Quiet quitting

What is with this heat?! A nationwide heat wave is upon us, draining us of strength and vitality. The inexorable heat also brought with it unhappy tidings on the economic front. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed India’s gross domestic product (GDP) forecast from 6.1 per cent to 5.9 per cent. It’s the start of a new financial year, however, the reverberations of a global recession are being felt on Indian shores. Layoffs have picked up pace worldwide and some companies have started handing out pink slips in India as well. All-in-all, a jittery time for businesses and employees, and the awful weather does no one any favours.

Every new fiscal year is also the time to review the performances of both companies and teams. And as we embarked on our annual process, I felt it important to draw attention to a growing workplace trend called “quiet quitting”. When I first came across it, I was immediately intrigued. Could it mean employees who exit a company without making a fuss? Incorrect. This phrase actually alludes to workers who survive in their professional lives by doing the bare minimum. They dedicate no more than what is necessary for the job to get done. A professional visage that is detached, uninvolved, lacking commitment, but doing just about enough to meet the minimum requirement of the task at hand. No more, no less.

The phrase, “quiet quitting” became popular during the pandemic and a Gallup survey from 2022 stated that at least half of the American workforce comprised quiet quitters. The hashtag #QuietQuitting garnered more than 17 million views on TikTok as per a September 2022 World Economic Forum (WEF) article. In my opinion though, it’s not really a new trend, and not limited to the US alone. This kind of employee or colleague has always been around — an unenthused, uninspired cog in the wheel that brings little to the table in terms of ideas or ardor. We’ve met these bored souls sitting at government offices or even worked with them as part of teams. Now don’t confuse them with introverts or inefficient people. These are people who could do a damn good job if they wanted to, it’s just that they don’t. Call it a lack of interest, motivation or ambition, maybe a general youthful disillusionment, or even, cautiously hidden depression, these quiet quitters can be malignant to an organisation. They remain so disinvested in their work, that their lack of interest can rub off on others. Their unwillingness to go the extra mile, volunteer for responsibilities, or take on a little additional workload, can negatively impact the performance of the entire team and eventually, the company too. They are that weak link in a team that can ultimately bring the rest down.

A report by Slack titled ‘Leadership and the War for Talent’ found that in India, defence and government sectors had the highest number of quiet quitters. 2,000 Indian knowledge workers were surveyed, of whom 12 per cent of government workers confessed to being withdrawn from their work. This is almost double the number in sectors such as IT, where 4 per cent admitted to being quiet quitters while 6 per cent and 5 per cent belonged to the banking and financial sectors respectively. In startups and small businesses, where teams are lean and the leadership more hands-on, quiet quitting is easily spotted.

Let’s face it — not every employee will seek excellence. Therefore, as necessary as it is to tackle “quiet quitting”, one must recognise and encourage those workers that are driven by personal success and career growth. Now the question is how should one handle the quiet quitters? Unsurprisingly, another HR trend has also gained momentum — “loud firing”, wherein anyone found to be slacking is laid off to set an example. There is also “quiet firing”, wherein the work scenario becomes so staid, that the employee has no choice but to actually resign. Perhaps neither should be the first resort for managers and employers. Overt or passive aggression cannot be the answer for an employee who may genuinely be overloaded with work or experiencing a burnout. Annual appraisals and incentives are a great way to keep employees driven while rewarding the ones that are productively engaged at work. Trying to compassionately understand the issues faced by employees, helping them achieve work-life balance, encouraging them to discuss the reason behind their lack of professional gusto, while trying to stimulate their dormant energies, should be another port of call. And if all of these fail, then the only option would be to show them the door.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal