The smoke of devastation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic is slowly clearing. Organizations have once again started the engines of their operations, and it seems that, for the majority of the world economy and its related sectors, things are returning to normal.
However, the issue of “quiet quitting” is coming to the fore
in many organizations, where employees are simply going through the motions of
doing their jobs. There is no longer any motivation to perform beyond what is
required. They work merely to earn a living for their families. While doing the
bare minimum, these employees—who are engaging in quiet quitting—are also
actively seeking employment opportunities elsewhere.
Why, then, do employees engage in quiet quitting? Simply
put, it stems from dissatisfaction with their current employment.
Dissatisfaction is the root cause of quiet quitting, and it can be triggered by
a variety of factors: poor organizational leadership and structure, negative
behavior from co-workers, salary issues, and lack of sufficient benefits, to
name a few.
When dissatisfaction arises, it is only natural for people
to seek a solution. Once they find what seems to be the "magical"
answer to their concerns, they begin to consider resignation. The prudent
employees, however, do not resign immediately; they make sure that they have
another job lined up before making that decision.
Quiet quitting is, in reality, an organizational problem—one that is preventable. It can be addressed if leaders would only take the time to listen to the concerns raised by their employees. Lest we forget, those who engage in quiet quitting are often the competent ones—those who believe, with confidence, that they can easily find work in organizations that are better able to meet their needs and expectations. — Marino J. Dasmarinas
