Delving deeper into quiet quitting

Quiet quitting, coined by an economist at an American symposium in 2009, first gained momentum in China last year. Known as the "lying flat" movement (tang ping), it was young Chinese workers' passive protest against the societal pressure to overwork. Instead of taking up stressful jobs with long working hours and higher pay, they chose jobs with lower salaries and attainable responsibilities in exchange for a more relaxed life.

The mentality of "tang ping" is very similar to quiet quitting: merely performing the tasks outlined in their contracts, not going the extra mile, breaking away from hustle culture, and decelerating career ambitions to focus on other aspects of life.

As a matter of fact, employees' outcry for work-life balance has been simmering in the last decade. It has boiled over now because employees, particularly Gen Z, feel burned out and stressed following the pandemic. Mental health and maintaining a work-life balance have become their top considerations, and they're not afraid to set boundaries at work and walk away if their needs aren't fulfilled.

While burnout and dissatisfaction with work-life balance are the major reasons behind this, other factors are also fueling the trend, for example, feeling disconnected and disengaged from work, lacking opportunities for career progression, or being unhappy with pay and workload. According to a survey published in September by advisory firm Gallup, at least half of the American workforce are quiet quitters. It's crucial for HR leaders to fully understand what pushes an employee to pursue this path before planning how to address it.

Four tell-tale signs of a quiet quitter

To identify quiet quitters in the workplace, the general rule of thumb is to compare past and present work behaviors. Quiet quitters usually exhibit a large set of unusual behavioral changes. Here are some non-verbal cues employers should take into account.

First, quiet quitters are likely to be doing the bare minimum of their work more frequently than usual. This may mean that they're meeting project deadlines but the quality of their work has taken a downturn. Look out for employees who are regularly producing mediocre results and are no longer keen on pushing high-quality work.

They also usually show little to no enthusiasm about their work and surroundings. This may be evident in an employee leaving work on time, or even early, more frequently than before and refusing to accommodate job-related matters such as work emails and phone calls outside of work hours. In team meetings, they may stay quiet and appear absent-minded, be less bothered about the challenges a company is facing, or never volunteer for special projects.

Another strong indicator is appearing less of a team player than before. Quiet quitters may withdraw themselves from other colleagues and be less eager to please their managers. They may no longer go on team lunches and attend out-of-work social events or non-compulsory meetings.

Finally, when asked to talk about their future career goals, keep a look out for employees showing no interest in developing new skills. Some quiet quitters are reluctant to progress because of the increased responsibility and pressure that may bring.

Quiet quitters are not a lost cause

If quiet quitting becomes prevalent in the workplace, it should be a wake-up call for HR leaders to review existing employee experience policies and work perks, especially their mental health and wellbeing initiatives.

Employee engagement managers should not be afraid to reach out to quiet quitters to understand their feelings and needs, followed by devising plans to alleviate their stress and slowly lead them back on track. They should also sit down with line managers to make sure workloads are manageable and attainable.

At a time when hybrid and remote working arrangements are becoming a popular working approach, benefits specialists should strengthen their policy foundations and prioritize employee experience to ensure employees do not become isolated and disengaged completely. They could offer free access to coaches or counselors for employees who might not want to talk to their line managers about their struggles.

Read more: How employers can better serve their employees in the wake of "quiet quitting" trends

Quiet quitting might not necessarily be a bad thing, and quiet quitters are definitely not a lost cause. Given sufficient resources and support, employees who are at risk can recover from burnout and find meaning in their jobs again. Additionally, opting to quiet quit could potentially improve overall morale and productivity during working hours as quiet quitters regain their work-life balance. The key for HR leaders is to understand individuals' motivations before rubber stamping quiet quitting as a conduct issue.

Paul Lewis is Chief Customer Officer at Adzuna.