Hello my friends! I realize it’s been far too long since an original post, and what better topic to write about first than what appears to be a ‘new’ trend – quiet quitting!
If you are unfamiliar at this time with the concept of “quiet quitting,” it is essentially the rejection of anything that takes you out of the scope of your own role. Many consider it “acting your wage”- not an outright departure from the job, but doing exactly what the role requires and nothing more.
However, quiet quitting isn’t anything new. We are yet again placing a spotlight on the younger generations and how they simply just don’t want to “work.” When in fact, this generation has to come out with trends and movements (Great Resignation for instance) just to continue the conversation on what constantly (and conveniently might I add) seems to be left behind – employee happiness, engagement, balance.. demands that have yet to be met throughout the years. Why SHOULD we expect those on the job to work anything more than they are paid to do?
While Baby Boomers were known for their loyalty to companies and even coining the term “workaholics”, Millennials and generations moving forward have become simply unattached. It’s one thing to attract younger generations, but retention and engagement is a whole other ball game. Frankly, I’m disappointed. In a post-Covid world, it seems this nation’s work force has regressed back to how we were operating before 2020. Companies who made vocal commitments to improve well-being at work and make an effort to increase employee engagement, have made it clear it was all just talk. Or as Simon Sinek might put it, it’s all about expectation management, which is interesting to note.
I think about how millennials suffer from the “Sunday Scaries,” thinking (dreading) of the work week to come. Where did the notion that we had to over work ourselves come into play in the first place? Why are we against people for acting their wage, when in fact, that is EXACTLY what you are paying them to do? Organizations are getting too comfortable with people having limited boundaries and then want to question what is going wrong with “young people today.” (In The Truth About Your 9to5, I review more on this topic).
Today’s job market is interesting – with the Great Resignation upon us, in most cases it is simply better monetarily to partake in job hopping lately because you will receive a higher salary than staying within your current organization and moving up – that is if money is your biggest motivator. There is a lot more than meets the eye with the Great Resignation, but ultimately everything ties back to culture and engagement.
Job Hopping is defined as spending between 1-2 years in a position rather than staying at any one organization or place at one time. Job hopping is seen as good and bad – both from the perspective of the employee monetarily and the employer (at times). While the Great Resignation did not begin after Covid, it is far from over.
As I continue to grow my own team in my management role, I lean in to my own experiences and how mentorship, growth and development have all been key factors in my success. Growth and development is at the fore front of my purpose as a leader and I strive every day to show my team this all somehow matters.
Your contribution begins in the way you engage yourself at work, how you interact with others on a daily basis. Culture is developed by people and we hold a lot of power. I challenge you all to consider your part in your roles, and how we may help each other truly flourish.
Happy to be back with these challenging conversations! Let me know your thoughts or experiences on quiet quitting below, or on any of my channels!
Ziz 🙂