How To Identify Quiet Quitting

Quiet quitting can be defined as the act of giving up on a current job, without any notice, over the course of weeks or months prior to formally quitting to avoid any conflict.

Many workers try to hide their intention to quit by giving no indication they are dissatisfied with their position. Other times employees may side with management in disputes and make comments such as “it’s not that bad”.

Employees who attempt to quit quietly are usually good workers but have grown so frustrated with workplace practices that they have given up hope of changing the situation.

Quiet quitting can be particularly destructive to employee morale and productivity. Quiet quits are also a common cause of turnover in the workplace. A job is not a true career without employees who feel fulfilled and valued at work, which is what makes finding and stopping quiet quitting so important to employers.

This article will discuss the most common signs of quiet quitting in the workplace and ways that managers can prevent this from occurring.

Attendance

Employees come and go from the workplace to attend to different tasks throughout the day. However, when employees start coming in late and leaving early, this may be a sign they are preparing for a job change.

Employees tend to disappear during their lunch breaks or spend more time away from their desks, which could mean they are looking for employment opportunities while they are at work. Managers should pay attention to these changes in work habits and productivity levels as early indicators of quiet quitting.

Body Language

In most workplaces, employees interact with each other on a regular basis throughout their workday. However, if employees appear distant and detached from the company, this may be a sign they are unhappy with their position. Managers should observe body language since it is the most common form of communication in the workplace.

Social Media Use

Employees are usually interested in keeping up with the technology and social media trends that are popular at the time. However, if an employee’s use of social media becomes excessive during work hours, this may be a sign something is wrong with their position.

Many times employees will change what is displayed for their profile picture, and increase posting frequency on social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter as a way to vent frustrations with management or co-workers when they don’t feel comfortable speaking up about grievances.

Unusual Behavior

Managers may notice changes in behavior from employees, such as having a short temper, being combative or passive-aggressive, to even drinking or using drugs when they are normally quiet and pleasant to work with. If a manager notices these types of behaviors or is made aware of them by other coworkers; this may be a sign that something is happening behind closed doors. These changes in behavior may cause workers to feel as if they cannot discuss their dissatisfaction with management.

Quiet quitting is a form of employee attrition, which occurs when an employee decides to leave a position without being direct about their intentions. Although this type of turnover is not always costly for the company, it can be detrimental to managers who are unaware that employees are unhappy and may do nothing about it until it’s too late.

Managers should pay attention to how employees are communicating with each other and how attendance patterns are changing; as well as looking for signs that something is wrong, such as unusual behavior. With these four common indicators and ways in which managers can prevent quiet quitting, organizations will be better prepared when facing turnover costs.