While large companies like Ford and Peloton announce layoffs, the ability to attract great talent remains a priority for many of our members. And retaining our teams is an even bigger concern.
Throughout all this workplace turmoil, a phenomenon called “quiet quitting” is occurring. This is not a new concept, but up until recently it wasn’t prevalent enough to warrant a specific definition. When employees quiet quit, they still come to work as usual but secretly stop putting in any extra effort or going above and beyond. While quiet quitting may not run rampant in smaller teams like most of our EFBC members – there is often no place to hide in our companies! – here are some tips to keep your teams happy and motivated.
MAKE CONNECTING A PRIORITY
It might be as simple as sharing a cup of coffee or creating a “kudos” channel in your company Slack or Teams account. Or maybe it is a more formal employee engagement survey. Quiet quitting often occurs when employees feel like their manager doesn’t care about them or is too busy with other responsibilities to notice their effort. Simply pausing to re-connect can go a long way.
GET FEEDBACK
While you are making those connections, remember to ask for feedback. With all the changes our companies have been through, some frustrations may have seeped in that are unintended consequences of those moves. Remind your team that if they are finding something daunting or inhibitive, others likely are as well. Their feedback can help the entire team.
SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS (SAKS) CREATE BIG IMPACT
We know one EFBC member who is a rockstar at this! Beginning during COVID, she created care packages for her team members to remind them how valued they are to her and the company. The benefit of our small teams is that we often know what each specific team member will appreciate, perhaps a public compliment or a few hours off to recharge after a really tough week. SAKs may just be what your team values most to stay motivated and loyal – which is a big win for everyone!
Up to the challenge
You may think quiet quitting only happens in toxic workplaces. However, employees can get frustrated and demotivated in even the best organizations, especially when they are not challenged. Boredom and burnout are real even for the best employees! This is where smaller companies can struggle as we often don’t have set career paths for our team members. If you sense a valued team member is losing their edge, offer them the option to work on projects that are outside of their normal job requirements. Or encourage them to find continuing education in a subject that expands their knowledge and challenges their skills.
Quiet quitting certainly isn’t new, but it is a trend that is worth noting as the aftermath of COVID continues to put added stress on all our teams. Preventing quiet quitting is yet another area where EI skills and empathy will serve you well!