Is “quiet quitting” a passing trend or an alarming sign of disengagement at work? Referring to the practice of doing the bare minimum at work to get by, quiet quitting involves limiting working hours and consistently prioritizing personal life over work.
TikTok may have popularized the term, but evidence suggests that the trend is nothing new. In June, Gallup found that only 21 percent of employees feel engaged at work. Disengagement lowers productivity and worker retention, posing a problem for businesses. Corporate leaders and HR professionals can promote engagement by focusing on workplace culture and taking the following steps.
Expectations, Training and Meaningful Work
Clearly defined expectations play a key role in employee satisfaction. When employees understand their role on the team and how to meet expectations, productivity and job satisfaction will rise. On the other hand, employees who feel confused about their roles or job duties will grow frustrated and disengaged from their position. Ensure that job duties accurately reflect employees’ day-to-day responsibility and encourage managers to help their reports set realistic goals for both the short and long term.
Continued professional development and training is essential to prevent employees from becoming bored at work. However, irrelevant training topics or professional development opportunities that do not align with an employee’s career path can cause frustration. Training and development should directly address employees’ core job duties and focus on skills that workers themselves want to learn. In addition to offering on the job training, encourage employees to take advantage of tuition benefits and discounts to explore new skills.
Employees also want to feel that their contributions matter. When work feels meaningless or unimportant to a business’ core mission, employees may struggle to feel engaged. Instead of assigning busy work when business is slow, allow employees to utilize downtime to learn new skills or strengthen relationships with their teammates. Managers should also think critically about the work that they assign to their reports, balancing administrative tasks with assignments that require higher level critical thinking.
Prioritize work-life balance
When employees prioritize work at the expense of their personal lives, productivity may rise for a time, until burn out and disengagement inevitably set in. To avoid burn out, promote employee wellness by discouraging employees from responding to non-urgent emails outside of work hours and valuing their personal time. When employees become parents, recognize that less time in the office does not mean less commitment. Allow child-free employees similar flexibility as those who have families, while acknowledging that parents may face additional obligations at home.
Most importantly, ask HR and leadership to set an example by carving out time for their own personal obligations. Employees who see leadership working at all hours will feel pressured to contribute the same effort. Build a sustainable culture that recognizes the importance of work-life balance and self-care.
Recognize Achievements and Feedback
Employees want to feel appreciated for their efforts. When workers succeed beyond expectations, celebrate their achievements publicly. Emphasize that workers support business growth, offering bonuses if appropriate. Consider introducing quarterly or annual awards to recognize outstanding employees, while celebrating the efforts of the entire team. Even during challenging times, acknowledge their efforts and communicate the understanding that lackluster results may be out of their control.
To stay engaged at work, employees need to feel seen and heard by management. Solicit input and ideas from employees about how to gain new business and how management can better support employees. Instead of simply providing an email for company HR representatives, organize quarterly “office hours” for employees to drop by and chat about company culture. An anonymous feedback form can also empower employees to share honest feedback without concerns.
Leaders who set realistic, transparent expectations, invest in their employees’ professional development and encourage work-life balance can ensure employee engagement and retention remain strong amid trends like “quiet quitting.”
