“ Having unmotivated or lackluster employees is one of the biggest issues on the minds of leaders in organizations everywhere . Worse is when they begin to do the bare minimum of their work .”
Now , it seems , this has become one of the biggest issues on the minds of Gen Zers , the newest entrants to the workforce . The young workers have a different name for not going “ above and beyond ” their specific work duties : quiet quitting .
The concept is having a moment with young workers thanks to a video posted on the social media network Tik- Tok in late July . In the 17-second video , which had been viewed 2.6 million times in the week after it was posted , a young man is sitting in a New York City subway station endorsing the concept of quiet quitting .“ You are still performing your duties but you ’ re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life ,” the man says .
To be sure , smart companies today endorse the concept of a healthy work-life balance and tell managers to reinforce this . But modern corporations often thrive on having motivated workers eager to make a big impact for themselves and their organizations . Experts say any lack of motivation among a company ’ s youngest workers can become a troubling sign .“ Organizations are dependent on employees doing more than a minimum ,” says Mark Royal , senior director for Korn Ferry Advisory .
The issue of employees being checked out at work isn ’ t new , of course . For decades ,“ coasting ” or “ checked out ” were the phrases used by employees doing the bare minimum . Multiple studies show that only about one-third of employees consider themselves “ highly engaged ” at work . Even during the pandemic , that average figure has stayed relatively stable . Experts say it might be trending now , in part , because of how far the job market has swung in favor of workers over the last two years . Coasting employees aren ’ t worried if their bosses fire them — they ’ ll just find another job .
That mentality may already be out of date . A year ago , the job market was unprecedently strong and many firms hadn ’ t installed sophisticated software and performance management programs to monitor the productivity of remote
workers . Now the economy is contracting , the number of open jobs is shrinking , and many organizations are at least contemplating hiring freezes or layoffs .“ Quiet quitting will be hard to do for very long ,” says Elise Freedman , a Korn Ferry senior client partner and leader of the firm ’ s Workforce Transformation practice .
Other factors driving interest in quiet quitting may center around many members of Gen Z not feeling like they see a future at the organization that currently employs them . Young employees also only have COVID-era work experience as their anchor , a time that has led workers of all ages to question what they really want to do professionally .
Experts say many organizations know they have a problem with employee engagement — or lack thereof . They also know that even with the economy cooling , they are short talent in critical areas and can ’ t afford to harbor quiet quitters . The best solution , experts say , is for firms to connect with employees frequently and help them connect their work to a greater purpose . Managers also need to set clear goals and expectations for their direct reports , help them meet those goals , and take action when they don ’ t . n
KORN FERRY is a global organization consulting firm that helps its clients develop optimized organizational structures . This article is a reprint of an article authored by Korn Ferry , available at kornferry . com / insights / this-week-in-leadership / quiet-quitting . Korn Ferry has provided permission for its reuse .
OCTOBER 2022 n PULSE 47