“Quiet quitting,” “phoning it in,” and “lying flat,” have become social media buzzwords and are more prevalent with employees returning to the workplace post-pandemic. It is called “quiet quitting” because you’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going
above and beyond. It occurs when employees work just enough to keep their paychecks and not get fired. They are still performing their basic duties, but no longer subscribe to the mentality that their work is their life.

Why Quiet Quitting? Employees feel unappreciated. They realize that they went the extra mile, and didn’t receive appreciation, promotions, or raises. Also, new hires were getting more than they were earning for the same work. They turned to “quiet quitting,” which is doing the bare minimum and/or only doing what is in their job descriptions so they would have more time for themselves and their families.

How can leadership recognize and prevent “quiet quitting?” Do an honest self-assessment. When you asked your team members to do extra work, did you make sure that they felt appreciated, or was it just expected? Ask yourself as a leader: Is the issue with my team, or is it with me and my leadership abilities?

Evaluate your team. Ask them how they feel and then act upon the results. Have open conversations. Managers who value relationships along with results develop employees who are willing to go the extra mile.

Build trust. Do team building. Create positive relationships with your direct reports to improve trust. in addition, allow your people to bring up their concerns and ideas. If you can’t implement an idea, let them know why and make them feel appreciated. Simply being honest with your people and finding common ground helps build mutual trust.

Be consistent. Deliver what you promise. Don’t play favorites. Recognize and reward your people when they have done good work. It will make a difference and they won’t become quiet quitters!