Quiet quitting: how companies can capitalize on the employee trend

As shared in the previous post here (Quietly quitting the rat race to live life on their own terms), Gallup’s latest engagement survey says at least 50% of employees fall into the disengaged category. Disengaged is where Gallup puts the “quiet quitters.” We prefer to call them Rat Race Rebels.

As discussed previously, the Rebels do their jobs. No less and no more. They set boundaries and won’t work beyond forty hours for free. Elise Freedman, Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry, says quiet quitters decided, “I want to prioritize my well-being overall and things outside of work." (Source: CBS MoneyWatch)

They quit the rat race of working extra hours for free in the hopes of being promoted up the career ladder someday. And, they’ve been warned in recent years that there is no career ladder. It’s more of a lattice now, but they’ve been pushed and pressured to keep working long hours anyway. They have opted out.

Another interesting point from Gallup’s September 6, 2022 survey is the cause of increased disengagement. Gallup says employees are more disengaged since the pandemic because they do not have…

1️⃣ Clarity of expectations

2️⃣ Opportunities to learn and grow

3️⃣ Feelings of being cared about by the company

4️⃣ A connection to the organization's mission or purpose

People don’t want to sacrifice their health and personal lives and feel used just so upper management gets its bonus or so the business owner can send demanding emails from another exotic vacation. They don’t want to come in on Sunday to create the unnecessary TPS cover sheets! (Office Space reference, anyone?)

That makes sense. Doesn’t it?

Everyone cheered when Peter and his colleagues took out their frustration about the corporate coldness on the copier in the movie Office Space because we could relate. Finally, someone rejected the ridiculous and offensive. That’s what the Rebels are doing now. Well, they’re being quieter than beating up the copiers.

The gigantic problem is: many companies and leaders make people feel used. People are rejecting that treatment in 2022.

We have been talking about the importance of expectations, opportunities, care, and purpose for twenty years! Companies and leaders who focus on those four things make sure employees do NOT feel used.

Thankfully, many companies cared about their people and culture long before the pandemic. They showed it when the pandemic began by prioritizing employee health and safety over all else right away. Those companies are listening to employees and being as flexible as possible to accommodate schedule and location preferences.

Other companies are just starting to recognize the importance of seeing employees as people and seeing the bigger picture of all the people together.

What caused this newly found interest in people and culture?

The sudden interest was caused when turnover and time-to-hire reached levels that seriously jeopardize financials. The combination of the Great Resignation and quiet quitters broke the system that companies relied upon for years.

The fact is, many companies depend on the free labor the Rebels are no longer donating to their employers. Companies plan project timelines, budgets, and client deliverables around free labor they do not have access to now.

What can companies do now? Can companies inspire the Rebels back to their old productivity levels?

Probably not.

However, companies can capitalize on the phenomenon so it works better for the company and the employees. It cannot be one-sided in favor of the company. If you truly care about your people, you can execute the five actions below genuinely.

Here are five actions companies can take to capitalize on the Rat Race Rebel phenomenon:

ACTION #1: Re-engage managers. Managers have borne the brunt of the pandemic inside most companies. They had to figure out new processes, systems, and communications. Plus, they had to deal with the emotional and physical toll of the pandemic on employees. All while taking care of themselves and their own loved ones health and needs. It was a lot. Managers are burned out. Re-engage them. Show you appreciate them by listening to their needs and suggestions.

ACTION #2: Clarify manager responsibilities. The managerial role is likely different now than it was pre-pandemic. The workflow, schedules, and location of workers may have caused the need for managers to shift how they plan, organize, and lead. Clarify the company’s expectations of them, and be sure they have the resources needed to succeed.

ACTION #3: Outline a vision. There are two parts to this one. First, for the company: Be sure there is a short-term and long-term vision for the company. Ensure everyone knows how their role contributes to it. Second, for individuals: Invite employees to create a vision for their own lives. Thinking through short-term and long-term aspects of life like financials, for example, may inspire some Rebels to boost engagement. They won’t work twenty hours extra weekly for free, but they may work five and ask for a training course if they envision a career path for themselves. (Tools leaders can use with their teams for this vision exercise were shared with Voyage VIPs this week. If you would like the resource also, please click here to join as our guest.)

ACTION #4: Boost accountability. Everyone should understand the work contract and agree to it. Train managers on delegation, expectations, and communication so accountability is possible. This is key to helping the company benefit from the gifts the Rebels bring to their work.

ACTION #5: Teach managers to coach. Coaching is a new hat managers need to wear now, and it takes practice. One thing managers need to coach people on is the impact of being a Rat Race Rebel.

For example, if someone opts to work from home every day while everyone else on the team chooses to come into the office, they choose to miss daily interactions with coworkers, spur of the moment invitations, and informal mentoring, which may lead to being less prepared for more responsibility, job changes, or promotions. Managers should coach people so they know the consequences of their choices and so managers can support their choices. Lack of coaching can be perceived by the employee as disinterest, which leads to greater disengagement and turnover.

Many managers have given up on the Rebels, but the Rebels could benefit the company. They bring more outside experiences, greater creativity, emotional stability, and less stress. It’s worth it to re-engage managers and help them engage the Rebels and everyone else.

People want clarity, growth opportunities, connection to meaningful purpose, and to know you care. The five actions shared here will help companies and leaders show people they matter more than management’s bonus. When you move the needle of engagement, you capitalize on the quiet quitter trend other companies resent. While your competitors are holding meetings about how to get back at the Rebels, you’re figuring out how to meet them where they are. You will win.

New employee habits call for new management practices. The same old ones won’t work anymore.

(If your company needs a management skill refresh to meet needs of today’s employees, we’ve got you covered. Click here to schedule a call to learn more.)

Quietly quitting the rat race to live life on their own terms

The Culture Matters gathering hit a hot topic hard this morning: quiet quitting.

“Quiet quitting” a new term, so the meaning is still being bandied about. It sounds like society realizes there are two types of people who have quietly altered how they work in this post-pandemic era.

One: quit working but stays in the job. They're the worst. They work hard at not doing their work. One example could be someone who plans to retire in a year (or three!). They plan to coast along the whole time doing nothing. Another example is the guy who takes three days to do a report someone else finishes in an hour. Those people have quietly quit, but they're not the ones the term refers to.

Two: does their job but quit the rat race. They want to do a decent job for decent pay, as agreed upon with their employer. No more and no less. They are not interested in giving up their evenings and weekends for the far-off promise of a promotion. That carrot does not work.

They certainly are not going to give up their personal lives, hobbies, health, sanity, family time, education, and time on this earth to work until burnout just so an executive gets his bonus. They quit the rat race to live their lives on their own terms.

"Quiet quitting" refers to group two.

Since they are still doing their job--most even doing it well-- the negative connotation of "quitting" is harsh and inaccurate.

From now on, let's call them the Rat Race Rebels.

The thing is, employees have employment agreements of some kind. The deal is you do X tasks for X dollars. Rat Race Rebels are doing X tasks, and they expect X dollars. No more, no less.

The #RatRaceRebels are not under-performing their jobs. They are not actively disengaged at work. In fact, they may be quite engaged while they are working. They are fine teammates while working on a team. But, they don’t necessarily want to spend their off hours with their work teammates and boss. They leave work at work. Wherever that is.

If you want them to do A, B, and C on their personal time, you need to pay them for it.

That sounds pretty reasonable, doesn’t it?

Of course, some companies are clear that A, B, and C are included in X dollars. Financial services, for example. It seems everyone knows what to expect when they join a Wall Street firm.

There are plenty of companies who just expect the extra work. They might throw in a $10 coffee gift card now and then or put the employees’ names on a slide at an all-hands meeting. Rat Race Rebels aren’t falling for that any more.

What does your company do?

There’s a big company in town who always makes the Best Places to Work lists yet is known for treating new employees poorly. It is commonly known that if you make it there five years, your 401(k) match kicks in, and they’ll never fire you. Their culture is awful, impersonal, unemotional—and everyone knows it. In the past, people jumped at the chance to work there. People accepted the poor culture in exchange for the future security.

The Rat Race Rebels are not going to accept it. They won’t interview for jobs there, and they will quit unless something changes. Rumor has it turnover has risen in the last two years. Leaders need to understand what their employees need now, or risk higher turnover and long time-to-hire continuing.

“Quiet quitting” is just setting boundaries. It has been done for years. The new part is employees being open about it.

The Rat Race Rebels say “no” and don’t feel guilty or ashamed. They don’t hide the fact that they drove their kids to school in the morning or are playing in a softball league or have a side hustle as a travel agent—or all of those!

Leaders need to understand their people. Pay attention and adapt. There are great things about the Rat Race Rebels if you pay attention.

Gallup's newest survey released September 6, 2022 said Quiet Quitters make up 50% of the US workforce. They lump both groups together and refer to them as disengaged employees. They are not all disengaged, so be careful how you treat them.

If you treat the Rat Race Rebels well, they may become the high performers your company needs.

You won’t get them free, but by being fair, you are more likely to get a less burned-out employee who isn’t bitter about working long hours for a project. Since they do more than work, you will get more ideas and creativity, which are better for decision-making and problem-solving. You may find the Rat Race Rebels who get self-esteem outside of work to be less reactionary and less emotionally triggered by others. You can benefit by learning more about them and working with them to update the employment agreement.

Don’t give up on the Rat Race Rebels. They haven’t quit on you. Don’t quit on them.

(If you need help understanding your people, check out our Culture Services. Our Culture Evolution process might be just what you need right now to keep the Rat Race Rebels and improve or exit the real quiet quitters in group one.)