Does your work environment promote or push quiet quitting?

If you’re running a business, you most likely heard the term quiet quitting in 2021 for the first time. You probably thought it would go away with the pandemic, but unfortunately, it has strived and continues to wreak havoc on businesses of all sizes. 

You can explain the concept in several ways, and here is one of the easiest to comprehend it.

- One of your workers stands apart from the team due to their hustle culture mentality that helps them perform better than others. 

- Unfortunately, something in the work environment makes it more challenging for them to complete their tasks, such as the extra work or the burnout. 

- They don’t quit their job the moment it gets more challenging, but stop engaging at work and do only the bare minimum so they can get their paychecks. 

- Something happens, and they no longer subscribe to hustle culture, and because they aren’t ready to switch jobs and find another less stressful or more fulfilling job, they disengage with the present one. 

This phenomenon has caused great problems across all sectors in the last period, and businesses from all industries have taken a hit.

 

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Most common causes of quiet quitting

The workforce these days is quitting the idea of going above and beyond for their employers. They no longer subscribe to the hustle culture mentality and prioritise their personal life. It’s not a bad thing that people are more proactive with their wellness, but this trend signals a mismatch in employer-employee expectations. As a business runner, it’s crucial to know what factors could cause your employees to quiet quit their jobs. 

- They work in unsafe environments

- They deal with mismatched or unclear job expectations

- A lack of boundaries

- An excess workload

- They receive insufficient support from team leaders

- They receive poor compensation

What does quiet quitting mean for your business?

At first sight, quiet quitting has the same underlying factors as traditional resignations, but if you have an in-depth analysis, you’ll notice they’re pretty different. Quiet quitters adhere to the philosophy “act your wage”, while those who resign are looking for something different. 

Some employers might believe that quitting quiet isn’t problematic because they get to keep their workers. Employees continue to complete their main tasks but refuse to do anything extra. However, employees who are willing to complete additional tasks offer the company a competitive edge. Most jobs have formal job descriptions, but employers expect their workforce to step up and fulfil any necessary extra work when necessary or demanded. But, employees find this as role ambiguity, which causes them low job satisfaction, enhanced stress, and burnout. 

When finding themselves in a situation like this, employees refuse to engage in activities different from those listed in their job descriptions, also known as organisational citizenship behaviours. These endeavours are regarded as positive activities that cross the formal scope of their jobs; they’re helping their coworkers, attend non-mandatory meetings, or stay late to complete extra tasks. 

While it’s difficult to deal with employees resigning, facing the quiet quitting trend is also challenging, especially in a period of labour shortage when companies struggle to recruit. Disengagement is also contagious, and it can quickly spread from a couple of people to the entire workforce. As an employer, you cannot afford to have a disengaged workforce because it could bring your company to bankruptcy. 

Employee engagement trends you could take advantage of

Often, poor organisational leadership is the main factor leading to employee disengagement. Statistics show that 33% of people adhere to the quiet quitting movement because they don’t find their senior leadership trustworthy. Among poor leadership, employees also list a lack of teamwork, recognition, respect, and a welcoming and safe workplace as other factors that cause them to no longer be engaged with their workplace. 

If you believe that your company might encourage employees to quiet quit their jobs, here are some recommendations that could help you fight it in the long term. 

Create an engaging workplace

It’s crucial to create a comfortable and safe work environment that employees feel enthusiastic to come to. One way to achieve this is to design an office space that includes areas that promote relaxation, entertainment, and communication. The specialists from Kitchen Warehouse Ltd state that an office kitchen enables employees to prioritise their diet and wellbeing and engage with each other in a non-formal space. 

Understanding what your employees need and want from a workspace is more crucial in the era of quiet quitting than ever before. The only way to deal with this crisis is to make the workforce feel more satisfied with their job.  

Encourage employees to establish boundaries

Specialists recommend employers set customisable working hours so their employees can choose when they work. Suppose your work quality isn’t affected; there’s no reason to keep your workforce bound to particular service hours. However, when you do it, be mindful of the new schedule, limit outreach, and ensure everyone completes their tasks. 

Have open conversations

It’s time you take the quiet of quiet quitting and address the issue. Schedule meetings with your employees and discuss their career goals and performance. This strategy helps you nurture a healthy relationship with the workers and encourages them to share the problems they deal with as they arise. It’s crucial to show your employees that they can be honest about the issues they experience in a non-condemning environment. 

Ensure there are no pay discrepancies

Another aspect all employers should handle to prevent quiet quitting is to ensure that their employees are compensated according to cost of rates, market rates, and workloads. Review their salaries annually and provide them recognition in diverse forms, from money to benefits and perks. 

You boost your employer’s integrity by removing pay discrepancies and ensuring your workforce is fairly compensated for their work. 

Final words

Occupational burnout is the main reason why people have started quiet quitting in the first place. It’s paramount to ensure your workforce doesn’t fall victim to it, and the above recommendations might help.