Quiet Quitting is today one of the most widespread topics of discussion, internationally, in the media and in the workforce.
This trend followed the equally complex phenomenon of the Great Resignation and seemingly developed similar concepts and theories. However, it is debatable whether so-called Quiet Quitting is really a new trend or something that the corporate world, business owners and HR managers have dealt with in the past.
Therefore, this study by Northern Arizona University and Fred DeMicco, Director and Professor in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University and Elisabeth Gutt, MBA Candidate, W.A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University titled “Quiet Quitting: An Investigation Into the Reasons and Motivations Behind this Workplace Challenge: Part I” (https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4114987.html), investigated how widespread silent resignation is and why a person would or would not participate in it.
The survey focuses on anyone over the age of 18 who is currently employed or has worked in the past. The research used an online questionnaire, which specifically asked participants if they would consider quitting quietly. The responses largely match the themes identified in the literature as well as what has been published in newspapers and articles, such as in the market survey entitled, Is There Quiet Quitting?
The “Quiet Quitting” in Tourism as well
In this article, it was ultimately determined that the “quiet quitters” make up at least 50% of the US workforce. Although the research concerns workers from all sectors of the economy, it is of particular interest for tourism, where there were and continue to be difficulties in finding staff in almost all popular destinations.
In particular, through data collection and secondary research, it was possible to identify some commonalities between the literature and existing concepts. Businesses and HR managers must be prepared to adapt their corporate culture for a workforce that can be described as “the new normal.” One question from the study was this: Have you ever actively reduced the amount of effort you put into your work? Exactly 50% of respondents answered “yes”.
How widespread is this seemingly new trend of silent quitting?
First and foremost, silent resignation does not necessarily mean what the designation might suggest. Workers do everything, but they actually quit: they don’t give up their work entirely, but they give up the idea of going one step further. Quitting is also defined as reducing the amount of effort one puts into one’s job, such as ceasing to complete any tasks not specifically mentioned in the job description. The term has survived many news cycles and caused widespread concern among business owners and CEOs, but where did it come from? Examining data such as Google Trends shows that silent resignation as a search term started gaining ground in July 2022 and peaked in August 2022.
In an unhealthy workplace culture, employees often feel compelled to push boundaries in ways that harm their well-being, such as taking on extra work that causes them to miss important family or social events. But when there is a social element and these activities are energizing rather than burdensome, employees may want to take on additional tasks. Others may be more motivated by public recognition and thus benefit more from focusing on activities that are visible within the organization. A manager’s job is to listen to their employees, help them identify the specific types of tasks that align with their intrinsic motivation, and encourage them to focus on them if they exceed their core job duties.
While its disruption to organizational functioning may be less visible than that of the Great Resignation, silent resignation may actually be even more damaging. To meet this challenge, leaders must focus on motivating employees to fulfill their core tasks, listen to employees, address their unique needs, and create a culture that invites employees to create their own approaches .
Quiet resignation isn’t the only incredibly impactful phenomenon that has affected employers and businesses since the pandemic. The Great Resignation, a term first coined by Anthony Klotz, a professor at Texas A&M University, was perhaps the inevitable result of a terrible pandemic, economic uncertainty and a subsequent wave of burnout among workers.
Over time, numerous proposals and attempts to rename the situation appeared: The Great Reshaffling, The Great Realization, The Great Questioning, and others tried to take its place. However, the Great Resignation stuck, as did its aftermath. This economic trend meant that people were voluntarily quitting their jobs and, in a way, leaving corporate America behind.
Some of the main reasons for voluntary resignation were as follows:
-The pay is very low
-No opportunities for advancement
-There is not enough flexibility in their work
-The benefits were not good
Quiet quitting could be seen as the precursor to leaving the workplace, or perhaps it is the result of an afterthought that allowed people to reassess their lives, well-being and priorities.
Therefore, the study further explored the trend of silent resignation, trying to establish common motivations and themes behind the process. As the world has become a different place as a result of the pandemic, the corporate world must also face a new normal and must be prepared for a workforce that may no longer be willing to push the envelope.
The main conclusion of the research
The online questionnaire consisted of 14 items, 9 of which were questions used to gain a deeper understanding of employee satisfaction and the motivations behind silent resignation.
The No. 1 motivation stated by respondents was to reduce stress and avoid burnout, a reason common to people who participated in the Great Resignation and voluntarily resigned. Wanting to increase work-life balance, receiving too little reward and too little recognition, and feeling unhappy at work were the same reasons cited in all publications and in this study. It is clear that what academics and researchers have noted for years, that people are reassessing their priorities and not wanting to live only to work, is the same force behind the recent phenomenon of quiet resignation.
On the other hand, the respondents’ motivations for not resigning were mentioned. The number one reason for respondents who did not participate in the silent resignation, even if they had previously considered it, was their satisfaction with their position and workload. Moreover, satisfaction is cited as one of the most important reasons for low employee turnover.
Recognition and reward for extra work and loyalty to the company were the next two most important reasons for respondents. Except for “seeking to increase work/tasks”, all positive motivations were ranked higher than the negatively correlated ones, “worrying about repercussions” and “avoiding conflict”. This shows that employees who are satisfied or feel recognized are more powerful than those who quit quietly because they want to avoid conflict or negative consequences.
The conclusions of this research study indicate that if companies do not want to continue to lose their skilled, qualified employees, they cannot afford not to pay attention to current trends or phenomena such as “quiet resignation”. Aspects such as employee engagement, satisfaction and motivation act as pillars of the modern workforce, especially for successful companies.
Employee motivation and performance
Motivation is known as the psychological driving force or force that controls the manner of a person’s level of determination, along with the person’s tendency to face obstacles. Some of the most important factors affecting employee motivation include a fair wage and, almost more importantly, that the employee perceives it as fair, job security, recognition and a level of flexibility. Employee motivation is directly linked to performance, as an unmotivated employee will not be able to achieve as much as they would if they were motivated. Therefore, if companies are not able to properly motivate their employees, they cannot expect them to do so and take on more work that goes beyond their original job description and actual duties.
Engagement and turnover rate
The two areas of employee engagement and a company’s turnover rate are so closely linked that engagement could be the only factor preventing an employee from quietly quitting. Managers should pay close attention to any indicators that suggest employee engagement is waning, especially when coupled with a higher-than-usual attrition rate.
The company culture
Most of the concepts associated with quiet quitting can be seen as part of the company’s culture: rewards and recognition, leadership, morale and management style. People want to be treated well, especially in the workplace, where they spend a significant part of their lives. Unhappiness and mistreatment are two of the main reasons why people began to quit or leave their jobs voluntarily. Furthermore, no one should be expected to overstep their bounds. First, because it violates the psychological contract employees have when tasks and responsibilities are defined, but then because this “something more” becomes part of their job. While job enrichment is of course a good thing as it improves employee engagement and satisfaction, it has to happen because the employee wants to do it. The second problem with simply expecting “more” at all times is that employees are not sufficiently recognized for working hard, and, without being rewarded for their efforts, they will not want to keep trying.
Employers must respect work-life balance and boundaries
Work-life balance obviously plays a critical role in engagement, satisfaction and motivation. It is evident both in the literature and in the results of this study that workers are more likely to reevaluate their lives and priorities, perhaps more than ever. As work-life balance is a very subjective and personal aspect, there cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution. Of course, a company needs to make sure that all business needs are met and that tasks and projects are completed. However, offering flexibility where possible and trusting employees to do their jobs even when they may be remote should be the bare minimum. As the workplace and life in general become increasingly demanding (pandemics, natural disasters, war on European soil, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, etc.), the risk to workers’ mental health and general prosperity is greater than ever.
