Quiet quitting, a new style of quitting that involves staying at a job but only performing precisely what the position requires, nothing more and nothing less, can be just as detrimental to a business as an employee outright quitting. 

Quiet quitting is a movement that has gained quick momentum around the world after going viral on TikTok. For workers, the concept is essentially a mentality of no longer going above and beyond at work, and instead doing what their job description requires of them, and only that. It comes in the wake of the global COVID pandemic that led to many employees feeling burnt out, reimagining what work could look like, resisting the hustle that has permeated much of the Western work culture, and desiring more from their workplaces – including fulfilling relationships, a sense of community, feeling valued, flexibility, and support for their mental and physical health needs. 

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report found that job dissatisfaction is at an all-time high. So, with more than 40% of employees currently considering a job change, what proactive steps can you take to stay ahead of quiet quitting, and keep employees engaged? Let’s take a look at five ways to avoid quiet quitting in your team:

Prioritise Appreciation And Recognition 

Unsurprisingly, workers who are quiet quitters tend to be those that feel under-appreciated. And it makes sense – when efforts go unnoticed and un-praised, people feel they could easily stop trying so hard and that their boss or manager wouldn’t notice, or care. 

Ed O’Boyle, Global Practice Leader At Gallup, recently said at the Workhuman 2022 conference “Good recognition staves off burnout, lack of recognition kindles it.” So, be sure to show your staff that what they do matters, by prioritising recognition strategies that acknowledge and reward employees for going above and beyond and producing great work – helping them to recognise the value and purpose in their work and the success it brings, and stay engaged and motivated to strive for their best.

Make Time To Connect With Your Employees

The reality is that people don’t quietly quit employers, they quietly quit bosses, which is why it’s so important for leaders to connect and build positive rapport and relationships with employees more often, especially hybrid or remote workers. 

Checking in at weekly one-on-one meetings can enable productive meaningful conversations to take place that discuss both professional and personal development to help workers feel more engaged and motivated. It also helps both employees and employers alike to see each other as human beings beyond their workplace role, fostering greater appreciation for one another.

With strong connections, employees are more easily able to express concerns, frustrations or dissatisfactions, enabling business leaders to put solutions in place before it progresses to quiet quitting. 

Offer Opportunities For Growth 

The LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report found that 94% of employees would stay at a job longer if they had access to career development. When workers feel that they’re stuck in a ‘dead-end job’, they’re more likely to become disengaged and unsatisfied at work, and carry out the bare minimum. 

This means it’s important to create opportunities for employees to advance and progress within the company, with access to training and developmental opportunities to explore new challenges, work towards a goal, and feel a sense that they are moving forward, with tangible timelines they can use to visualise their career progression. Not only will this engage your employees, but it will help your company to thrive and progress with growth and innovation as well.

Keep An Eye On Productivity And Enthusiasm 

It’s not the persistent under-performers that are the greatest concern when it comes to quiet quitting, but the high-performers who have become disillusioned over time. So take note – if you notice that your best and brightest are pulling back, not contributing to meetings, or suddenly showing less enthusiasm or productivity, these may be signs that they’re not feeling satisfied or motivated in their work.

These behaviours may indicate that quiet quitting is on the horizon, so connect and do your best to understand the underlying causes of these shifts. It may be simply that they are well-overdue for a break and need a holiday to recharge, or they may be struggling with home or family concerns. Either way, it’s essential to keep an eye on the morale of your employees so you can intervene with support.

Support Your Employees’ Mental And Physical Wellbeing

Many workers choose to quiet quit as a desperate and last-ditch effort to prioritise their mental and physical wellbeing, when they’re feeling stretched, exhausted, or burnt out. So to prevent them needing to take this step in the first place, show your employees that you’re their ally, by emphasising your support for their overall wellbeing with proactive, tangible steps to help them look after their health now. 

Investing in ways for your employees to access support for their mental, physical and emotional health, shows them that you care, while helping them to perform at their best, at a safe workplace that values them beyond simply a cog in the productivity machine . This way, your employees can truly feel their best, and tap into their full potential.

How Can I Support My Employees’ Wellbeing With Healthnow?

Operating across New Zealand and the US, HealthNow makes supporting your employees’ mental and physical health easy and simple, by welcoming you into their AI-driven platform and international technology that comes with a dedicated health saver’s wallet for employer aid payments.

Employer aid is delivered as a financial contribution to an employees’ dedicated health wallet, which can only be used on health-related services and products both in a reactive and preventative capacity. Simply put, funds are deposited periodically at an interval chosen by the business, with the employee able to see that money sitting in their health wallet in real time – a big benefit over health insurance plan contributions which are not seen, and appear to be ‘lost’ if they’re not claimed upon within the year.

The employee then chooses which services to spend their funds on – whether that’s doctors visits, seeing a physiotherapist early for a niggle instead of waiting for it to become a full-blown injury, or covering the cost of prescriptions or supplements from the pharmacy. Employer aid also recognises that a person’s wellness and productivity is linked to their family too – when family members are unwell, sleep suffers, time off may need to be taken, and worries or intermittent phone calls can disrupt days. This is why employer aid payments can also be used to cover the health costs of direct family members, too.  

How To Get On Board With Employer Aid Today 

The onboarding process is free and easy – and can be implemented with no additional out-of-pocket costs than what you’re already paying towards their health insurance plans or other wellness measures. Payments to your employee’s health wallets can be automatically made monthly or at a frequency and dollar value that you choose. You can leave your employee’s health wallets open to be used on any health or medical service with HealthNow, or specify the services you’d prefer. The funds can only be spent on health services and products within New Zealand, and can be used for themselves or their family members.

HealthNow provides updates on your impact to help you measure the value of employer aid within your company. Your contributions are not subject to the Fringe Benefits Tax, are free for your employees to use (they even get a free $10 credit with their free sign-up), and HealthNow has an ever-growing trusted network of medical providers to keep your staff healthy and happy.

To get started, register your company’s interest via this contact form and a HealthNow team member will get back to you promptly.