Quiet Trends with Loud Social Noise
The world of work had a drastic change since the pandemic. The change in workplace culture has resulted in a new mindset that is currently dominating social media. If you follow career news, the chances are that your feed has been flooded by all sorts of posts discussing the new career trends “Quiet quitting” & “Quiet firing”.
Last year it was the Great Resignation that dominated the economic news. Now, in the second half of 2022, at a time when the rate of productivity is raising some concern in Europe and the US, it’s the “quitting” trend that’s gaining momentum.
It all started after a post by American TikTokker @zaidlepplin saying "work is not your life" went viral. Earlier, also workers in China protested against the long working hours with the now-censored hashtag #tangping, which means "lie flat". With over 17 million views on TikTok #QuietQuitting has made noise worldwide and has spread to Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media.
Millennials and Gen Xers aged 25-45 years are mainly the ones trying self-employment, the 24/7 startup grind, and the so-called “hustle culture” popularized by figures like Gary Vaynerchuk.
Gen Z employees aged 18-24 have grown at the times of rising activism caused by “the climate crisis, the pandemic, racial inequities, me too movement, BLM, the US epidemic of gun violence, and the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine”. They entered the workforce in the face of Covid-19 “with all its dislocating effects”. Flooded with TikTok videos on how to earn extra cash, they largely took up freelancing and side hustles to make up for the lost opportunities due to the loss of frontline jobs during the pandemic. Working from home has blurred the boundaries between their jobs and the rest of their lives. They most value flexibility and meaningful work, and now they have a new solution for workplace burnout: “Quiet quitting”. It could be a backlash to the "hustle culture" and their way of reclaiming energy and power at work. But is “Quiet quitting” even a thing for minorities who experience higher rates of on-the-job burnout? Could it exacerbate inequities in the workplace even more?
While Business owners are worried about the negative effects of these trends on their business, recruiters warn about jumping on these new trends and posting about 'quiet quitting' on social media because it has the potential to damage your career opportunities.
What are the new “Quiet” trends”?
Quiet Quitting
It simply means doing only what your job description demands and nothing more! Forget going above and beyond your pay grade. Quit doing anything extra. No more emails and phone calls after working hours!
Quiet Firing
Soon after “Quiet quitting”, the “Quiet firing” trend started going viral. “Quiet firing” involves employers who create unhealthy work conditions by making work conditions so miserable that employees are forced to quit. It’s a tactic to avoid legal fees or firing someone. Not providing employees opportunities to grow or refusing to give top performers the raise they deserve are some examples that can negatively be affecting work culture and staff performance and have a detrimental effect on an organisation’s success.
Both “quiet” trends are deeply connected and are sparking conversations and debates around work culture and employee well-being, underlining the lack of effective communication in the workplace.
Quiet Quitting & Minorities
While “quiet quitting” could be a solution for some Gen Z workers to deal with their workplace burnout, it is not even an option when it comes to minorities.
Women, people of colour, immigrants, and non-native speakers are even more prone to feeling burnt out, yet can’t afford to “quiet quit.” And they are less likely to disclose their mental health concerns at work.
Women and minorities face more significant challenges when advancing in their careers. Managers underestimate women’s potential more than men’s, making them 14% less likely to be promoted when compared to their male counterparts, according to a 2022 study of retail workers.
Non-native employees and minorities must work twice as hard due to unfair performance reviews and overdue promotions. And were disproportionately affected by job layoffs at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are much more likely to be seen as troublemakers, any time they try to establish healthy boundaries for themselves. Never mind doing the bare minimum at work. That’s why many women and minorities feel “Quiet quitting” could exacerbate these inequities in the workplace. So it’s not just career growth and workplace relationships that could suffer from “quiet quitting” — the risk of being terminated is also something to consider that not everyone can afford.
Are your staff 'quiet quitting?' Look inside!
Recently Zenger and Folkman conducted a research study on
How employees rate their manager's ability to "balance getting results with a concern for others' needs"
How employees rate the degree to which their "work environment is a place where people want to go the extra mile"
Here are their findings:
“Our data indicate that quiet quitting is usually less about an employee’s willingness to work harder and more creatively, and more about a manager’s ability to build a relationship with their employees where they are not counting the minutes until quitting time.
As leaders, you should first ask whether the behavior roots in the employee or your own choices and behaviors as a boss. When asking your direct reports for increased productivity, do you go out of your way to make sure that team members feel valued? Open and honest dialogue with colleagues about the expectations each party has of the other goes a long way. When direct reports trusted their leader, they also assumed that the manager cared about them and was concerned about their wellbeing. By building a trusting relationship with all of your direct reports, the possibility of them quietly quitting dissipates significantly”
Their research finds that the ultimate factor is trust. This can be linked to three behaviours.
Maintaining positive relationships with direct reports
Ensuring that leadership consistently follows through on their commitments
Leaders can build trust by demonstrating their expertise
It's easy to simply blame “quiet quitting” on lazy or unmotivated employees, however, this research tells us to look within and recognize that individuals want to give their energy, time, creativity, and enthusiasm to the organizations and leaders that deserve it.
To conclude…
Are you unsatisfied? Does your company lack opportunities for career advancement? Are you still waiting on a promotion that is long due? Do you feel that your efforts at work are going unrecognized? Do you feel undervalued? Are you underpaid?
Instead of resisting and suffering in silence, it would be probably more helpful if you raise your concerns with your boss and colleagues, and brainstorm solutions that could work for you all. Finding mentors and like-minded people inside and outside your company can help you navigate those conversations more easily. And if having an honest discussion about your work-life balance leads to conflict or punishment, that’s usually a sign of an unhealthy workplace and maybe it’s time for you to start searching for another job that values you more.
“Quiet quitting” doesn’t really resolve any of your problems. It could give you some temporary peace of mind, but the issues remain. You need to speak up to make your work a better place for you and your colleagues.
