It’s no surprise everyone has likely heard the latest workplace buzzword, “quiet quitting”—a term informally described in a 17-second TikTok video by user Zaid Khan which immediately went viral in July 2022 and since then has subsequently been making headlines. Thus, this trending topic has struck a chord with many SME company owners and business leaders wondering what this is all about. That’s why, in today’s blog post, we will delve into what exactly “quiet quitting” means and how you should properly respond to it. Keep on reading!
What is Quiet Quitting?
According to LinkedIn News, quiet quitting, in a nutshell, is about tossing the notion that work has to take over an individual’s life and that employees should go beyond and above what their job descriptions entail. This concept can take many forms, which include refusing to reply to work-related messages after shift, not taking on more projects or additional tasks beyond their salary, or simply feeling less invested in one’s profession.
As you can tell, quiet quitting, under this definition, seems to highlight more about employees rejecting hustle culture, prioritising their welfare and setting job boundaries by striking a balance between their work and personal time rather than really flat-out quitting their jobs. So the question is, as business owners, how can you support your employees to take care of their well-being and ensure they feel engaged, motivated and valued in their work?
Six Ways You Can Do to Deal With Quiet Quitting
Give Your Employees Enough Opportunities
Quiet Quitting could be a signal or cue that you are not giving your employees enough opportunities, such as exciting promotions and salary increases, to boost their careers. Or perhaps your work culture has become dull and stagnant, which led them to pursue positions at other companies. With that in mind, make sure that you always provide your employees with opportunities that can really pique their interest to excel in their positions, improve their morale and help them grow along with your company. You can also carry out employee engagement initiatives and fun events, such as team building and company outings, to foster a positive culture in your business.
Ensure Workloads Are Manageable
When workloads and time pressure become unreasonable, expect that even your best employees can shift from being engaged and optimistic to being disgruntled and overwhelmed. But don’t worry! Business owners like you can keep workloads manageable by giving your employees some flexibility and autonomy while still ensuring that they are aware and in control of the metrics utilised to measure performance and minimise interruptions in the workplace.
Likewise, when there are myriad tasks at hand, figure out what’s on your team’s plate and find helpful ways or methods to increase everyone’s work efficiency. For instance, is there a process that can be performed by technology to become more efficient? Perhaps you could cut time-consuming meetings with unclear goals? Or maybe you should outsource repetitive tasks to a trusted external provider like The Lead Enquiry so your employees can focus on more valuable tasks?
Communicate Clearly
It’s true that when business owners fail to provide the information employees need to perform their job; it can undoubtedly cause employee engagement issues and burnout. But more than that, the most salient part of communication is listening. So make sure you are ready to lend your ears to what your staff has to say. Also, encourage open and honest communication by establishing a safe place for your employees to share. By doing so, you will be better informed about the state of their well-being.
Remind Employees That We Are All Humans
As a business owner, you should set an example for your colleagues by reminding them of the importance of taking breaks. After all, we are not machines, and we cannot properly function without enough rest or sleep. We also can’t do everything perfectly, so it’s only normal to make mistakes in the course of performing our duties since we are also learning the ropes of our roles.
Remember, giving ourselves time to relax and rest is essential to our welfare and our performance at work. Note that the more we ignore our personal needs, the more we put our performance and productivity at a higher risk.
Encourage Downtime
Your employees need time to recharge and deserve a life outside their work. As the head of your company, you are responsible for encouraging your employees to unplug from their job. One way you can make this happen is by implementing mental health days and checking in with them about the significance of using personal/paid time off.
Final Words
Quiet quitting is not a new concept at all. It is simply suggesting a low level of motivation and engagement among workers. But to combat this issue, you must understand that your employees deserve to experience a positive working culture with reasonable working conditions, demands, and pay and have the opportunity to learn, grow and be passionate about their jobs while still having a life beyond the office. As a business owner, it is your utmost responsibility to implement such conditions and fix workplace dysfunctions so your workers can strike a healthy work-life balance without checking out.
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