Is there anything to do against the quiet quitting trend?

If you found this guide, you’re probably trying to find out more about the topic. 

Quiet quitting has been trending over the last few months, and it’s generally defined as a form of employee disengagement where workers do only the bare minimum to keep their jobs. They are no longer motivated to go above and beyond for their employers and help the companies grow. 

The term quiet quitting went viral on social media, especially on TikTok in 2022 when people started sharing their work experiences and the fact that they no longer make the effort to take initiative, volunteer for extra projects, or work overtime. 

Quiet quitting is a comfortable alternative to resigning. The concept has gained tremendous popularity through social media and encourages employees who feel unsatisfied and disengaged with their jobs to continue to execute the essential tasks but refuse to complete anything else which isn’t outlined in their job descriptions. Therefore, employers face a workforce doing the bare minimum to stay employed but with zero effort to propel corporate success. 

Suppose you’re an employer looking for ways to prevent quiet quitting, here are some initiatives you can take to combat this phenomenon. 

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Keep the increases in workload to a minimum

It’s desirable to run a company where your employees have steady and predictable workloads daily, but unfortunately, you cannot control all aspects, and therefore, sometimes overtime is necessary. Running a business in the present day is chaotic, and you need to find a balance between satisfying your clients and your employees. However, it’s your role to differentiate between asking your staff to work extra hours during the busy season and requiring them to do overtime for the long term because you neglect to make new hires. 

It’s not sustainable for your employees to work overtime for an extended period because they need days off to alleviate the stress associated with working and mentally disengage from their jobs. It’s crucial for their wellbeing to connect with their loved ones. Most people aren’t opposed to working overtime occasionally, but when you abuse their willingness, you could force them to take extreme measures to protect their wellbeing. 

Suppose you add extra responsibilities to an employee, ensure the new agreement is short term, and they have the option to refuse. 

Compensate your employees

Low salaries and pay discrepancies are among the main reasons people choose to resign or quiet quit their employers. Your employees don’t oppose working extra hours but expect you to reward them for their effort. Don’t make the mistake of teasing a raise or employee benefits that never come to fruition or refuse to acknowledge their overtime. If you want your employees to be team players, you should treat them with respect and make them feel part of the team. 

Besides the financial rewards, the lack of respect is another factor that leads to quiet quitting. When you continue to increase their workloads, assign them new tasks, and refuse to find their opinions, you send the message that you don’t value their wellbeing. Asking them to complete new tasks could also feel like violating the work agreement, and not all people are willing to do it. Ensure your employees don’t feel like you’re taking advantage of them and compensate them for their effort. 

Support employee wellbeing

Many employees quiet quit because they want to protect their physical or mental health. However, this wouldn’t happen if you proactively address their need to feel safe at their workplace. It’s crucial to prioritise your workers’ physical, mental, and emotional health to protect your business from the consequences of a workplace accident or staff refusing to work accordingly. If one of the employees gets injured due to your negligence to create a safe working environment, you must pay compensation to cover the expenses for medical treatment. You can find more details about the process at https://www.personalinjuryclaimsuk.org.uk/. 

As an employer, you should strive to be an ally to your team members and safeguard their wellbeing. By highlighting your commitments to improve their wellbeing, you prove that you keep your promises and they have no reason to join the quiet quitting movement. 

Foster connections

Another way to prevent quiet quitting in your company is to have regular feedback sessions with your staff. You could either ask the managers to have one-on-one discussions with the employees or run group discussions to find your staff’s opinion on what you could improve to boost their satisfaction. Understanding your employees’ wants and needs is crucial to combat organisational dissatisfaction and retain workers. 

The more interest you show in cultivating a personal connection with all your employees, the less chances are for people to stop putting in the work to help you grow the company. Show your team that they’re working for a compassionate employer who respects their opinions and ensures they benefit from a proper work environment. 

Make teambuilding a priority

You’re a good leader if you manage to hold your team together. However, often, it’s challenging to make people connect while at work, and you need to provide them with opportunities that allow them to communicate and engage at a deeper level. By providing them with a workplace that encourages accountability and collaboration, you help your team grow on the collective level. It’s crucial to lead by example during these challenging times when employees have alternatives to working for you and provide them with opportunities to grow. 

Teambuilding events are the perfect opportunities for your employees to connect and become more mindful of their behaviours and actions. 

Last words

There’s nothing more difficult for an employer than realising that their workers are quiet quitting because they’re unsatisfied with something on the organisational level. However, it’s crucial for them to immediately take measures to identify the root of the problem and address it to encourage their workforce to restructure their behaviour. The above recommendations should help businesses of all sizes, but they could employ many other strategies.