QUIET QUITTING — REVERSE IT NOW!
The past few years have forever changed the way employees view and approach work.
However, one thing still holds true: Businesses that want to attract and retain the talent they need to move forward must understand the top priorities of their employees.
They must embrace new, flexible work models; cultivate workers who can design their own careers; and care about employee well-being.
By doing so, they will not only boost the motivation and engagement of their existing workers but will also capture the attention of the brightest new recruits, who will help grow their business to new heights.
As management guru Tom Peters tweeted recently, “Being a leader is the pinnacle of human achievement. Your #1 task is helping employees to grow, develop, and contribute to their colleagues and communities. Your accomplishments will be measured by those who went on to be wildly successful in large measure because of the time they spend with you.”
QUIET QUITTING IS A DANGEROUS TREND
Quiet quitting is the opposite of what any company wants. It describes a phenomenon in which employees feel disconnected from their company and from their work. They do the minimum but do not go above and beyond. They have reduced productivity, lack of drive and motivation, and less emotional investment in work.
Quiet quitting has replaced the massive resignations seen in the recent past, as the economy has slowed down and the economic future is more uncertain. While the term may be new, the behavior is not. Organizations will continue to lose talent if they do not prioritize employee engagement, fail to understand their employees’ needs, and do not encourage and provide benefits for a healthy work-life balance.
EMPLOYEES DESIRE CAREER DEVELOPMENT
The first step to address quiet quitting is to directly uncover the factors that fuel employee disengagement. Studies show that 56% of employees remain disengaged. Leaders need to inspire employees to be their best, take time to understand employee priorities, and create a culture that reflects those concerns.
McKinsey’s research finds that career development and advancement are top-rated elements of great employee experiences. By offering learning opportunities such as training and development, upskilling, reskilling, certificates, degrees, etc., companies demonstrate to employees that the company cares about their future and is willing to invest in them. Opportunities for growth and advancement have become almost mandatory for GenZs and many Millennials.
No one knows for certain what the future will bring. However, we do know that it will be significantly different from the present. The best strategy for employees and companies is to keep their employees’ skills sharp and current and make employee growth the heart of your organization’s culture.
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REMOTE WORK ISN’T GOING AWAY
A client asked me recently, “Do you think remote work is here to stay?” I responded with an unequivocal yes. It may become more or less desirable in the future, but it will always be an option.
Why? Pre-Covid, most employees had no idea that there might be a way to work that did not involve being physically present in an office. When Covid arrived, and while most people found it initially challenging, as time passed, they gained an appreciation for its many advantages: no commuting and its associated expenses, more free time, more flexibility, more productivity, and more time with family (and pets!).
Overall, employees value autonomy over their work, and that involves where and when it occurs. They may not have 100% autonomy, but the more you can offer, the more engaged, emotionally invested, and productive they will become.
MENTAL HEALTH REMAINS A CONCERN
Consider the example of HubSpot, which decided to offer mental health benefits to its employees, something that fewer than 10% of companies nationwide make available. Less than two years later, more than half of them had elected to work with a coach or therapist!
Furthermore, the company launched “psychological safety training” for its managers to better support their employees. Says Senior Director of Culture, Eimear Marrinan, employees need to see their leaders talk about mental health, see them vulnerable, and acknowledge they are struggling.
HubSpot wanted to normalize and destigmatize mental health and make sure employees felt psychologically safe to talk about mental health in the workplace. They started by having both their CEO and Chief People Officer share about their own mental health struggles and how the training had helped. Over the next 18 months, the company saw a 50% reduction in burnout.
As a recent Fortune article emphasized, if talent remains the #1 issue on CEOs’ minds, the need for mental health resiliency will not be far behind.
QUIET QUITTING MUST BE ADDRESSED
It is time for all companies to proactively address the underlying causes of Quiet Quitting. If not, they will learn the more painful and expensive way. With the eventual exodus of employees, companies will be forced to keep replacing them until the companies adjust their priorities and place their employees’ growth and well-being at the heart of their business.
The Chief Medical Officer of Salesforce, Geeta Nayyar, summed it up this way: “Employee wellness is really about the future. What does health and safety need to look like around mental health, and frankly productivity, and employee retention, and acquisition?”
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A former tax attorney at Arthur Andersen, Lynn Thomas brings the same rigor to her work now as an employee and client retention consultant. With more than 30 years’ experience, she uncovers why clients/employees come, stay, leave, refer, and cross-buy. Her unique, fully customized approach includes measurable and actionable steps toward cultivating a powerful, profitable, and relationship-centric company. Learn more about Lynn and Thomas Consulting, here.
*** Retired *** Director of EPMO | Servant Leader | Strategic Project Management | PMO Design | Process Optimization | Strategic Planning | Business Process Improvement | Coaching & Mentoring
1yI think ‘Quiet Firing’ is more newsworthy lately 😄