A new phrase is on the rise, and all of us are wondering, “what is quiet quitting?” and why is everyone talking about it? Quiet quitting isn’t what you think it is. You might think it’s the action of an employee quitting work without giving a two-week notice or saying anything to the other staff members.
This is not the case. Quiet quitting is actually when an employee stays at a job but doesn’t go above and beyond for more than what they are paid to do. Recently, this had become a trend amongst a newer generation, with workers refusing to do anything that wasn’t in their job description when they were hired.
As an employer, we can see why this trend is frightsome in the business world. Of course, we want workers who want to go above and beyond for our company.
We want loyal employees who bring value to the company, and that’s why we hire them. However, we must note that this is now a heightened subject, with our future employees listening.
Why Is Quiet Quitting So Popular Lately?
Quiet quitting happens for a myriad of reasons. First, it’s a “recent trend” on the rise through all social channels and marketing channels. Everyone is hearing about it through Facebook, Instagram, and through various news articles. The other reason why employees have been quietly quitting is due to burnout.
Burnout happens when you become exhausted from too much work. Emotional, physical, and mental stress can get overwhelming — especially when it comes to working. In fact, your brain actually To understand a little bit more about how this works, learn further about mca branches and how it correlates with burnout.
Whether it’s because it’s the most recent trend or whether it’s due to some mental space, there are ways to go about this. Luckily for you, we know a good bit about how to handle situations such as these.
Is This A New “Trend” or an Old Fad?
Technically, this isn’t anything new. While the phrase might not have been invented, the idea of not working for more than you’re paid for has existed throughout time. Historically, employees have told their bosses that they need more money to do more work, but this usually results in getting fired. This was when companies didn’t have a staffing shortage problem.
In fact, this was when companies had an abundance of applicants applying to their company. Now that things are a little different, companies are trying to navigate around this problem that doesn’t immediately result in a fire.
How Can We Prevent Quiet Quitting From Happening?
While quiet quitting is on the rise, there are ways to stop this from happening. If you want to prevent your employees from participating in this trend, there are a few tips to follow. Here is what you can do in order to prevent quiet quitting and to make for an all-around incredible culture:
Openly Communicate with Your Employees
Communication is vital for any relationship. This includes a business relationship. Employees deserve to be heard, and employers who communicate with their employees also deserve to be heard. Open communication puts everything out on the table for both sides of the equation.
Through open communication, employers can find out the needs of their employees. Why don’t they want to go above and beyond for the company? What’s holding them back?
Employers can also communicate openly from the hire date that they want staff members to be loyal and committed to the company, with the respect of personal work-life balance boundaries.
Listen to Your Employees
This goes hand-in-hand with open communication but listening to your employees and what they need from you as an employer is essential in getting behind this trend.
A mistake that employers make is that they often neglect or ignore the wants and needs of one of the most essential parts of the business — its workers! Listen to your team, figure out how to help them get to where they want to be, and the rest is history.
Provide Ways of Recognition
Employees would much rather go above and beyond for a management team that recognizes their hard work and praises them for their achievements. When an employee does go above and beyond, acknowledge that. You can simply start with simple group messages praising accomplishments or you can go big and get your employee a specialized card for large milestones.
Offer Incentives
Incentives don’t have to be large pay raises. In fact, there are many other things to offer employees that go above and beyond for your company. Yes, small raises are nice. However, if you can’t afford it, then maybe offering promotions or company parties will suffice for large tasks and milestones. Little goes a long way.
Will This Continue to Be a Prominent Thing in the Workplace?
While this is currently a trend on the rise, this idea of quiet quitting won’t last for too long. While it is great that some employees are evaluating their worth and wanting to create a work life balance, employers will get behind this.
Once companies start listening to their employees, providing recognition, communicating openly, and offering incentives — they will be able to hit this trend head-on. Once that starts happening, more people will not only be happier in the workplace but will also be loyal to the company that they work for.
Now that you understand quiet quitting a bit more, learn about what burnout can do to you mentally, emotionally, and physically. That way, you can provide a satisfactory work-life balance for yourself or your employees. Now is the time to prevent quiet quitting and truly care for your employees and your employers.