Despite the new hashtag, #quietquitting is not a new phenomenon. A #quietquitter is an employee who refuses to go “above and beyond” when they see no benefits of more pay, more respect, or more recognition from the added workload. They are simply doing the job they’ve been hired to do but are not accepting more on their plate without an exchange of a title change and/or more money.
This sounds a lot like the “disengaged employees” we’ve been talking about for years. Why now the sudden buzz among executives? Because the term “disengaged employees” places the fault with the company…. “#quietquitting”, however, shifts that fault to the employee. “Lazy people” can now again be blamed for why companies can’t reach their unsustainable goals and metrics. Failing to go “above and beyond” has now become “lazy.” But let’s remember that it’s not wrong for today’s generation to not value and prioritize financial success as previous generations have.
Think about it, it’s fine for most of our workers to simply show up and do their job. That’s what we really want, isn’t it? Somewhere along the line, going “the extra mile” became what we expected EVERY employee to do – “Stay late ’til the job gets done.” “Do more with less.” Or “40+” hours listed on the job description.
This #quietquitting hype is only highlighting what we’ve been telling companies for years. Most organizations have pushed their staff to work too many hours with too much on their plates and it’s time the pendulum swung back to a manageable, sustainable level. For companies who have pushed their people too far without recalibrating in recent years, they will be hard-pressed to reset their corporate metrics and expectations to what the workforce is now demanding. But it can, and needs to, be done.
Reach out to us for help! We are happy to talk through some options, planning, obstacles, etc. for your organization and leadership team if you need to keep the people you can’t afford to lose!
