Anyone who knows me (Nina Simons) a little knows that I have no social media. Facebook long ago cleared the field, Instagram has been out the door since September 2019 and Twitter I never had. LinkedIn is my only online avenue to the (business) outside world and I'm going to keep it that way.

Yet there is yet another new platform for business online Holland: TikTok. Although in my mind TikTok is primarily linked to dances I will never dance and songs I will never sing, there is indeed a link to work. So there are videos going around about what makes a bad manager, work advice, tips for a first day at work, and these days (and this is hearsay, because hey, I obviously don't have a TikTok either ;)) TikTok also talks about quiet quitting.

What is quiet quitting? And curious about tips? Then read on quickly!

Quiet Quitting, what is it?

A term I had not heard of until recently, what does quiet quitting mean? Unlike what you might expect based on the name, the phenomenon is precisely not about quitting your job. It involves doing at work only what is expected of you in your role and nothing more. You no longer go above and beyond: you arrive at 9 a.m., go home at 5 a.m., don't go the extra mile when your colleague is on vacation, and you don't check email outside your work hours. 

Personally, I find this kind of phenomenon fascinating; the average CEO probably thinks otherwise. The first question that comes to mind: where does the need for quiet quitting come from? Furnishing a good work/life balance, failing to get a salary increase after working very hard, and taking on additional responsibilities without getting any appreciation are just some of the examples of why employees quiet quitting. 

Now what? 5 tips against quiet quitting

And now, what can you, as a manager, do to ensure that your employees are not quietly quitting while staying motivated and engaged in the workplace? 

‍

1. Listen

Yes, I know and I can hear you sighing already. You've obviously been given this tip 20 times already, but just between you and me, honestly: have you really been intentional about it for a month? Do you know what is going on among your employees and whether they are happy? When was the last time you received honest feedback on your performance as a manager and were told what could be improved? In this last question I think lies the secret of really good listening, because you start listening to things you don't really want to hear. 

‍

2. Rating

Don't we all love the feeling of mattering? In addition, openness in appreciation often gives room for openness to indicate precisely what could be improved. This knife cuts both ways and is extremely important. See your employees, say what you appreciate and address what could be better. And did you know that expressing your appreciation has a greater effect on the motivation of your team than money?

‍

3. Challenge

Internal motivation is important, but a little external motivation certainly helps. Keep challenging your employees in a nice way. Make sure they are sometimes taken out of their comfort zone and allowed to develop further. 

‍

4. Autonomy

'I so enjoy having a supervisor who micromanages and tells me what to do every minute of the day,' has never been said by anyone. Being allowed to fill your role in your way and being given appropriate responsibilities is what an employee likes. Provide clear agreements about the result, clear frameworks and check-in moments. Note: in doing so, you also have to give room to make mistakes, which as a manager is sometimes more difficult to accept. Remember: making mistakes is allowed, but that is not the same as incompetence. You can learn to accept the former (yes really, you too!!), but the latter cannot be tolerated. So make sure you make a good distinction there. 

‍

5. Development

Wanting to develop ourselves is in our nature, I have noticed that now that I have a 1-year-old niece. And we don't lose that will to develop as people, so try to respond to this as a leader. Are there any employee interests outside of work that you can help develop? You will get a happy, loyal and motivated employee in return. Keep talking to your employees. Find out where their ambitions lie, both at work and at home, and see what opportunities you have to contribute to their development. 

‍

Good luck with these tips and for more tips, listen to this Work Professor podcast by Wendy van Ierschot. Here you'll hear more about different generations in the workplace. Prefer to read a blog? No problem! Here's an informative blog on this topic. And of course you can always visit TikTok for more tips on the phenomenon of quiet quitting!

Need help? Feel free to contact us!