Quiet quitting: get to know the trend and how to deal with it

Those who are heavy users of TikTok already know quiet quitting very well. The term has emerged with everything in the last year and is becoming more and more widespread, especially among young people of generation Z who have only recently entered the job market and are at the beginning of their careers. 

This generation has been well known for its deep concern for mental health, a topic that was put aside for decades on end and now culminates in a decision that calls into question the way organizations make choices to this day. 

Below, you understand more about the concept of quiet quitting and how to deal with this new trend, which will only appear more and more from today. 

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What is quiet quitting?

Quiet quitting is an English term that, in free translation, means "silent quitting". In practice, it is the act of fulfilling one's obligations at work, doing the minimum necessary, without trying to better oneself or be better. 

The idea here is not to perform functions that are requested beyond what is described in your job description, not to work overtime, doing only what is mandatory. This practice is directly related to burnout, the result of a culture of mental exhaustion that preaches that work should be your whole life. 

Quitting preaches exactly the opposite: to very well delimit the limits of personal and professional lives, without letting the professional permeate the personal. 

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How to deal with this trend?

The quiet quitting is nothing more than a reflection of an abusive work culture, which considers people as machines, who must be online 100% of the time, putting the professional ahead of relationships with friends, family and even health. In addition, of course, to the lack of remuneration for situations in which it is necessary to work outside of work hours.

To deal with this scenario, a change in mentality is needed. There must be a better balance and clear delineation of boundaries between leadership and the led. What is each one's obligation? What is the "extra" that is being done? Is this "extra" really being treated as something that goes beyond what was agreed upon?

The culture of feedback is also fundamental. And here we are not talking about a unilateral feedback (which is performed only by the leader to the subordinate). The employee must also have space to communicate his dissatisfactions and satisfactions to management. 

You need to implement a culture of dialogue, to understand how employees are feeling, have a strong partnership with HR, use tools such as e-NPS, and actually implement solutions to the issues raised.

Only with changes like these we will see the reflexes in everyone's behavior. Quiet quitting should not be left aside and deserves to be observed by all professionals, otherwise your organization may experience a serious turnover problem. 

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