Quiet quitting is trending, and as a leader in a small to medium enterprise (SME), you should be concerned. Why? Because this trend could truly be alive within your teams.
Burnout is a very real and debilitating phenomenon that your employees could be experiencing, and it’s important that you take this seriously if you want your staff to thrive and do their best work. Disengaged employees can be damaging to your wider team and in your small business, where the impact can be felt further and quicker.
So, what is quiet quitting, and what can you do about it? Keep reading to find out.
What is quiet quitting?
Quiet quitting is not when an employee resigns and keeps quiet about it. Instead, it’s when an employee completely disengages from the company and does only the bare minimum to keep their job.
They have not resigned, but mentally they have checked out. This does not mean that they are lazy or slacking. Quite the contrary is true – quiet quitting is usually a sign of a much larger problem.
It could be that they are completely burnt out and don’t realise it, they may be re-evaluating their priorities, or they could be focusing their energy elsewhere because their work simply isn’t important to them anymore.
Why is quiet quitting trending?
The practice of quiet quitting is nothing new, however, it is certainly centre stage right now.
One reason this may be the case is that the Great Resignation has led to an increased workload for many employees.
Another factor is that the cost of living crisis in the UK means employees could be facing financial woes and may be more focused on this than on doing their job.
Remote working can also cause people to quiet quit. They may disconnect from their colleagues and their purpose at work by working from home.
What are the signs of quiet quitting?
Now that you know what quiet quitting is, you might be wondering how you can spot it within your own team.
A disengaged employee may:
- Start contributing less to meetings or simply not showing up to virtual calls that are not compulsory.
- Appear mentally checked out.
- Perform on a far lower level than they have in the past.
- Isolate themselves from other team members.
- Withdraw from any non-essential conversations, activities, or tasks.
- Seem far less enthusiastic than they were in the past.
- Result in other teammates complaining that they have to pick up the slack for a disengaged employee.
How SMEs can address quiet quitting
There are several steps that you can take to avoid having anyone on your team quiet quit or mentally check out for good.
Provide regular feedback and one-to-ones
Feedback has the power to keep productivity and spirits high. If employees know where they’re performing well and where they could be doing better, they’re likely to be more engaged in their work.
If a staff member does not receive regular feedback from their leadership, they may start to feel like the company does not care about them, which may lead them to quietly quit.
Spending time giving staff feedback is an investment in their progress and performance. For this reason, our advice is to schedule regular one-to-one feedback sessions in your diary to engage with your team.
Be mindful of their workload
If someone on your team feels completely overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do, they might disengage.
Unrealistic deadlines or an unending to-do list can lead to burnout which can affect productivity and result in costly errors.
Prioritise your team’s wellbeing
The health of your employees should be a priority for you. Without mentally and physically healthy staff, your business won’t see much success.
It’s important that your team feels supported by you and that you provide them with resources, such as an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), if they are struggling.
Focus on culture
A positive company culture can uplift employees even on their hardest days. A culture that prioritises staff wellbeing and satisfaction improves collaboration, boosts morale, increases productivity, and bolsters employee retention. Additionally, a strong culture can help employees feel supported when they’re burnt out or struggling.
Quiet quitting shouldn’t be an arbitrary concept that you read about online – you should consider it as a very real possibility within your SME. To keep your staff from mentally checking out, be sure to hold regular one-to-one sessions with them, keep their workload top of mind, and work on creating a culture that prioritises health and wellbeing.
If you need assistance in any of these areas or are looking to improve your management skills to avoid quiet quitting within your business, contact us to see how we can help.