Quiet quitting is a newer term that describes what happens when employees are on the brink of becoming burnt out, or fed up in their job. It can happen that our expectations change over time which makes it tough to stay engaged at work and feel like we have a purpose.
This leads to employees taking a step back at work and caring less about their roles and responsibilities. Three business professionals share their insight below on signs to look for in your employees that they might be quietly quitting, and how you might be able to help.
1. They withdraw from conversations
Many employees who are “quiet quitting” will be less engaged in conversations at work, and not be as enthused to talk about personal life or even work related affairs. If they no longer find passion at work, and don’t have work friends, it makes it tough to stay interested in the conversations being had around the office.
Sean Chaudhary, CEO of Alchemy Leads goes on to say, If you notice an employee isn’t as interested in conversing and is more quiet than normal, ask what might be the problem. Try to come up with a solution together to help them feel more like part of the team, and offer assistance where needed to make work more enjoyable again.
2. They are often exhausted
People who are “quietly quitting” tend to be tired more often. Sometimes this can happen before an employee becomes burnt out, which means they are experiencing an extreme exhaustion. When you have no motivation, it’s also tough to get yourself out of that slump.
You can help your team members by adding some excitement around the office like office parties, and mini games throughout the day. You can also offer them help with work tasks. Sometimes breaking up the work makes it less daunting, and can help an employee to catch up if they are feeling overwhelmed and tired.
3. Employees isolate themselves
Jim Sullivan, the CEO and founder of JCSI says, those who withdraw from their work will most definitely withdraw from those around them. Someone who is actively “quiet quitting” will isolate themselves on purpose so they blend in instead of stand out. They don’t want to be asked to do more work or participate in extra projects.
This can be lonely for an employee and make it even more difficult to get up and get to work each day. It’s important as a leader to engage with each employee everyday, and to encourage a collaborative environment. Get rid of desks that may isolate colleagues, and pair people up as often as possible.
4. The workload of other employees increases
Because those who are “quiet quitting” are doing the bare minimum at work, it can happen that projects become delayed, or extra work gets piled up that other employees have to work on. This means an increased workload which causes stress to build up.
If you notice some employees are not helping to carry the workload, you might want to relook at what projects you have on the go. It can help to delegate as well as group people together to ensure everyone is taking on the same amount of work, suggests Isabela Calil from TEG London.
5. There is disinterest in extra projects
Ali Sapra, Founder of The Elite Post mentioned that those who are not interested in doing more than they need to will not take on extra projects even if it means learning something new, or participating in a once in a lifetime experience. They are simply disinterested in anything outside their role, which means they could be missing out on a great opportunity.
If this happens, encourage them to join because of the benefits it will have. It also helps to postpone other work projects in order for employees to be able to focus on the better, more interesting work tasks. Once they participate, they may become more engaged and interested in the work they are doing.
