Much ado about quiet quitting, loud quitting and quiet hiring!

Just when we thought we’d got to grips with ‘hybrid working’ and ‘The Great Resignation’, we’re suddenly having to deal with a flood of new buzz phrases in the workplace. ‘Quiet quitting’. ‘Loud quitting’. ‘Quiet hiring’. ‘Resenteeism’.

What do they all mean? And why should we care? The fact is that the terms might be new but disengaged employees have always posed an existential challenge to businesses.

Quiet quitting is the most subtle. Here, unmotivated employees come to work and do the bare minimum to get by without actually getting fired. They still appear in the office, or on video calls. They’re still drawing a salary. But they may as well not be there.

With loud quitting, people make no secret of the fact that they’re underpaid and underappreciated – a time-honored, if somewhat risky, way of asking for a raise or a promotion. Resenteeism basically means your people aren’t only quiet quitting, but they’re being sullen and sulky about it as well.

Why does this matter? Gallup estimates that disengaged employees cost the world $7.8 trillion in lost productivity every year. That’s around 11% of global GDP. Not to mention the impact on your bottom line. And here’s a terrifying stat: only one out of every three employees feel fully engaged at work, says Gallup.

Where it began

The coronavirus pandemic was a watershed moment in the way we view work. The stresses of lockdowns and remote working brought all the old frustrations about work to a head. People started rethinking their relationship to work. They started changing their priorities and putting their families and themselves first. They started quitting toxic jobs. Many enjoyed their newfound flexibility so much that they refused to return to the office.

And they can do this because they are in a relative position of power. In the United States, there are around 1.6 jobs for every unemployed person. People know they’ll get a job. So as more businesses demand that their people get back to the office, they’re meeting stern resistance. In Africa, we don’t have the same overabundance of jobs, but people are actively looking for new opportunities if their needs aren’t being met.

Where to from here?

As an employee, I’ve always believed that you should always choose happiness. Know what makes you happy, and what doesn’t. Then choose to stay in the job or leave it. Life is too short and brittle to stay in a job that makes you miserable.

If ‘quiet quitting’ is your way of dealing with burnout, please ask for help. You need time and space to heal, not to hang on by your fingernails.

And if you’re frustrated at work, quiet quitting is not the answer. I loved this article in the Washington Post, which suggests that you try ‘quiet thriving’: where you take specific actions and making mental shifts that help you to feel more engaged on the job.

As an employer, I see several things you can do to combat the rise of quiet quitting and disengagement.

Know who the quiet quitters are

If two-thirds of my staff are disengaged, I want to be the first to know about it – and be able to do something about it. There are plenty of tools available, like pulse surveys, to gauge the mood. This is critical because I don’t want to cut costs to drive profits. I want to have the right people doing the right things to deliver sustainable growth.

Focus on career pathing and quiet hiring

Quiet hiring is when employers fill talent gaps by leveraging internal talent pools and marketplaces. This offers huge opportunities for career pathing and professional development. Temporary assignments give your people the chance to try out different roles and discover new interests and passions. People often ‘quiet quit’ because they feel they’ve reached a ceiling and giving them new skills and experiences can lead to a totally rejuvenated career. That’s a big win for employer and employee alike.

Make sure your culture is on point

In this day and age, employees want to work for companies that stand for something, have a vision and a purpose, and truly care about their people. But saying all the right things, and actually doing them, are two different things. You have to live your culture every day, starting from the top. You must measure your culture all the time to stay on track. And you’ve got to make sure your people get just as much satisfaction out of your business as your customers do.

I loved this quote from Gallup: ‘When leaders take responsibility for the wellbeing of their workers, the result is not only productive organizations, but thriving individuals, families and communities.’ That’s ultimately why we go to work every day. Let’s make it count.