The trend of quiet quitting is becoming more pervasive. According to a recent Gallup poll, at least 50% of U.S. workers are quiet quitters. This means they have chosen to stop going above and beyond at work and do only what’s required. While these staffers haven’t resigned yet, they’ve completely rethought their approach to work, says Pete Hinojosa, a director of thought leadership at Insperity.

When employees dial back, he says bosses need to look at the underlying causes. For example, employees may feel misunderstood, taken advantage of or like they have nothing meaningful to do. When you learn to spot the signs of quiet quitting, you can take steps to reignite employees’ passion for their job. We share tips from Hinojosa in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Three Possible Stages Of Quiet Quitting
Hinojosa says leaders should stay aware of these stages:

1. Tolerate. Employees in this stage may feel annoyed by a situation or person. However, they put up with it and continue to do their job.
2. Avoid. At this stage, employees actively seek ways to get away from a situation or person.
3. Eliminate. This is the final-straw stage. Staffers have reached their limit and decide they can’t take any more of the situation or person, and they look for a new job.

How To Get Employees Back On Board
Worried that staffers are becoming quiet quitters? Take these steps to re-engage them.

Make sure that leaders’ cups are full. If you’re not taking care of yourself first, it can become very difficult to care for your team, Hinojosa says. Leaders often face extraordinary stress, so prioritize taking care of yourself, whether that means practicing regular self-care, making time for hobbies that spark your enthusiasm or working with other leaders to share best practices. If you’re a senior leader, don’t overlook your middle managers, he says.

Bring energy to your team. Hinojosa says it’s up to leaders to become needs satisfiers instead of needs frustraters. You can fire up your team by helping others reach their goals and striving to create a culture of belonging, safety and security.

Know what resonates with your team. When introducing energy into your team, Hinojosa says that certain areas will resonate more than others depending on individual employees. This is where personality assessments are helpful. These allow you to tailor a work environment and projects to a person’s strengths.

Quiet quitting can look different depending on the person. Some employees may show their frustration or irritation, while others may appear disillusioned or unenergetic. When leaders strive to spot the signs of quiet quitting, they may be able to turn things around before employees become fully disengaged. When you prevent workers from quiet quitting, what comes next? Stay tuned for tomorrow’s PCT, where we share guidance on how to retain your top talent.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Pete Hinojosa is a director of thought leadership at Insperity. He is also the founder of Omega Quest, an author and speaker.