What is Quiet Quitting?
In today’s workplace, “quiet quitting” is emerging as a troubling trend. But what exactly does it mean? Quiet quitting describes a situation where employees perform just the bare minimum required for their roles, without taking any additional initiative or demonstrating extra effort. Rather than physically leaving their job, these employees are mentally and emotionally disengaged – doing only enough to meet job requirements and little more.
For HR professionals, this signals a much larger problem within the organisation. When employees become disconnected in this way, it’s often a warning sign of underlying issues that can affect productivity, morale, and ultimately, the company’s bottom line.
Why is Quiet Quitting a Bigger Problem Than You Think?
Your employees are your organisation’s most valuable resource, but they’re also one of your largest investments. Recruiting, hiring, and onboarding are costly processes, and replacing disengaged employees can be even more expensive. That’s why maintaining high employee engagement should be a top priority.
In HR terms, “engagement” encompasses an employee’s happiness, sense of purpose and overall productivity in their role. This engagement is influenced by multiple factors, including job satisfaction, compensation, managerial relationships, company culture and inclusivity. When employees are fully engaged, they are more likely to go above and beyond, contributing positively to the organisation’s goals.
However, quiet quitting indicates a breakdown in engagement. It’s a subtle form of disengagement that’s often difficult to detect early, making it challenging to address before employees consider leaving. Quiet quitters might still be present physically, but mentally they’re already halfway out the door. When they eventually leave, it disrupts operations and results in significant costs and time spent finding and training replacements.
Recognising the Signs of Quiet Quitting
Identifying quiet quitting can be difficult, but there are some telltale signs to watch out for:
1. Reduced Engagement and Participation
Employees may seem uninterested or disengaged during meetings, contributing minimally or not at all.
2. Decline in Performance or Effort
Quiet quitters often do the bare minimum to meet job requirements and show little initiative for extra tasks.
3. Minimal Communication
They may respond slowly to emails, messages, or other forms of communication and avoid informal interactions with colleagues.
4. Lack of Initiative
Employees might stop volunteering for projects outside their defined responsibilities, showing reluctance to take on new tasks.
5. Decreased Enthusiasm and Motivation
A noticeable drop in enthusiasm, especially toward team goals or projects, is a common sign of disengagement.
6. Reduced Availability
They may rigidly stick to work hours, avoiding early or late shifts and refusing work outside of normal hours.
7. Boundary-Setting
Some employees might explicitly or implicitly set strict boundaries around work, refusing after-hours communication.
8. Avoidance of Extra Work
They may steer clear of additional duties, team-building activities, or optional training, focusing solely on their assigned tasks.
9. Increased Absenteeism
There could be a rise in sick days, personal time, or last-minute requests for time off, reflecting a lack of commitment.
10. Withdrawal from Social Aspects of Work
Employees might avoid social gatherings, team-building events, or informal work gatherings, signaling a disconnection from the team.
What Should You Do if You See Signs of Quiet Quitting?
If you recognise signs of quiet quitting within your team, there are several steps you can take:
- Initiate a Conversation: Start by speaking directly with the employee to understand their perspective and identify any challenges they may be facing.
- Conduct Employee Surveys: Surveys can help determine if there are broader issues within a department or with management.
- Review Engagement Factors: Evaluate the factors that may be affecting employee engagement, such as pay, job satisfaction, workplace culture, and management practices.
As HR consultants with years of experience addressing employee engagement, we work closely with business owners to craft tailored action plans to re-engage their workforce. Addressing quiet quitting can prevent larger, more costly issues down the line.
If you’re concerned about quiet quitting or want to boost your team’s engagement, contact us for a confidential conversation about how we can help.