According to a Gallup survey, there is a decline in employee satisfaction and engagement in the new workforce comprising GEN-Z and younger Millennials, mainly those below 35.

Analyzing this, we can understand that there has been a drastic transition from the pre-pandemic years, and younger workers are feeling let down because of the lack of opportunities available in the company.

Engagement of employees under the age of 35 dropped by six percentage points between 2019 and 2022, while a 10% drop is seen in younger workers who feel that their seniors do not care for them.

This crisis is due to the impact of two new phenomena, "quiet quitting" and "quiet firing."

The Dark Side of Quiet Quitting

These terms are interconnected to each other. Let us begin with quiet firing – this is a phenomenon that is known as neglecting your workers. It is when a manager pushes their employees out of the job because they are not given developmental opportunities or a lot of stress. Managers are ill-equipped to provide coaching and leadership support to their employees, which makes the workers disengaged and highly stressed, forcing them to leave their job and increasing the attrition rates.

In a survey, Gallup found that one in three employees globally agreed that someone has spoken to them about their performance in six months. If this ratio doubles, organizations achieve 28% lower absenteeism and 10% higher productivity.

This means that if employees receive proper feedback about their performance, they understand that somebody cares, and they are half as likely to look for other new jobs.

On the other hand, a workplace trend called quiet quitting occurred during the pandemic, where a person would bear minimum work and clock out, whereas different employees face burnout due to the increasing pressure. Most of these workers need to be more engaged in the creation. Today, most workers require extra training to collaborate and put in that time to increase interpersonal relationships.

Both these phenomena impact the organization immensely by reducing its competitive advantage and brand image. The workplace culture worsens daily, reducing the capacity to retain skills and talent. Employees must address these issues before they lose sustainability in the sector.

Solving the Crisis:

Both these phenomena are interrelated as managers first quietly fire people by not providing them with opportunities, and then they expect them to quit of their own volition. Decreases the overall morale of the workplace.

So what do you do instead:

1. Have a conversation – Your employees need to know what is going on; therefore, why don't you go ahead and have a meaningful conversation with them every week? Tell them about your expectations and what they are doing right and wrong. Talk to them about their current priorities and help them build their skills.
   
   
2. Training – The best way to stop quiet quitting is to empower your employees by giving them moments to learn and grow. Invest in your future by investing in training programs that cater to individual needs and are customizable according to company objectives.
   
   
3. Create shared accountability – Your employees realize they are an essential part of the company by making them accountable for their actions. When employees feel free to say something about the goals, they commit to them.
   
   
4. Do not withhold – Managers tend to withhold information from their employees today. Only 37% of managers today agreed to invest in employee development. In such a case, what goes wrong is that your employees do not feel a part of your future, and they will resort to quitting. Provide an individualized development plan and discuss their career whenever necessary.
   
   
5. Recognize and acknowledge – The best way to support your employees is to recognize their efforts and talents. Recognize their experiences and realize the difference that they are making in the community.

Conclusion

Quiet quitting and quiet firing should be diminished from the work culture today as this brings down positivity and stability in the business sector. Utilize different employee engagement strategies to increase the morale and trust of your employees with the company.