We’ve seen an explosion in new terminology being circulated to explain peoples’ changing working habits. From the Great Resignation to the Grey Resignation, quiet quitting to career cushioning, HR teams are grappling with a suite of behavioural changes which all have the power to cause significant upheaval.

Quiet quitting – otherwise known as working to rule – is back ‘en vogue’. As reports grow of employees deciding to work contracted hours and tasks only, HR leaders face a dual challenge: how to re-engage the workforce and simultaneously protect the business from the impact of quiet quitting.

With a new year on the close horizon, it’s likely that HR teams will be turning their attentions to the ways they can arrest challenging behaviours among employees. Mid to late January is typically a hot spot for resignations. This is always disruptive, but when we consider the wider economic climate we’re operating in, a spike in staff turnover could be even more unsettling.

What is happening on the ground?
Quiet quitting is just one example of a shift in behaviours among employees. For various reasons – including the pandemic, the entry of Gen X into the workforce, and the wider socio-economic climate – people are becoming more discerning about the place where they work and the tasks that they do.

HR leaders all over the world are reporting a changing dynamic in staff at every level. Job satisfaction is a key driver of perceived career success; it’s more about having an impact and feeling good about the work being done than simply taking home a pay slip at the end of each month.

As recession takes hold, this may well change again, as finances bite and people seek out better compensation packages and rewards strategies to meet their mounting costs.

In the case of quiet quitting specifically, employees engaging in this type of action are generally disengaged and feel undervalued.

Is quiet quitting ever good?
Working to rule could be seen as healthy in many respects. Work-related health and wellbeing issues that came to the fore during the pandemic highlighted the need for leaders to take greater care of their people. Leaders were advised to model healthy working behaviours, even when everyone was working from home during lockdown, by not working overtime or sending emails/scheduling calls outside of contracted hours. In many ways, the pandemic gave employer/employee relations the shake-up that was needed in order to devise and establish healthier, more open sustainable working practices.

A burned-out, exhausted and resentful workforce is no good for employers, just as it is no good for the individuals themselves. And let’s not forget that managers and leaders are people too, just as susceptible to feeling overworked and under-valued.

But hybrid or remote working is not the silver bullet solution to a better work/life balance: managers, in particular, can struggle as they find themselves caught between their teams and senior leaders. A recent BBC Worklife report indicated that hybrid working has doubled the pressure on managers and is ‘making them miserable’.

This makes it vital for HR teams to have a proper understanding of what’s going on at every level of their workforce, and to take steps to ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a fulfilling, balanced career.

Where does quiet quitting stem from?
At its most basic level, quiet quitting stems from dissatisfaction. When employees aren’t happy at work, they rarely excel. It’s all too easy to lay the blame for the quiet quitting phenomenon at the feet of employees, accusing them of being too precious, selfish and disruptive to the overall harmony and productivity of the workplace.

But business leaders need also to look at themselves, their leadership skills and their company culture to try to identify the reasons why some people are disengaging themselves from the workforce. Are people trying to establish healthy boundaries between work and home life? By deciding to do the bare minimum, they feel more empowered and in control.

There are plenty of causes for dissatisfaction at work. What’s important is that leadership teams are prepared to take an honest view of what is happening within their organisation, and that they have the courage and oversight needed to correct any issues.

What impact does it have?
Feeling disengaged and undervalued creates a vicious circle, leading to increasing dissatisfaction and unhappiness. People spend a large portion of their lives at work and should find it a fulfilling and rewarding experience – there is little good to be created from intentionally being unhappy.

Disengaged individuals risk seeing opportunities and promotions awarded to other, more productive colleagues, which can have a lasting impact on their careers and future lifestyle.

Employers are finding the phenomenon a challenge too. When people refuse to cover for absent colleagues, pick up tasks temporarily after a team member has quit, or stay late to finish an important project, this perceived difficult and uncooperative behaviour can impact the viability of a business. The negative impact on productivity can spiral ever-smaller, resulting in a potentially catastrophic situation.

Engagement strategies can reverse the trend
Lack of engagement is at the heart of the problem. Now is the time for leaders to look at their employee engagement strategies. Things to consider are:

• Clear, regular and open communication
• Accurate performance management
• Transparent system of feedback and reward
• Potential for opportunities and promotions
• Other elements of EVP such as broader employee benefits
• Overall company culture – transparent, authentic, shared values, sense of team and shared purpose.

Digital solutions that work
Digital performance management tools can help with many of these.

They provide a means for clear, regular communication between employees and managers.

Continuous performance management can tackle quiet quitting at its roots, before it gets chance to take hold. It provides an early warning signal to managers that an employee is unhappy and offers opportunity to address the root cause quickly.

Continuous and accurate measures of individuals’ achievements allows for early recognition of efforts – including promotions, bonuses, companywide call outs and pay rises. Using the right performance management tools highlights the commitment to people, to supporting them and celebrating their achievements, recognising their worth. It makes a business attractive to new recruits as well as building loyalty and engagement with the existing team.

As financial pressure mounts – as it is likely to do this winter – new or enhanced employee benefits should be promptly shared through the integral communication channels, ensuring everyone is kept in the loop.

If employers don’t take the initiative and re-establish connection and engagement now, they risk losing good people. The feelings that cause quiet quitting can lead to actual quitting. Getting on top of this phenomenon now is necessary for retention of the people who once chose to be part of the team. Everyone needs to be part of the process – this is crucial for building a positive and productive culture that ‘speaks’ to all employees.

Re-engaging with them and making them want to give of their best, seeing their jobs as important and having a purpose, is the best way to navigate these uncertain economic times and help ensure future business prosperity for everyone’s benefit.