How to address quiet quitting in the workplace

You’ve all likely heard of “quiet quitting.” It’s a workplace trend that took off on social media in 2022 and quickly caught on. But it’s not something that is new. 

However, now that there’s been more attention than ever drawn to the phenomenon, we can start to identify it before it becomes a problem in our workplace and implement new strategies to address this before it becomes an issue. 

What is “quiet quitting?”

Quiet quitter is used as a term to describe an employee who is just doing what’s necessary to get by and keep that job. becoming a growing trend ​​in the U.S. with a recent Gallup poll saying that quiet quitters make up at least 50% of the U.S. Workforce. 

These are the people who clock in and keep their heads down—they just do the bare minimum of what’s expected of them at work. They just don’t have their hearts in it anymore and it’s costing companies the ability to thrive.

It’s becoming a growing trend ​​in the U.S. with a recent Gallup poll saying that quiet quitters make up at least 50% of the U.S. Workforce. Could that be true? Since it’s quiet, how do we know?

How to spot quiet quitting in your employees

It can be hard to spot the employees who could be quiet quitters. But you can start to identify quiet quitters by paying attention to your employees and taking notice when the quality of work is questionable.. These are people who don’t participate in meetings, don’t attend any in-person events, don’t take initiative, and overall they just appear to be burned out. When you start to notice this in your employees, then it’s time to open up a conversation with them to identify what’s going on.

How to address the issue

It can be easy for employees to get caught up in day-to-day tasks, feeling the pressure from the work they do, and this leads to a place where they feel overwhelmed, exhausted and ultimately apathetic toward the job. But, what’s really going on?

It’s important as a leader that you address these things that can cause employees to become “quiet quitters.” Emphasize their well-being and make sure they are nurturing themselves with things they enjoy outside of work. Be intentional about this. Don’t just say it, implement it in your workplace.  Be aware!

Quiet quitting could be a result of employees not feeling like they have a work-life balance anymore, so one of the best ways to address this problem is to give them the balance they need. You want to foster an environment where employees feel motivated and accomplished by the work.  To do this, you must be actively involved with them.
An important part of your job as a leader is to check in with your employees, see how they are doing and ask them what they need from you to be successful. This is how you can address concerns before it becomes an issue. We’ve created a Retention Toolkit to help you connect with your employees to see what they need from you.