Are your staff quiet quitting? Here’s how to tell, and what you should do

If your staff are prone to mood changes, putting up their hands for less projects, vocally frustrated, noticeably withdrawn, or taking more sick leave, they could be quiet quitting.

It’s an antidotal movement gaining traction in workplaces as hoards of employees experience burnout — whether it be from filling the gaps of the labour shortages, pandemic exhaustion, dissatisfaction with the work, or from feeling as if they have stalled in their career with no progression in sight.

“You’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond,” TikTokker @zkchillin explained.

“You’re still performing your duties, but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life — the reality is, it’s not.”

So what should leaders watch out for, and what can they do when they spot the signs of a quiet quitter? Two experts weigh in.

Why are Australians quiet quitting their jobs?

Just look at the modern workplace, Employment Hero people and culture manager Lauren Berry says. Technology has made work easier, but it has also seen work encroach into our personal lives.

Then the pandemic hit, and working-from-home mandates saw the crossover between an employee’s work and personal lives became a full combination.

“This idea of quiet quitting could be considered a subset of the Great Resignation as this concept speaks to that ongoing trend that has come out of COVID,” Berry said.

“Individuals are re-evaluating their priorities and their work is front and centre of that re-evaluation for the first time in many years.”

Could leaders be contributing to quiet quitting?

When pondering the concept of quiet quitting, leaders should ask themselves one thing: Have I taken the time to get to know my team?

“It’s important for managers to really know their people so that any change in behaviour is easily picked up,” Third Space People founder and leadership coach Hareta McMullin said.

“These changes in behaviour are clues for managers to uncover the real issues their people are facing.”

If a business is seeing an increasing number of resignations, it’s a telltale sign that something is not quite right, she continues.

“The societal shifts we’re seeing with the Great Resignation/Reshuffle are indicators that employers need to have a good, hard look at their employee experience and how that is impacting their culture, and in turn their business performance.”

After all, Berry adds, “If you have a rise in turnover, there is only one common denominator!”

What can leaders do to better support staff?

If they detect a change in an employee that doesn’t right itself after a prolonged period of time  — after all, a dip in performance may just be the temporary result of a tricky roommate or a squabble with a partner — it’s time to have a chat.

“Have a curious, open conversation that you approach with good intentions,” McMullin advised.

“Once you understand the challenges an employee is facing, you can work together to intentionally design their work.”

Designing a staff member’s work to fit their needs has never been more important as Australia experiences a record labour and skills shortage in the post-pandemic era.

“Many things have changed, and there is a greater desire for flexibility, putting more boundaries between work and life, and shifting the mindset from living to work to working to live,” Berry added.

“Putting boundaries around work in place is essential to help prevent burnout in our people.”

That can look like enforcing a strict finish time for staff, rolling out policy that bans after-hours emails, and insisting staff take their lunch breaks in full.

Will this mean the quality of work will decline?

Quite the opposite, Berry continues.

“We know that our people are more productive when they are well rested and have the opportunity to take a break and recharge doing the things they love — so having conversations about how we work and how our people work, where we can promote that work-life balance helps productivity,” she said.

Plus, McMullin adds, creating an environment where all staff feel comfortable, supported and able to work within their means is an important step forward for the labour market which has, for several decades, championed “hustle culture”.

“The power dynamic between employer and employee has been out of balance for so long,” she said.

“After the realities of the past few years, the labour market is course correcting and coming back into alignment.

“Employees have realised that giving all of yourself to your job is no longer acceptable.”