Quiet quitting has nothing to do with quitting and everything to do with workers retreating from their current jobs. Quiet quitting is a stealth retreat from the "work hard" culture that dominated the pre-pandemic era of giving up everything in pursuit of ambition.
Quiet quitting is the new term for working to accomplish the tasks needed during work hours. It seems that employees are feeling the extras they do, and the extra time is not offering the same upward mobility that it used to. TLR Search has also heard from some folks that they are not valued for their expertise, and leadership wants it done their way with no input from the individual contributors on the team. So, rather than pushing a bolder uphill, they are doing what is required and no more.
Before you make any judgements, it's important to understand why workers (particularly Gen Z and Millennials) are doing this.
Quiet quitting means more time for workers to spend with family, friends, and personal pursuits at a time where burnout is at all time personal high. The trend has spurred from the feeling of people being overworked by the long, unpaid, hours expected out of jobs that cut into the time that people feel are for their personal freedom.
Studies have found that work-life balance is linked to mental health in a variety of jobs. And a 2021 survey of 2,017 workers by employer review website Glassdoor found that over half felt they had poor work-life balance. Quiet quitting aims to restore balance where work has crept into your personal time.
It's not all bad though, research has found that when employees are able to harness their personal pursuits outside of work, they are more likely to show up to work feeling happier and more engaged. Freeing up mental productivity time because their mind is not focused elsewhere.
Quiet quitting could be a “great liberation” in response to the great resignation. People are rejecting overwork and burnout and choosing balance and joy. They are establishing boundaries so their identity and self-value is not tied to their work productivity.
Obviously, companies don't want employees to show up to work not giving their best, but the takeaway from this trend is to encourage your employees to take personal time, take vacations, and focus on their mental health so that they can show up to work at their best.