Quiet Quitting Also Known as Silent Quitting, The Truth Behind It

That's it! You can't take it anymore, you're done! However, you can't possibly imagine just walking out the door or quitting on spot! So, you must come up with a strategy to end your employment with your current employer. What do you do? How do you go about ending that relationship?

Long gone are the days of the past, where people commit their entire working career at one employer. Also, in 2024, giving your all and working effortlessly, after you've made up your decision to leave a job, is done. Silent quitting also know as quiet quitting is a new solution and a softer approach that can be taken, rather than just instantaneously quitting.

Similar to the term resignation because, at the root of it all, many of the same factors are the reason behind 'quiet quitting". Those who partake in this approach, known as quiet quitters, they refrain from doing any duties that go above and beyond their assigned duty and responsibilities. For example, staying past the regular schedule by working late, or showing up early and/or those pop-up meetings or meetings that are non-mandatory. One misconception is that employees just completely stop working and that isn't true, they are disengaged from their core task, they are however, refusing to go above the call of duty.

According to research, in 2022, at least half of the U.S workforce is quiet quitting. The U.S employee engagement is declining and it's related to the clarity of expectations, opportunities to learn and grow, feeling cared about and a connection to the organization's mission or purpose. It is a sure sign of the employer-employee relationship and the growing disconnect between the two.

If you are a business owner or a manager, here are some ways that you can possibly change the outcome of your employees. Quiet quitting is a symptom of poor management.

- Address manager's disengagement to their employees.Senior management/ leadership must reskill managers to effectively manage in this hybrid environment.

- Have conversations to help employees reduce burnout.

- Managers should create accountability for individual performance, along with the traditional team collaboration, etc. Employees want to see their efforts contributing in a way that is visible.

Bottom line is that quiet quitting is a symptom of poor management. The saying, "People don't quit jobs, they quit bad managers", resonates at a high level with many quiet quitters. Made known to the world through social media, no matter how you may feel or view "quiet quitting", it has drawn attention to work-related issues and concerns. Certainly, American employers need to take a realistic approach and understand that American workers have new requirements in what they want in a working environment and what they don't want.