The quiet quitting or silent resignation occurs when an employee is so dissatisfied that, instead of advising or directly confronting their manager/manager/boss/leader about their discontent, they start leaving work early, take long lunches, and generally engage in behaviors that begin to subtract from the company without it being too obvious, until the day he leaves without notice.
This type of abandonment can be tricky because it usually doesn’t happen all at once. Instead, there are many small red flags. Each individual action may seem minor, but when added together they represent a pattern of behavior that indicates a person is unhappy with their job or company.
Signs that an employee is doing quiet quitting
If you want to prevent quiet quitting in your company, you need to understand why employees may be unhappy and what you can do to fix it before they quit without notice. Here are four signs an employee is thinking about leaving and how you can address those issues before they quit.
negativity at work
Negativity in the work environment is felt when it is not obvious. That is to say, when you arrive at a company where the new members have difficulties to adapt, there are constant rumors in the corridor or working as a team is very complicated, we can safely say that we have a negative environment, reluctant to participate, uncoordinated and dangerous. Urgent measures must be taken. But there are other, more subtle signs that start with small bad work habits that build up to extremes. Which are?
Poor communication and inconsistency
When an individual or a team is not informed about the objectives that must be met, what is expected of them, how they are doing it, how they can improve and what they are doing well, there is confusion and insecurity, these two are a bad combination that if added to these there is a management that asks to “put on the shirt”, but when you have to stay late or arrive early it is the first to not do it and I know it is incongruous between what is requested and what is delivered, it will be the perfect formula to generate a negative environment.
Observing in our work space we notice that there are elements that are restless, that there is no participation, that there are no results, we have to work immediately, negativity is easy to detect, because it is felt to the point that it is obvious. If as a leader you sense negativity or as you have detected it, it is up to you to intervene before complaints become an open door for an employee to consider leaving the company. If you don’t board soon, it can become an invitation for more than one employee to leave.
unfair payment
Another sign that an employee might not be happy with their work is if they feel they are not being paid fairly. For this, it is very important to have within the company, no matter how small, career or development plans, in addition to constant evaluations, to ensure that quality is being worked, but also to detect who needs a salary increase or adjustment. .
Remember that what is not measured cannot be improved. And this applies to every aspect of the company. The thought of “I am paid very little to do this” is one of the most common reasons for implementing behaviors such as responding late, delivering untimely, which add up and can deteriorate the organizational culture and the company’s performance.
There’s no future
This signal is related to the previous point. If an employee has been with the company for a while and has not been evaluated or considered for higher positions, he may begin to believe that he is not valued and has no future in the company. This could make them feel like they are stuck with the company for the rest of their career and lead them to quietly quit if they have no other option to make more money. As in the previous point, having development plans makes clear the route that the collaborator can take within the company. This clarity allows you to make decisions, such as moving forward in the company or leaving it permanently. Monitoring and evaluating the performance of employees is key. Make sure your communication about this information is clear and consistent.
not feel supported
The best employees are those who feel part of a team. If an employee believes that the company does not care about him, he will begin to feel that he does not belong to the company. If you notice that a collaborator begins to feel without the support of the company or his boss, it is essential to intervene before he begins to resign silently. One of the best ways to do this is by creating an environment where employees feel like they can talk to you without any pressure. You can do this by setting up regular meeting times where employees can come to you or another member of the leadership team and talk about what is and isn’t working for them at work.
Strategies to prevent quiet quitting
There are many reasons employees might be considering quitting their jobs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to stop it. Here are some ways you can try to prevent silent churn in your company.
Offers transparency about company culture
Most employees don’t want to quit their jobs, but they do want to know what they’re getting into and what they can expect from a company. Make sure new hires have a chance to talk to people who have been with the company for a while so they can get a better sense of the company culture.
All the information
Verify that all employees have access to information about what the company does, why it does it, and where it sees itself in the future. If employees feel like they have a better idea of what the company is and what they bring to the table, they will be less likely to want to quit.
Define the roles well
Don’t require employees to stay in roles they don’t enjoy or don’t think are important to the company. If an employee has been in his position for a significant time, it may be because he has no other options in the company. If you notice that a collaborator has been in his role for a long time and doesn’t seem to be moving forward, find a way to move him into a role he wants to stay in or let him go. This can help keep employees happy and feel valued by the company.
build confidence
Don’t let employees work with people they don’t trust. The best way to know this, as I have already mentioned, is to evaluate. Make sure your evaluations are regular, every quarter, to effectively detect the level of trust and communication in your teams. This brings me to the next point.
Goodbye to annual evaluations
Don’t rely on annual reviews as a way to tell if an employee is dissatisfied or not. Instead, create regular meeting times where collaborators can talk about what works and what doesn’t work for them. By making feedback an ongoing conversation and part of your company culture, you’ll always have a better reference of how your employees feel and you’ll be able to address any issues before they quit without warning.
Gabriela Ceballos Cheerful and observant, committed to listening to others, organizing teams and solving problems. Passionate about sports and challenges. She believes that the key to success is that people complement each other.