The “quiet quitting” term began to make its way across social media early on in the pandemic, with some bragging, while others warned of, the act of doing the bare minimum requirements of the job. While the work was still getting done, much of the extra, unpaid labor was not.
Essentially, employees were no longer going the extra mile.
Years later, it is still a real concern for employers and an emerging area of focus for researchers, including at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.
“This isn’t a new phenomenon; people have always had tendencies to pull back on the extra things they’re doing at work, for one reason or another,” said Sarah Henry, assistant professor in the School of Management. “But now that there’s a name for it, people are interested to see what it really means.”
Since the term was coined around 2020, Henry believes it is more prevalent than ever with the rise of remote work and high unemployment rates, leaving many to stay at their current job.
Several factors can go into quiet quitting, namely a loss of motivation, feeling resentment toward managers, or outward-facing life events such as a death in the family that may take precedence over work tasks.
“I think it’s difficult because employees don’t notice they’re burned out until after they are, and supervisors don’t notice until it’s beyond repair,” Henry said. “It’s important to have an awareness of people who are doing all this invisible work and making sure to notice and appreciate them in a way they want to be appreciated.”
Henry studied managers' reactions to quiet quitting, finding that supervisors and human resource directors should have negative reactions to quiet quitting, though they may be more lenient depending on the circumstances.
People often absorb their connection to outside groups into their own sense of identity. This happens when the group’s values or defining characteristics reflect how individuals see themselves or who they aspire to become.
Douglas E. Hughes
University of South Florida School of Marketing and Innovation director
“Managers should be intentional about paying attention to the things more formally required on the job versus volunteering,” she said. “And they should foster open communication about why [employees] are stopping those volunteer activities.”
Nevertheless, quiet quitting can be addressed by reversing its impact and preventing its occurrence.
First, managers need to monitor and acknowledge it when it occurs.
“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?’” said Amit J. Chauradia, assistant professor at the University of South Florida. “But it has to be engaging. You can’t expect [employees] to do that work on their own.”
Chauradia has studied workplace cohorts, or groups of new hires often brought on at the same time at a firm. His latest study found peers often mimic each other's behavior. The study specifically found that if some members of the cohort engage in job-seeking behavior, other, newer members of the cohort are likely to do the same.
“So, if there’s a culture of strong work ethic, then new hires will follow existing employees who are preserving that culture,” Chauradia said.
While hiring highly motivated workers is ideal, Douglas E. Hughes, director at the USF School of Marketing and Innovation, said that intrinsic motivation can also be fostered within an employee.
Several researchers mentioned self-determination theory, which posits those with higher motivation seek three things: autonomy, the need to feel capable and the need to feel connected.
Hughes has found in his research an additional factor that builds intrinsic motivation: a sense of purpose. Employees, especially from more recent generations, want to feel that the work they perform on behalf of a company contributes to something larger than themselves or their organization.
It is important for companies to vocalize their values and the benefits provided to society, which can bring employees a sense of working for a greater good, Hughes said.
Relationships also matter. “People often absorb their connection to outside groups into their own sense of identity,” Hughes said. “This happens when the group’s values or defining characteristics reflect how individuals see themselves or who they aspire to become.
"When an employee identifies with an organization, self-interests and organizational interests merge, resulting in not only greater effort on job-related duties, but a heightened interest in performing extra-role behaviors that go above and beyond," Hughes continued. "This is essentially the opposite of quiet quitting.”
Chauradia pointed to the vitality curve, which posits there are three tiers of employees: 20% are A-tier, which are the type to go above and beyond, with 10% at C-tier, or those who have low motivation. A majority of workers are B-tier, or those who complete their job duties, but allocate their other time and energy to things beyond the office.
When quiet quitting occurs, Chauradia said, those A-tier employees will move to a B-tier. To curb that behavior, USF researchers encourage employers to acknowledge and applaud employees who are going above and beyond their job description, which can often help combat burnout and resentment.
“Everyone is motivated by something different,” Henry said. “It might be money, but other times it could be as simple as an acknowledgement of the invisible work you’re doing. Whether it comes in the form of praise or even a thank you, having someone notice you matters.”
Chauradia added while many employees would like acknowledgement in the form of better pay or benefits, finding other non-economic avenues could help. He pointed toward IBM previously buying homes for its employees, in which payments would then be taken out of their paychecks or offering pensions versus 401K accounts.
“Over time firms did not want such liabilities,” he said. “If there’s no loyalty on behalf of firms you can’t expect workers to show any loyalty; it’s a two-way street.”
Experts suggest speaking with employees about other perks they could enjoy, like a monthly paid office happy hour or a weekly lunch covered by the office. Asking employees, particularly star employees that go above and beyond, what they would prefer helps open communication and ensures everyone feels more appreciated.
While these are extrinsic motivators, Hughes also recommends being mindful about creating the conditions that build an employee’s intrinsic motivation. What is management doing, for example, to foster feelings of autonomy, self-efficacy and connection, along with a sense of purpose? There are tangible actions managers can take in all regards.
“A lot of people think you’re either intrinsically motivated or not, but that’s not necessarily true,” Hughes said. “We must strive to build self-leaders in our employees. It often feels risky and uncomfortable, but if you’re trying to build the kind of organization that thrives on its own and wards off quiet quitting, you need to be able to do that.”
