The Biggest Problem With Quiet Quitting:

And What Leaders Can Do About It…

Quiet quitting is the trendy workplace buzz phrase that has seemingly taken the world by storm over the past weeks. Some think it’s great and encourage more people to do it. Others hate it and call it lazy. Regardless of your view on the quiet quitting phenomenon, what if the biggest problem isn’t that workers are doing it? What if there is a bigger, more ominous problem with quiet quitting than what we see on the surface? 

The truth is there is a bigger problem with quiet quitting, and that’s exactly what we’ll shine a light on in this article. I won’t just show you the problem though, I’ll also give you practical strategies on what to do about it in your business!

Before we get to the real problem with quiet quitting, let’s start by getting on the same page with what it is (and what it isn’t.) Quiet quitting describes an employee who does their job competently, but quietly stops doing extra or going above and beyond their perceived job scope. While some will use the trend to excuse laziness or complete disengagement from the workplace, that’s the exception and not the norm. Moreover, that’s not what quiet quitting is. 

True quiet quitting is coming from younger workers who are burnt out and struggling. Those who feel like they have unknowingly sacrificed their families and personal lives on the altar of the hustle culture and want to take their lives back. They’re the ones who feel like their work/life balance is anything but balanced, and something has to give. They can either quit (like so many have throughout the Great Resignation,) or they can stay with their company and keep doing their jobs while putting up clear boundaries around things they see as outside the scope of their job or after hours.

True quiet quitting is NOT about employees giving less than their best, it’s about giving their best within the boundaries of work before they are too burnt out to give their best at all. It’s not where any of us want to be, but for employers and employees alike it’s where we find ourselves. There’s no question that quiet quitting is a problem. The question is what to do about it.

Of course, the biggest problem with quiet quitting is not that people are doing less at work and ceasing to go above and beyond. The biggest problem with quiet quitting is that so many of our employees feel like it’s their best option. They would rather quiet quit than let their boss know they’re struggling. They are turning to quiet quitting or finding a new job entirely to cope with stress and burnout rather than turning to their supervisors. Why? That’s the biggest problem with this whole phenomenon! We can’t fix it unless we talk about it, yet, few employees feel like they can talk about it.

Here’s the good news though leaders, we CAN do something about it. More importantly, the businesses and leaders who figure out how to navigate this season will be able to weather the storm, increase employee engagement across the board, and get more productivity from their teams than ever! If that sounds like something you want, then here are a few practical strategies to help your business get there.

1) Talk About It.

Perhaps the simplest thing we can do to combat quiet quitting is to talk about it with our employees. It’s never a good leadership move to act like a problem doesn’t exist, so go ahead and face this one head-on. Talk about it openly with your team without blaming. Let them know it’s okay to talk about things like burnout. If they are feeling over-stressed or overwhelmed, let them know their supervisor is there to help them in any way possible. 

Explain that you want to keep good people at your organization and that you recognize that means caring for them and listening. Be intentional here to provide a feeling of physiological safety. People will only come to you for help when they believe it’s safe to do so. And when they come to you, back it up by hearing them and helping them in without retribution or judgment.

2) Clarify and Adjust Job Descriptions Regularly.

When was the last time you updated the job descriptions on your team? If you’re like most leaders, the answer is a long time ago. Throughout my work experience, I’ve  rarely looked at a job description with a supervisor after the first few weeks on a job. It’s even rarer that we sat down to update a job description together. 

Before starting my own business, I had worked at the same organization for over 5 years in two different roles. For the first role, my supervisor and I never reviewed my job description again after I was hired. When I transitioned to my second role with the organization, I asked HR for a job description only to find out there was no job description for it! 

Here’s the point. If you don’t regularly review and update job descriptions with your team members, then you will 100% end up on different pages. The employee will end up with a very different view of what their job is than you do. 

Jobs change regularly, so make sure you update and review job descriptions as they do. I recommend sitting down with each employee to do this at least once per quarter.

3) Ask Your Team Members About It.

This one is simple, yet easily overlooked. Ask your team members about how they are doing. Let them know that you want them to do good work and enjoy their job. You want their best, but you don’t want them to burn out and be stressed to the max. Find out how they are doing and if there is any way you can support them to help them be more effective in their role.

I also recommend asking each employee annually if they feel like they are being compensated fairly for their job. If they say no, find out why. Did they pick up new tasks and responsibilities since the last time you met? Are they doing their job significantly more effectively than before? Or is it just because of inflation and the cost of living? 

Finding out why an employee feels they are being unfairly compensated gives you the insight to address it early. Oftentimes, what it will take to help them feel fairly compensated is much smaller than you would think if you address it early.

If they do feel like they are fairly compensated, thank them and let them know that if that changes to let you know first. This will empower the employee to have an open dialogue with you when things change rather than finding a new job, quiet quitting, or complaining about it to other staff.

4) Help Employees Find Purpose in their Role, Not Just a Paycheck.

According to recent Gallup Poll surveys, employee engagement continues to drop. It’s one of the biggest problems in business today due to the lost productivity and income that comes with disengaged employees. It’s worth noting that one of the factors Gallup uses to measure employee engagement is whether people feel their work has purpose. 

If your employees don’t find purpose in their work beyond the paycheck, they are much more likely to quiet quit or disengage entirely. This is where companies with stellar missions and values get way ahead. 

If you can help your team members find a greater purpose in their work, then you won’t have to worry about them quiet quitting. Going above and beyond will be the natural result of purpose-filled work.  

5) Help Your People With Boundaries.

Instead of waiting until people decide to quiet quit, why not proactively start the discussion with employees about healthy boundaries? Find out where your employees are in their current season of life and encourage them to come up with clear and helpful boundaries that both protect their families and allow them to give their best at work. 

Each employee will be in a different place and that means they will all need unique boundaries. If you can help them create healthy boundaries and respect what they come up with, you will find your employees doing above and beyond for you everywhere else.

 Boundaries are healthy, and in today’s work environment they are a new kind of workplace benefit. Don’t fear your employees having boundaries! Instead, help them create healthy boundaries and leverage healthier employees for greater productivity and results!

Quiet quitting is a problem that is keeping leaders up at night all over the country. However, the bigger problem is that our employees are quiet quitting instead of telling us about the stress, burnout, and feelings of overwhelm that are leading to it. 

It doesn’t have to be that way though! Start using these five strategies today to move from a culture of quiet quitting to highly engaged employees in no time. If you do, quiet quitting doesn’t have to be a problem for your team. It could be the solution you have been looking for.