While the covid-19 pandemic has been declared over, it still has lasting effects on business. The pandemic made people more aware that life is fleeting and that they want to work in jobs that make them happy. So what happens when people are at jobs they don’t like? They quiet quit. Quiet quitting is when employees refuse to go above and beyond what they are being asked to do. They are still doing their job but they are coasting. They are doing the bare minimum to stay at the job, but don’t put in extra effort and have lost their passion for it.
Quiet quitting goes against hustle culture, it goes against putting everything into your work. Generation z and millennials want that work life balance. They also want to work for a company with similar values to them.
The result of quiet quitting is that employee engagement is down. It’s affecting productivity and employees aren’t giving their all to their work. It can also cause a ripple effect, if one employee quiet quits others may follow. CEO’s and managers are bothered by this trend because they wonder where they went wrong as bosses that would cause their workers to quiet quit.
So how can you motivate your employees to work hard and avoid quiet quitting? Share your vision and passion with your team. Find workers who share this vision and passion. They are more likely to dedicate their time and energy into work when you have similar values and dreams. Also take note of how they act in the interview to see if they show interest in the job at hand.
Before employees decide to quiet quit be sure to have conversations with them to check in how they are doing in the job. Be sure to create a safe and open atmosphere so they feel safe sharing honestly with you. Tell them that you want to hear how things are and aren’t working for them. If you show that you are there for them to listen and come with a problem solving mindset, they will be more open to sharing. A lot of workplace problems and unhappiness can be solved by communication and being open to constructive criticism. This helps you prevent quiet quitting and actual quitting. Employee retention and happiness are important parts of your business. It takes time and resources to train new employees. Also, if employees aren’t happy it will show in the work they do and productivity will suffer.
Employees may decide to quiet quit if they are feeling burnout at the job. Noticing the signs of burnout will be important. Check out our article last week that talks about burnout and tips on how to deal with it. They may also decide to coast if they do not feel valued as an employee. Make sure to take time to show appreciation towards them.
While quiet quitting may be becoming more popular in the workplace, there are things you can do to prevent it. Notice the signs of burnout, talk to your employees, express appreciation, and share your mission with your team. If you are passionate about the job, your passion will be contagious.