Happy and engaged workforces have long been linked to better productivity and business performance. When employees feel valued and understand how their work makes a difference, they contribute more to their businesses. This creates numerous benefits, including significant reductions in absenteeism, more stable workforces and improved profitability/turnover.
Conversely, lower levels of engagement may cause employees to ‘switch off’ and put in minimal effort, in a phenomenon known as ‘quiet quitting’. This creates significant challenges for businesses, especially those with smaller workforces that rely on their employees to give their all to stay competitive.
Being aware of this trend as well as the signs and solutions can help small-business owners prevent quiet quitting from gaining a foothold at their company.
What is quiet quitting?
The concept of quiet quitting, which started with a video on TikTok that went viral, refers to workers who decide to stay on the payroll while doing the bare minimum required for their job.
Quiet quitters reject hustle culture and the need to be “always on”. They refuse to put in extra hours and no longer go beyond their core list of duties, doing just enough to get by and not raise attention.
Causes of quiet quitting
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report shows the majority (59 per cent) of the world’s employees are quiet quitting, or psychologically disengaged from work. The outlook is even more alarming in Australia and New Zealand, where 67 per cent of respondents say they’re quiet quitting.
There are a variety of reasons for quiet quitting. "They may be physically present or logged into their computer," states the Gallup report, "but they don't know what to do or why it matters. They also don't have any supportive bonds with their co-workers, boss, or their organisation."
As businesses feel the pressure of economic challenges and cost of living, they may expect more from their employees for the same pay, driving exhaustion and burnout. Gallup’s data shows 47 per cent (second highest globally) of Australians say they experience a lot of daily stress.
Extra work takes its toll on employees, particularly younger people who are overworked and unwilling to clock in at all hours to do their jobs. According to Asana’s 2022 Anatomy of Work report, almost one in four surveyed workers experience burnout four or more times per year. (The survey included over 10,000 workers across the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, and Singapore.)
Employees suffering from burnout are responding by reconsidering how they manage their personal and professional lives, prioritising their mental health and life outside work.
Working from home or hybrid work has also contributed to some employees quiet quitting as they start feeling disconnected from other team members and their purpose at work. Disconnected employees may mentally check out and lessen their contributions in meetings and other workplace activities.
How quiet quitting affects small businesses
Quiet quitters harm businesses in many ways. More immediate impacts are felt in small companies than in large organisations, where quiet quitters may go undetected for extended periods.
In a small business with fewer employees, quiet quitters can erode productivity because they can increase the workload of others who are forced to pick up the slack.
BEING AWARE OF THIS TREND AS WELL AS THE SIGNS AND SOLUTIONS CAN HELP SMALL-BUSINESS OWNERS PREVENT QUIET QUITTING FROM GAINING A FOOTHOLD AT THEIR COMPANY.
In a small shop, it can be easier to flip the work culture upside down quickly; it may just take one or two workers to negatively influence the rest. Quiet quitting affects team morale and has repercussions for other employees who want to give their energy and commitment to advance in the company.
Employees who go above and beyond to give their best efforts to their jobs can create a significant competitive advantage for their companies. By contrast, quiet quitters can be a detriment to a company's bottom line, especially if it's a small business.
How to identify quiet quitting
While quiet quitting tends to be inconspicuous – hence the term “quiet” – there are some tell-tale signs, including:
- A reduction in an employee’s usual work output
- Lower contribution to team projects
- Lack of attendance at meetings
- Not speaking up in meetings or consistently keeping webcams turned off
- An uncharacteristic lack of initiative
- Reduced interaction with colleagues
- Unwillingness to take on work outside their core duties
How to combat quiet quitting
Conducting regular employee surveys can be an important strategy for increasing employee engagement and satisfaction and preventing quiet quitting.
This extends beyond a half-yearly survey that asks the same questions; organisations should aim to develop an ongoing employee feedback loop that’s tailored to the needs of their workforce, ensuring concerns are meaningfully addressed.
The right approach looks different for every organisation and it might be worth partnering with a consulting firm to audit things like compensation, benefits, and hierarchical structure to ensure clear paths for growth.
Organisations that prove they’re committed to professional development are likely to win back ‘quiet quitters’ and improve engagement. There are many ways to achieve this, including:
- Strengthening employee-manager relationships
- Setting clearly designated objectives and ‘KPIs’ that extend beyond hard business metrics to personal development goals
- Offer training opportunities that are relevant for employees’ roles and aspirations
Here are a few additional no-cost or low-cost ideas that may help your small business combat quiet quitting:
1. Keep workloads reasonable
Consider if the extra work piled on employees is higher than their available time, resources, or skillset.
While overtime is essential from time to time, during the busy season, for example, avoid making it the norm. Try to keep any increases in workload short-term.
2. Offer as much flexibility as possible
Desiring flexibility doesn't only apply to knowledge workers. Frontline workers also crave flexibility and autonomy. Gartner research shows nearly half of the employees who are not knowledge workers want greater control of aspects such as when and how much they work.
Retail employees, for example, could be given more flexibility over their schedules or the opportunity to trade their hours. Scheduling could also be adjusted as needed, e.g., four ten-hour days instead of five eight-hour days.
3. Abandon the “always on” culture
Promoting an “always on” mindset can lead to employee burnout and could backfire with more employees choosing to quiet quit. There are a few ways businesses can change a hustle culture, including:
· Avoid sending and expecting answers to emails after hours.
· Don’t ask employees to work evenings or weekends unless it is a part of their regular work schedule.
· Consider turning off any unnecessary notifications and the constant pinging of texts.
· Reconsider the number of meetings employees must attend and limit the length of meetings.
· Consider limiting discretionary workplace activities such as team building exercises and other ostensibly “fun activities.” At least make it clear that declining participation is okay.
4. Regularly have one-on-one meetings with employees
Gallup research recommends having one meaningful weekly conversation with each team member for 15-30 minutes. As part of these catchups, leaders should:
· Genuinely get to know employees' work-life situations. Are they able to cope easily with their workload? Do they need support?
· Try to understand their mindset. Is the work not challenging enough? Are they bored? Are they having difficulties with a co-worker leading them to withdraw?
· Clarify their roles, goals, and expectations. Unclear expectations can lead to anxiety, which can trigger withdrawal.
· Understand how appreciated they feel. Consider offering resources and positive feedback that lets them know they’re valued.
· Ask employees about what they want out of their leaders and make tangible changes based on this feedback.
5. Observe these potential red flags in job postings
Consider eliminating phrases in your job postings that may signal a fast track to burnout and dissuade applicants from applying.
Examples of such phrases include:
- "Fast-paced environment"
- "Self-starter"
- "Agile"
- "Works well under pressure"
- "Highly motivated"
- "High energy"
6. Help managers become better leaders
Consider developing leadership skills in everyone at your company who oversees others. Try to train them to be human-centred leaders who create nurturing environments and are dedicated to improving the employee experience.
Most people may want to work for more than just a paycheck. They could want managers who encourage the heart, foster a sense of purpose, and make them feel that their work matters.
The takeaway
Ultimately, quiet quitting may have more to do with a manager’s management style than the employee's work ethic. Something may have to give when employees are continually asked to go the extra mile, resulting in emotional and physical burnout.
A good manager gives employees more control of their working life, creating a workplace that respects employees’ work-life balance needs. In the end, work-life harmony can be good for everyone – the employees and the business.