Millions of workers worldwide claim to identify with quiet quitting, a movement originating on TikTok about employees — mainly the youngest generations of workers — rejecting the hustle culture mentality.
While quiet quitters do not actually leave their jobs, their focus on doing just enough to stay on the payroll negatively impacts their organizations, and themselves. Individuals who are quiet-quitting are giving up on developing themselves. They are not building careers or developing a passion for their work. They are simply logging hours and collecting paychecks.
Quiet quitting is also impacting organizations’ most productive, engaged and committed employees. Meritocracy has fallen victim to quiet quitting, an unintended consequence of this movement, as top performers grow resentful of having to continually pick up the slack for unengaged peers and teammates. If quiet quitting is enabled and more isn’t done to intervene with the disengaged, organizations will lose top performers.
For talent and learning leaders, now is the time to act. A Gallup poll recently revealed that more than 50 percent of U.S. workers admit to no longer going above and beyond at work, while the ratio of engaged to actively disengaged workers is currently 1.8-to-1. Solving this talent crisis will require a multifaceted approach centered around investing in disengaged workers and providing them with opportunities, support and purpose, so they regain motivation to invest in themselves and their careers:
- Manager development: According to the same Gallup poll, the decline in employee engagement is linked to employees not feeling cared for in the workplace. It is also linked to employees not having clear expectations or opportunities to learn and grow. In my view, this is evidence that workers are, in large part, becoming disengaged due to poor management. While management isn’t the only factor, it is a significant factor.
There has never been a more difficult time to be a people manager. With hybrid work and the prevalence of managing a widely distributed team, managers themselves are unengaged. Gallop states that only 1-in-3 managers are engaged at work. With so many unmotivated managers, it’s not a surprise that this mentality is trickling down to frontline workers. Yet today’s managers need more support and development from the business than ever before if we expect them to put effective managerial skills into practice. West Monroe Partners found that 43 percent of first-time managers with less than one year of management experience had received no training at all.
Managers are critical to the success of their direct reports. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on them to identify behaviors of unengaged employees and put those individuals on a path toward reengagement. But these skills must be developed. Managers need to be competent at shaping employees’ behaviors, coaching, motivating, providing feedback, diagnosing work performance problems, evaluating relative contribution and making decisions about workload allocation. The quitting movement is a consequence of managerial inadequacy. It is directly linked to the failure on the part of managers to foster a motivating work environment, establish clear performance expectations and reshape unacceptable behaviors. With better L&D offerings and support, managers are empowered and equipped to manage more effectively. When this happens, quiet quitting behavior is no longer tolerated or enabled.
- Renewed sense of purpose and connection to mission: In addition to investing in the development of their managers, organizations must also emphasize and cultivate a strong sense of pride around the organization’s purpose and mission. We know that people, especially those who have unsubscribed from the hustle mentality, are seeking more integrated lives. The onus is on business leaders to help their employees develop a closer connection to the organization’s mission. And, it must start at the top of the organization and cascade down through all levels. It is easier to coast and clock hours when you do not believe you are working toward a greater purpose. But we know that if employees better understand and see the connection between their organization’s mission and their personal purpose, they will bring the passion and be more motivated to help the business succeed.
- Fostering mentorship: We must also think back to our formative years as new entrants to the workforce and the experiences, but most importantly the relationships, that shaped us. The youngest members of the workforce unintentionally seem to be the most neglected, especially in the world of remote work. At a time when mentorship and observing the behaviors of managers and business leaders is so fundamental, there are so few opportunities for this organic growth when our interactions are predominantly taking place in front of a computer screen. And the impact has a direct correlation to quiet quitting. Gallup has found that since the pandemic, the number of younger workers who strongly feel that someone at work cares for them or encourages their development has dropped by 10 percentage points. Talent leaders need to be proactive about building effective mentorship programs to restore this critical sense of support and belonging amongst the youngest cadre of workers.
- Cultivating camaraderie: Providing opportunities for mentorship is only part of the equation. Young workers in particular have a strong need for social connection and camaraderie with their peers. Cultivating this connection has become increasingly difficult for hybrid and fully remote employees who no longer have organic face to face opportunities to socialize around the office or after hours. In this hybrid era, organizations must think creatively about how they can facilitate esprit de corps to help disengaged employees develop stronger connections with peers as this often translates to a greater sense of loyalty toward others and a willingness to do their part.
- Investing in the future of quiet quitters: In general, we don’t invest enough in developing people at all levels of organizations. Research shows that people will invest more of themselves in an organization if they feel that the organization reciprocates and is equally invested in them. In fact, in a recent ClearCompany survey, 74 percent of employees said that a lack of professional development is preventing them from reaching their full potential. To help cultivate a renewed sense of engagement and motivation, we need to signal to all employees — especially quiet quitters — that they are valued and worthy of investment. Developing both short- and longer-term development plans with anticipated growth trajectories restore motivation and a renewed sense of engagement.
If we can restore a sense of connection between quiet quitters and their jobs, one that demonstrates that they are working toward a shared purpose and that their contributions matter, organizations will be better equipped to re-engage these employees. In tandem, we must also focus on development across the organization. From managers down to disengaged employees, everyone needs more professional development in order to achieve their fullest potential. As talent leaders and business leaders, shifting the mindset of quiet quitters must be our primary focus, and one that cannot be ignored or met with inaction.
