Are You Quiet Quitting Your Work?
What if your lack of interest and engagement in your work is actually you Quiet Quitting, because you no longer feel as inspired, motivated or fulfilled?
What was once very exciting and satisfying has become more of a chore than a joy in your life. I mean you’re good at what you do, your clients love the results they get but at the end of the day you feel something is missing and you’re not quite sure what it is, let alone what to do. These factors often lead people to quietly quit their work.
Quiet Quitting. Have you heard of it?
Did you know that approximately 59% of the global workforce consists of people who are quietly quitting, according to Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace report?
At that high a degree, it has to be affecting executives, owners as well as their staff. As the business owner, entrepreneur or leader, you’ll want to pay attention to this and its current impact on business.
As the leader of your business, you could also be engaging in behaviors that show you to be quietly quitting and you may not even know it. They can be subtle. Let’s dive in.
What is Quiet Quitting?
Quiet Quitting appears as someone being uninterested in their work. They aren’t enthusiastic about the business, they don’t take on additional work-related commitments, and do not go the extra mile for their colleagues, customers, or their clients.
People who quit quietly do the minimum of what they need to do to get by, or to sit just under the radar. They are not engaged with others or participating in company meetings or other events.
It may show up in their work, for example, as being incomplete, sale conversations that aren’t being done or a loss of confidence. They don’t follow through as they once did or need to. It may also be about taking on more responsibility or sharing innovative ideas.
As the leader, you might notice it in your own results, if they’ve taken a sudden downturn, or you notice a slip in sales, for example, over time. You might notice it in your own attitude, being late to work or just less interested. These are all factors that can be found in people who are quietly quitting.
As the business owner or entrepreneur are you overwhelmed with the day to day operations, or the more mundane tasks required rather than activities that excite you and uplift you?
When sales are down or becoming a challenge it can be difficult to shift that and create an upswing. Maybe you feel stuck at a certain point, and you think you’ve reached the height of where you think you can take your business.
How did Quiet Quitting come to be a concern?
Well, it’s partly due to the change in what employees are looking for in their work and the value they receive from it, especially since the pandemic and working from home.
We’ve always known that compensation and other benefits are typically important components of job satisfaction. We’ve also known that many if not most entrepreneurs or business owners start their own business in order to have flexibility and autonomy.
Since the pandemic, employees have experienced those benefits as they went into work-from-home environments, that they hadn’t had before. The result was that many people came to value the autonomy and flexibility that came with these working arrangements.
It enabled them to be home more, it saved them time and effort on a commute, and reduced the need for many office meetings. The typical office interruptions were removed or diminished and for many that was a welcome change. It also reduced the amount of connection felt from those at work as opportunities to be a part of other activities, such as staff lunches, retreats, and other get-togethers.
Employees also had more ownership over their work, and a greater sense of trust from their supervisors to get their work done during this time. Now back in the office, they want these same values for autonomy, flexibility and more impactful work but may be expected to take on more work without more pay and are being micromanaged…
This is often a tough adjustment and results in an increase in Quiet Quitting.
It all gets Down to Company Culture or Values
When staff experience job satisfaction and high levels of engagement, retention rates are higher. However, Linked in’s 2023 Workplace Learning Report reveals that 93% of organizations are concerned about employee retention.
That’s a big number and so businesses must take a proactive approach to improving their retention rates. In thinking about quiet quitting, I was able to identify a number of ways that business owners and leaders can improve their retention rates and reduce behaviors that can be seen as quitting quietly, including their own.
It comes down to having a positive, healthy company culture full of opportunities to communicate, share ideas and advancement or growth. It’s also more than that, company leaders have to be more in tune with what motivates their staff and it could be different than expected and vary among them.
It’s important to understand how heavily current job seekers are prioritizing a positive company culture and its importance for staying there.
Being recognized for their achievements, and the work they do is one piece. Being a part of the mission, and able to communicate their ideas, employees will be motivated to stay in their positions and even to seek advancement in the business. They will want to be more actively involved in their roles, as well as other areas of the business.
Allowing for increased autonomy and flexibility where possible are going to be increasingly important rather than less. For no one wants to feel chained to their work or trapped in their job and that includes those at the higher levels too.
Autonomy and flexibility often go hand-in-hand. A recent study in Forbes Magazine found that 63% of employees felt more empowered by having flexibility. Which may not be what their bosses are used to, because what is important to them may not be valued by those who work for them.
Therefore, a key component is allowing your staff to participate in making any changes or enhancements, to finding ways to bring back the excitement, motivation and fulfillment from their work. When given the opportunity to participate and offer suggestions, you allow your employees to shine!
As the owner of your business it is up to you to address issues with anyone who may be quitting quietly, and that’s just the best part, because you can make positive changes. Your company could just be in a place you didn’t expect or intend and it’s just time to get back on track, inject some energy into it and make the investment and changes needed. Sometimes it’s hard to see them on your own, so seek the insight of a trusted mentor or coach.