What is quiet quitting?

Following the pandemic, the world of employment changed. First, there was the ‘Great Resignation’ trend where people left jobs in their droves to meet rising living costs and to seek more ‘work life balance’ that they obtained during lockdown.

But now another trend has emerged in the world of work. It’s called ‘Quiet Quitting’. It’s defined as a state between being ‘actively engaged’ and ‘actively disengaged’. It effectively means people do enough in their jobs to keep themselves employed but don’t ‘shoot the lights out’ in terms of performance.

It’s hardly something you can fire someone over though – as they’re doing something they should be doing – just not going above and beyond. So, should estate managers be concerned about this?

A mixed reaction

According to Dalya Ketz, managing director at Gcubed Boutique Recruitment, the trend of quiet quitting has received a mixed reaction from managers.

‘As more Millennials (and their successor generations) unsubscribe from hustle culture, some managers have been tolerant (likely due to a tight labour market) while others have cleared the decks by retrenching employees who have slacked off. Called “quiet firing”, it generally involves making a job so unrewarding that the individual feels compelled to resign,’ explains Ketz.

Less than ideal

Quiet quitting and quiet firing is, however, not ideal for employer or the employee. It’s unproductive and creates an environment of distrust and instability. It’s hardly something that a residential estate needs. Ketz says it’s important for employers to understand the how workplace culture affects employees.

‘There needs to be employee wellness, a strong, unified company culture that provides a place for individuals to come and feel a sense of belonging and engagement. This requires brands to think about their bigger purpose, and to find ways in which to foster individual career development while focusing on the wellness of the business. It means companies need to do more to make their employees feel valued, which is one of the most effective ways to guard against quiet quitting,’ she explains.

Creating an environment of reciprocation

So how can estate managers create an environment of reciprocation? Here Katz offers four solutions:

1. Retain talent: Retaining talent may involve a bit of give and take. If possible, consider whether an employee can work remotely or work for the estate in a hybrid basis. ‘Implement ways to engage remote workers, such as scheduling virtual hangouts or finding ways to gamify and reward teams,’ adds Ketz.
2. Prioritise employee recognition: Show people that their efforts are appreciated. ‘Recognition should be timely, specific, and public, and should align to the company’s core values,’ adds Ketz.
3. Get employee feedback: ‘Giving everyone a voice is an incredibly powerful tool to ensure that individuals feel invested on a personal level and engaged. Acting on their feedback is an important sign that the company values their input,’ says Ketz.
4. Promote staff: ‘This is the ideal way to ensure that there are opportunities for growth and mentorship for junior staff and fosters a greater sense of community and engagement between teams or departments,’ says Ketz.