“Quiet quitting.” As a people leader, do these words make you shiver?
You’ve heard the term. But have you done anything internally to make sure your employees don’t feel the same way?
It’s okay to be a bit scared of the quiet quitting movement. And frankly, confused too. The question is, how do you and your company respond?
Collabo XD helps organizations respond to disruptions at work and in culture. We know a thing or two about improving the employee experience.
First of all, what is “quiet quitting”?
It all started with a TikTok.
@zaidleppelin On quiet quitting #workreform ♬ original sound - ruby
The world was introduced to quiet quitting in July when a group of young Americans stopped going above and beyond at work and started doing the bare minimum that their job required.
The reason? They felt cheated and exploited. And had given up on the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life.
You can agree or disagree with their feelings. But what you can’t do is ignore them.
So how should you respond as the HR superstar you are?
1. Journey mapping – Understand why employees resonate with quiet quitting
Young workers are unsubscribing to the notion that work is a core source of joy in life.
The quiet quitting movement falls in line with the rise of work-life integration, instead of work-life balance.
Do your employees feel this way too? Of course, you can run a survey and collect quantitative data on the employee experience. But nothing compares to genuine conversation with your people.
- How do they feel?
- Do they resonate with quiet quitting? Why?
- What makes them disengage from their work?
Then you’ll start to understand how your talent feels about their work and your organization’s role in their lives.
Then glance at their journey from the hiring process to exit interview.
- Where do things go awry?
- Where are the gaps in your understanding of their experience?
- Where can you reconnect with your employees and improve your relationship?
You’ve found the holes. Time to plug them.
2. Reconnection – Engage your employees in their work & your company’s success
You shouldn’t have to feel like you’re forcing a round peg in a square hole.
Some employees just aren’t meant to work with you. And that’s okay.
But there are so many people who love working with you and enjoy the work. It is a source of joy for them. It’s critical you make their work experience the best it can be.
This is how you engage your employees in their daily work and your success as an organization:
- Define your mission — Do your employees know if they align with your goals? When you communicate your vision for the future, you’ll know. And it’s okay if some don’t. You’re not meant to please everyone at all times. Your job is to hire and motivate those who do care.
- Offer rewards & recognition — Incentivize great work. Employees work harder when their output is tied to compensation, promotion or an internal motivator like pride. Celebrate their accomplishments publicly and they’ll appreciate your gesture.
- Ask for feedback — Create open communication lines between your company leaders and employees. You can listen all you want to your employees (most companies do). But what sets you apart is action. Accept feedback as a conversation and continually improve the employee experience.
Congrats. With these mindset shifts, you’ll survive the quiet quitting revolution. While other companies (and your competitors) struggle to engage their employees in their mission, you won’t.
Instead, you’ll create an employee experience worthy of awards. Go you!
Need help creating feedback loops with your employees? Or improving upon their experience at your organization?
Collabo XD can support you! Contact us.