Quiet quitting isn\u2019t actually about quitting. It\u2019s not really about being quiet, either. So, what\u2019s the real message here? And what does it mean for employers and HR professionals?<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for answers, we\u2019re with you. Time to dig deeper.<\/p>\n
In other words: Why quiet quitting isn\u2019t new<\/h2>\n
The phrase \u201cquiet quitting\u201d entered our collective vocabulary earlier this year when TikTokker, Zaiad Khan, posted a video encouraging employees to stop going the extra mile for their employers. The 17-second video began with the words: \u201cI recently learned about this term called quiet quitting.<\/em>\u201d And, using the hashtag \u2018quietquitting\u2019, within seconds, other TikTok users began sharing their own thoughts and experiences on the subject.<\/p>\n But as Khan indicates, the phrase \u201cquiet quitting\u201d isn\u2019t new.<\/strong> The exact origins are hard to pin down. But it\u2019s said to go back as far back as 2009 when it was used at an economics symposium to describe a general malaise among workers in Venezuela.<\/p>\n There are other derivatives of the term in evidence too. The phrase \u201cwork-to-rule\u201d springs to mind. Spearheaded by Labor Unions, the phrase describes a form of industrial action where workers perform only the duties described in their contract. Tang ping or \u201clying flat\u201d is another example. A lifestyle and social protest movement, tang ping resonated with a generation of workers in China last year, exhausted by the pressures of overwork. Informally too, phrases such as \u201ccoasting,\u201d \u201csetting healthy boundaries,\u201d \u201cputting your foot down,\u201d and \u201cdrawing a line\u201d would have been used by previous generations to describe the sentiment.<\/p>\n The ethos behind the phrase isn\u2019t new either. Representing disengagement, burnout, and a need for self-preservation, the behaviors quiet quitting describes aren\u2019t unique.<\/strong> To a greater or lesser extent, there have always been people who have rebelled against an \u201call or nothing\u201d workplace culture. And there have always been different terms used to describe the sentiment.<\/p>\n The difference is, until now, sentiment hasn\u2019t resonated quite so powerfully with quite so many. So why has the phrase \u201cquiet quitting\u201d created such a buzz?<\/p>\n Admittedly, timing\u2019s got a lot to do with the unprecedented response to the \u201cquiet quitting\u201d movement. (For ease, let\u2019s call it an example of a post-pandemic zeitgeist). But the wording itself has a lot to answer for. Like the Great Resignation<\/a><\/strong> and the Great Regret, \u201cquiet quitting\u201d is a headline writer or industry pundit\u2019s dream. Short, catchy, easy to remember, with alliteration to boot, what\u2019s not to like? For the same reasons, it\u2019s perfect for social networks. Instantly hash-taggable, there\u2019s an element of ambiguity and mystery surrounding the phrase<\/strong> that influencers and other social networkers are drawn to.<\/p>\n The truth of the matter is, though, that the phrase doesn\u2019t work. It\u2019s misleading, inaccurate, sensationalist, and actually quite damaging. Let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n To be clear, quiet quitting isn\u2019t actually about workers quitting at all<\/strong>. Use the phrase quitting in the context of a workplace environment, and the assumption is it\u2019s about someone leaving their job. Not true in this case.<\/p>\n OK. Point taken. But it is about someone \u201cquitting\u201d their responsibilities, right? Wrong. Quitting their responsibilities implies someone slacking off. Again, that\u2019s not what\u2019s happening here.<\/p>\n Er. So it\u2019s about attitude, then? Nope. This isn\u2019t about an employee \u201czoning out\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n However you look at it, the word \u201cquitting\u201d has negative connotations, which all reflect back on the employee. It implies that workers are to blame for a culture of disengagement. That they\u2019re \u201cpunishing\u201d their employer by not giving their best self. Or even that they\u2019re \u201cpunishing\u201d themselves by doing the bare minimum and neglecting their own personal development. The use of the adjective \u201cquiet\u201d also implies it\u2019s something they\u2019re ashamed of doing. Or that they\u2019re afraid to speak out.<\/p>\n In truth, the opposite is actually the case.<\/p>\n The concept behind quiet quitting is actually a positive one.<\/strong> It\u2019s about employees recognizing that there\u2019s a problem, taking control, setting boundaries, prioritizing wellbeing, and challenging unfairness. Oh, and, still continuing to do a good job too.<\/p>\n The responsibility here lies squarely with employers who, it seems, are \u201cquitting\u201d employees. Of the 50% of the US workforce who describe themselves as \u201cquiet quitters” most say they\u2019re only there because of bad management and a poor workplace environment. In fact, in a workplace study, HBR<\/a> found that having a manager who balanced business needs with employee needs reduces the number of \u201cquiet quitters\u201d to almost zero (3%).<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just the phrase \u201cquiet quitting\u201d that\u2019s distorted the message around workplace culture and the relationships between employers and employees. There\u2019s a whole lexicon dedicated to the subject.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take job descriptions and job ads, for example. What does: \u201cWe\u2019re looking for passionate employees\u201d<\/em> even mean? Or the expectation of: \u201cGoing above and beyond”<\/em>?<\/p>\n Are employees expected to be in love with their job?<\/strong> And required to dedicate an unspecified number of hours to making it work? Even if the relationship\u2019s unrequited?<\/p>\n Ironically, these phrases are often followed up with references to \u201cwellbeing\u201d and \u201cwork-life balance<\/a><\/strong>\u201d. Used in this context, the commitment to \u201cwellbeing\u201d appears pretty disingenuous. In fact, rather than demonstrating any meaningful commitment, these high-impact words seem more an exercise in PR than anything else. After all, isn\u2019t work-life balance a given? Is it something that needs to be said out loud? The employer \u201cdoth protest too much, methinks\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n Meet TalentLibrary™ \u2018We\u2019re hiring!\u2019 and \u2018About us\u2019 pages are also full of loaded phrases such as: \u201cJoin our growing family!\u201d<\/em> and \u201cWelcome home!\u201d<\/em>. A clever form of rhetoric, this kind of persuasive language is particularly emotive. It attributes all of the associations (good and bad) and behaviors (conditional and unconditional) that come with being in a family, with being an employee. Which sets the expectation levels and emotional engagement requirements for workers pretty high, no?<\/p>\n Almost passive-aggressive in their approach, expressions like these give the impression that the more dedicated an employee looks, the more professional and valuable they are. And that there are no boundaries to what you should be expected to do.<\/strong> (Who puts limits on their family commitments?). No wonder so many employees have signed up for the quiet quitting revolution.<\/p>\n So, what\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n Build career paths and engage your people The quiet quitting revolution has highlighted two important areas of opportunity for businesses and HR professionals.<\/p>\n The first is the chance to look beyond the buzzword and address the wave of discontent, disengagement, and burnout that\u2019s flooding the workplace. In other words, employees can either see quiet quitting as a threat, and react defensively by letting a misnomer distort the conversation. Or they can see it as a chance to adapt strategically and tackle the issues it raises about workplace culture. Which brings us onto retention.<\/strong><\/p>\n Focusing on retention strategies is always important. But no more so than when faced with this kind of rebellion. What matters here is to develop and promote key engagement drivers<\/a><\/strong> such as: flexible and agile working, professional development, wellness<\/a><\/strong>, company benefits, and employer brand values. And to reinforce trust and facilitate meaningful interactions, particularly with managers. Falling back on a buzzword won\u2019t achieve anything.<\/p>\n The second opportunity is the chance to say it as it is. Using honest, unambiguous language to describe job roles, company culture, and employee expectations, isn\u2019t just tactical. It\u2019s the right thing to do. Yes, you want to appeal to your employees\u2019 emotional side. But using language that exploits those emotions isn\u2019t the way to do it. Actions, as they say, speak louder than words.<\/strong> So show, don\u2019t tell how much you value them.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an employer\u2019s responsibility to see beyond phrases like \u201cquiet quitting,\u201d \u201cquiet firing,\u201d and \u201cquiet hiring.\u201d Sacrificing the truth for a catchy soundbite, they do more harm than good. And in the end, the truth is always more valuable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If your ears are ringing with the phrase \u201cquiet quitting\u201d, you\u2019re not alone. Wherever you look online, from LinkedIn to TikTok, Forbes to BuzzFeed, it\u2019s there, shouting out at you. Loudly. For a concept that advocates the power of silent protest, it\u2019s making a LOT OF NOISE. It may be a buzzword, but quiet quitting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":18587,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[252],"tags":[175,371],"class_list":["post-18573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews-opinions","tag-employee-engagement","tag-employee-incentives"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Nevermind](\"https:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/employee-quiet-quitting.png\")
<\/p>\nYou say \u201cquiet quitting\u201d, I say\u2026<\/h2>\n
Demystifying the workplace rhetoric<\/h2>\n
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\nA time for opportunities<\/h2>\n
Improving culture<\/h3>\n
Improving language<\/h3>\n
Getting off the hamster wheel without really “quitting”<\/h2>\n