What is quiet-quitting, and should you be concerned?
The latest buzz phrase to enter the workplace is ‘Quiet Quitting’, and it refers to employees working within business hours and doing the required amount of work, no more and no less. Quiet quitting refers to an employee who will not be putting in extra hours or going above and beyond to achieve the task at hand, and is focusing on their life outside of the office.
As an employer, what should you do if you identify ‘quiet quitters’ in the organisation?
Approach the conversation with an open mind, honesty and most importantly- listen! There could be several reasons as to why an employee is only meeting the requirements of their role, and there are a number of opportunities to reengage them.
Recognition: As an organisation are you sharing and celebrating wins, or is everyday business as usual? If an employee has been going above and beyond in the 
past without recognition, they may no longer see the value in putting in extra effort when it is not being acknowledged.
Boredom: Without challenges and learning opportunities, it can become easy for employees to disengage from their roles. Discuss their interests and passions and
propose opportunities to bring them onto other projects where possible. Offer support and help to create a growth plan.
Communication: Many employees can find it hard to commit to work when they cannot see or understand the end goal. Encourage transparency as a part of your 
company culture and share with your teams the key goals and the reasons behind them.
Managing workload: Employees may have taken on bulky workloads to prove themselves when they initially joined the team, and as a result have been 
consistently overworking themselves. This again links in with open communication- check in on your team members and ensure their workload is managed to prevent burnout down the road.
Quiet Quitting should not be confused with employees embracing work-life balance, and prioritising their physical, emotional, and mental needs. The global pandemic has been a catalyst for so much change, and it highlighted the need for a balanced lifestyle. Organisations that encourage a healthy work/life balance tend to experience increased productivity, improved staff retention and attract great talent.
To learn more about what work/life balance looks like in 2022, check out our blog here.
