How to maintain a healthy work environment to minimise chances of having quiet quitters.
Creating a well performing and inclusive work environment is a challenge. It requires dedication, implementation of best practices, and engagement among all seniors and departments. A healthy and inclusive work environment is an incredibly powerful tool to boost engagement and performance amongst your teams. Ensuring that you have established a work environment where your employees will be recognised and appreciated can benefit your company significantly in many ways. Your employees will feel keen to progress at your business, your retention will improve, and you will see increased productivity. Therefore how can you achieve that and minimise your chances of having quiet quitters among your teams?
Who are quiet quitters?
While much has been said about forming a friendly work environment, the topic of quiet quitters remains relatively new. If you haven’t come across that term, quiet quitting refers to opting out of tasks beyond one’s assigned duties and/or becoming less interested in participating in work life. Even though those employees remain to fulfil their primary responsibilities, they are much less likely to participate in any citizenship behaviours. For instance: showing up early, staying later, attending non-mandatory meetings, etc. Therefore you won’t see them as engaged or motivated to achieve more in your company.
At first, quitting may not sound not as problematic or a threat to a healthy work environment, but the more you dig into the topic, the more you understand how negatively it can influence your work environment and culture. Quiet quitting doesn’t necessarily mean that people are leaving the companies they work at. To start with, when you see your employees becoming less enthusiastic and engaged about the latest company achievements, you will see a significant decrease in their motivation and desire to progress at your company, which will directly impact the work environment as a whole.
Who is the most likely to become a quiet quitter?
It is not surprising that Gen Z, in particular, has a different approach to work and career than any other generation. Gen Z individuals are the most likely to quit and change their job if they don't feel fully satisfied or valued enough. Moreover, as a workforce, Gen Z demonstrates the highest tendency to become quiet quitters. In the latest study,67% of workers aged 18-29 said that “employees should only do the work they are paid for – no more, no less”, with only 22% instead agreeing that “employees should always try to go above and beyond at work. This shows that a vast majority of Gen Z strongly favour the idea of quiet quitting.
The trend of quiet quitting has emerged from social media and is spreading rapidly. According to Gallup research, quiet quitters make up at least 50% of the U.S. workforce. And their impact on the work environment has significant implications on how younger generations perceive their role in the company. As it promotes a lack of interest in going beyond and above, it also is primarily connected to experiencing burnout. A different study shows that 8 out of 10 quiet quitters are experiencing burnout.
Solving the quiet quitting crisis through friendly and inclusive work environments
To effectively address the issue of quiet quitters and burnouts, it is essential to consider all the external influences that may be significant factors driving it.
Managers Engagement - Addressing managers’ engagement is critical in dealing with the issue of quiet quitters. Only 1 in 3 managers is engaged at work. Managers must learn how to communicate with their employees to successfully reduce disengagement and burnout, as they are in a position to best know employees as individuals and be familiar with their strengths and goals. When employees see their work is valued and how it contributes to the organisation’s larger purpose, they perform better and stay engaged.
Creating a healthy and open for the discussion work environment - Creating a work environment where your employees feel heard, respected, and understood is essential to decrease the number of quitters. Establishing a healthy and inclusive work culture will allow your diverse teams to feel like a part of your organisation. This will essentially drive their productivity and performance. Especially since high culture at work attracts high-caliber candidates, which leads to a 33% revenue increase.
Build trust - Care is an element of trust, and without it, your employees won’t engage nor will they go beyond and above for your company. If you sufficiently support your employees by caring and allowing them to develop in a desirable way, you will not only build trust, but you will also establish a healthy work environment. What’s worth noting is that providing a safe and supportive environment is a critical skill for any manager. Therefore, upskilling your manager on how to communicate with your diverse employees will directly impact how your teams are performing and engaging with the company.
A healthy work environment with Ikigai
Here at Ikigai Authentic, we understand how valuable a healthy work environment is. Not only does it allow your employees to avoid burnouts, but it also boosts engagement among your teams. To address the issue of a quiet quitter, leaders must focus on creating a friendly and inclusive work environment. To achieve this, our bespoke diversity training will clarify the benefits of ensuring clear and healthy communication between diverse team members and effectively help you establish a desirable work culture. Times are changing and businesses need to adjust to the new standards. Ensuring fun offices with donuts and table tennis rooms won’t be enough, people want to feel included and heard. And you can achieve that by ensuring your diversity, equity, and inclusion policy and practices are among your top priorities. Get in touch with one of our experts to learn more about how diversity training can significantly improve your company's performance and your employees' wellbeing.
