“Quiet Quitting” has been trending on TikTok and subsequently been making headlines. Is it a real thing which needs to be addressed or is it just a fuss over nothing?
The term itself may be new to many of us, but it represents something which has been around for a long time – and it has nothing to do with actually quitting a job!
Put quite simply, quiet quitting is a whimsical term for “disengagement”.
It means that an employee is going through the motions and doing the minimum expected of their job, without going above and beyond.
There has been speculation that the pandemic is to blame; that it has led employees to re-evaluate priorities. While a shift in work-life balance has indeed taken place for many, it is absolutely not the reason that people are mentally checking out from work! No, disengagement has always been an issue and it all comes down to one key element…
Company culture.
If you have a thriving company culture, with clear and inspiring leadership and a genuine care for wellbeing, people will want to do their best for their employer.
Quiet quitting is nothing new. If it’s happening to you or your colleagues, then it’s time for the employer to take a serious look at why this is the case and how it could be fixed. This starts with listening to employees and taking meaningful steps to address any fractures in the company's culture.