need to understand the role they play in helping the company grow. Also, help them understand the opportunities that await them if they continue doing their work well. Genuine career growth is a great motivator.
6. Support employee well being
Supporting employee wellness is more than just bringing doughnuts to work or adding a pingpong table to your lounge. It’s all about understanding that employees are not machines and that they have needs outside work too. You need to start a conversation with them about their needs. They need to feel like they are being treated like a human instead of a hamster on a wheel. Here are some questions that you can ask to help support their well being:
- Do they find their work rewarding?
- How is life outside work?
- How can their current work environment be improved?
- How can you support them better?
- What other areas of work would they like to explore?
Once your employees see that you genuinely care about them, they will likely feel more valued. In effect, this can encourage them to become more engaged in work
7. Improve your hiring process
If you hire the wrong people in the first place, then you can’t really expect them to grow with your company in the long term. You need to act like a gatekeeper and only let the right people in.
Invest more time in improving the hiring process and getting to know the candidates who want to join your company. Make sure you’re on the same page when it comes to career goals.. That way, you can ensure that you only get to work with people who understand and share your mission.
