Many businesses may have some quiet quitters among their staff, and this can be a huge problem for the functionality of the organisation, as well as unfair on hardworking staff. Hiring a quality, committed workforce is difficult, but hiring an Interim management agency can help to find trustworthy managers.
Contrary to its name, quiet quitting does not refer to the act of quitting a position in a company, but instead, a shift in attitude, output and intention.
What exactly is quiet quitting?
Someone who is a quiet quitter might suddenly start doing less work, simply completing the bare minimum expectations in their role rather than going the extra mile and aiming for a higher standard of work.
For example, an administrator who often works late, offers to help others and makes the effort to get into the office before everyone else might stop doing this, instead going home when their hours have finished, never offering to help and arriving when work begins. These changes make them a quiet quitter of their previous ambitious behaviour in their role.
Most businesses will have quiet quitters that refuse to throw in the towel but gave up on hard work long ago, and it can be challenging to motivate these people again.
Why do employees become quiet quitters?
There are several reasons why employees will become quiet quitters, and it is crucial the managers stay well connected to their staff to monitor when this is happening.
Hiring managers that are experienced and knowledgeable in handling these kinds of situations can prevent this from occurring, and an interim management agency will be able to find one to fit your business.
Employees may become quiet quitters when:
They are overworked or dealing with burnout
They are looking for a new job
They want to improve their work/life balance
They feel mistreated by their employer
Ultimately, this happens when staff lose motivation due to a number of factors and quiet quitting is their way of reclaiming their power.
Staff who are happy in their role will continue to work hard for the company and those around them in the same team. When one team member feels they are being let down by either the company or their team they may start to exhibit quiet quitter behaviour, and this can easily negatively impact other members of the organisation, too.
What are the signs of a quiet quitter?
Within a team, most will be aware of each others’ feelings and general attitude to their work at any given time. It’s likely that a team will be well aware of someone’s decision to ‘quiet quit’ long before management does.
There are some signs that you can look out for if you suspect someone is quiet quitting, although they are subtle, and it takes a good manager to spot the changes before it is too late.
They are disengaged with their work
Their quality of work has dropped
They often miss deadlines
They do not communicate well with others
Overall lack of enthusiasm
In companies that are fully remote or offer a hybrid working style, spotting these changes can be even trickier, while those who have to go into work every day might be easier to spot.
The truth is, every employee is at risk of becoming a quiet quitter, and it is the business’s responsibility to ensure that its staff feel valued at all times to avoid this.
How businesses can combat this phenomenon
There are many ways to keep your staff happy and prevent them from becoming quiet quitters at work. Getting the most out of your workforce lift both parties up – benefitting the organisation as a whole and improving the quality of your staff’s experience at work.
Start by ensuring there is effective and regular communication within the business. This could be through team meetings, 1-1’s, weekly catch-ups or even away days. This gives employees the chance to talk to each other, as well as the managers, outside of work in an open and honest way.
To help motivate staff and encourage hard work, there should be an incentive in place to give the team something to aim for. It could be as simple as paying for lunch, or as dramatic as a paid weekend away, no matter how big or small your staff will surely appreciate it.
Overall, ensure that your managers are treating their staff well. If people feel that they are being micromanaged or that their manager does not trust them to complete work to a high standard, they might withdraw and become a quiet quitter.
One way to ensure that your staff are treated well by management is looking into using an interim management agency to find the perfect manager ready to slot into your team and improve the working experience at any business.
So, now you have read about the act of quiet quitting, can you think of a time in your life when you have behaved in this way in a role? How did you feel at the time and what would have changed your mind? When deciding the fate of your own business, these are all things to consider.
Putting yourself in the shoes of your employees is a great way to truly consider how you would feel if you were treated in the same way so you can make educated decisions about your workforce, and avoid acquiring any quiet quitters.
