Address Quiet Quitting Quickly
“Managers have to be like coaches: If they see quiet quitting, they have to address it and ask, ‘What do we want to work on?’” Chauradia said. “But it has to be engaging. You can’t expect them to do that work on their own.”
Employees: Be Open for Why You’re Taking a Step Back
“If you’re not communicating why your behavior is changing, bosses end up relying on their own assumptions to make sense of this change. They may assume you’re lazy or unmotivated,” Henry said.
Ask What Would Be Most Appreciated
For some employees, a monthly paid happy hour could be an antidote to extra work, while others would prefer an extra PTO day per quarter. Open communication lines with your team early and often to see how they would most like to be rewarded for their hard work.
Look at the Factors Leading to Quiet Quitting
Is it a particularly busy time of year, either in the employee’s life or at the office? Or is it in response to not receiving a promotion or a raise? That could influence your reaction, Henry said.
Communicate Your Workplace’s Identity and Mission
It is easier for an employee to feel motivated to work hard for a company that aligns with their values, Hughes said. While some companies, like nonprofits, may have an obvious mission, for those with more amorphous goals, it is important to vocalize the company’s values.
Know Quiet Quitting is Hard to Catch
People often do not know they are burned out until it is too late, Henry said, and managers may not realize the same until the employee has already stopped going the extra mile. Check in often with star employees to ensure burnout is avoided.
Make the Extra Workload Equitable
If there is one person who is tasked with taking notes during the company’s monthly meeting, for example, consider rotating the task to a different employee each month to avoid one person getting burned out.
Acknowledge the Invisible Work
Whether it is an employee that has become the de-facto person for taking out new hires to dinner or answering frequent questions during the workday, it can get easy to get burned out when the employee is expected to do extra tasks with no extra pay. In this case, it is important for managers to show appreciation for the employee, whether it is through praise or simply acknowledging the extra workload.
