Quiet quitting
The phenomenon of quiet quitting has gained significant traction in the media recently. But what does this 'silent resignation' truly mean? Is it really an issue that warrants serious attention? Discover how you can address this matter if you start noticing signs of decreased employee engagement and a lack of identification with the workplace within your organisation.
Table of Contents:
- What is quiet quitting and how does it relate to resignation?
- Do quiet quitting statistics confirm the phenomenon?
- How should you interpret reduced employee engagement?
- How to react to signs of quiet quitting?
What is quiet quitting and how does it relate to resignation?
Quiet quitting is an English term related to the labour market, most often translated as 'silent quitting'. However, it doesn't mean completely abandoning the company, but rather disengaging from all extracurricular professional activities that go beyond the minimum commitment required to keep one's job. The employee's goal is no longer to show initiative, stay after hours, or engage in company life. They want to perform their assigned tasks for 8 hours and not a minute longer, refusing overtime or other forms of additional activities for the employer.
Journalistic comments on this phenomenon focus on two aspects. On the one hand, they highlight the psychological basis of quiet quitting, portraying it as a radical reaction to the stress generated by difficulties in maintaining a work-life balance. In this view, it becomes a remedy for unwanted overtime and excessive demands from employers. On the other hand, quiet quitting is presented as a kind of professional suicide, leading not only to a decline in productivity but also to the demise of opportunities for a satisfying career development.
Many people blame the increasingly strong position of Gen Z in the labour market for quiet quitting. Interestingly, the term owes its popularity to TikTok, a social media platform particularly popular among the 18-25 age group. It was there that the trend of emphasising emotional independence from work and a distance from the 'rat race' was said to have originated. This genesis naturally triggered accusations of 'entitlement' and a lack of respect for work, directed for decades at successive generations entering the labour market. But where does the truth lie?
Quiet quitting – statistics and context
The debates about quiet quitting are based on a report prepared by the American Gallup Institute, drawing on surveys conducted among over 15,000 adult employees in the US in June 2022. It revealed that the percentage of 'actively disengaged' individuals (those whose lack of engagement translates into concrete actions) increased from 13% in 2019 to 18%, with a simultaneous drop in engaged employees from 35% to 32%. The last time such a sharp jump occurred was in 2007, when the greatest financial crisis of the 21st century was truly gaining momentum.
What does this look like in Europe? The same percentage of 'actively disengaged' employees as in the United States was already recorded on the Old Continent in 2019. This year's Gallup report, 'State of the Global Workplace 2022', does not provide data for this specific area, but the percentage of engaged employees might be significant in this context. In Europe, it has never been particularly high, standing at just 14% this year, compared to a global average of 21%.
It is worth noting that journalistic discussions about quiet quitting are a continuation of conversations about the phenomenon known as the Great Resignation. The Great Resignation was a widely reported phenomenon during the pandemic of mass resignations in the United States, linked to COVID-19. The percentage of employees opting for such a step in the second half of 2021 reached a record high of 3% in that country. According to labour market analysts, in the context of Europe and Poland, it was more accurate to speak of a great churn. The reason for this was supposedly a pandemic-induced reflection on one's place in professional and personal life, and especially the intertwining of these two important areas for every individual.
Desire for work-life balance doesn't have to mean less engagement
Regardless of how the causes of quiet quitting are perceived, it's worth bearing in mind that the desire to maintain a balance between professional and private life does not necessarily mean less engagement at work. Norwegians, for example, within their traditional working model, are entitled to four weeks of holiday per year. Contrary to expectations, a very high level of employee engagement in their duties can be observed here. This stems from an efficient organisational system and trust in employee competencies.
Therefore, an employee who reacts negatively to overtime doesn't have to be lazy or an infamous representative of generations who want to earn money without engaging in work. A rich and satisfying private life translates into greater motivation to act, and consequently, better results. It's important to remember this when constructing your business development strategy. It must include room for an HR policy that doesn't require employees to give up their life for work!
Therefore, quiet quitting can be seen as a signal that the company should start a discussion about a work model that allows employees to achieve work-life balance while maintaining their engagement. The answer doesn't have to be radical proposals like shortening the work week by a day or sending employees on several months of holidays to warm countries!
Noticing worrying signs of quiet quitting? It's time for changes in your company!
If quiet quitting is a new phenomenon for you, and your company has never conducted surveys regarding employee motivation and engagement, it's worth changing that. Only through continuous monitoring of the situation can one spot the first signs of problems and react in time, before quiet quitting turns into a larger crisis. The first step, therefore, is regular 'pulse check' surveys, which will help build a realistic picture of employees' attitudes towards their duties.
Ideally, employee engagement is at a high level. If this is indeed the case, it's worth following the path set by the existing HR policy, while simultaneously looking for ways to improve unsatisfactory elements. Stagnation in this area is particularly dangerous when there is a generational change in the company. Each subsequent generation faces new challenges that HR specialists must necessarily take into account.
Organisations where quiet quitting has already become widespread, and employees are massively expressing their dissatisfaction through a radical reduction in engagement, face a greater problem. Threats and penalties can only escalate the situation, so a radical change in approach is needed. This will require a thorough investigation of the causes and the establishment of a new HR strategy that will lead to increased employee identification with the company's business objectives.
See HR applications or test our system for free!