You’ve probably heard about “quiet quitting,” the idea that workers aren’t quitting their jobs but just doing the minimum and not going above and beyond anymore. If you want to retain workers and keep them engaged, you need to ask yourself and your fellow leaders/managers some questions:
- Are workers consistently expected to go above and beyond or to work past their set hours? The pandemic helped people appreciate the importance of a work-life balance. People decided that they didn’t want to risk their health, their relationships, or their happiness for work. You need to reconsider how reasonable your workloads are for workers, encourage a balance, give them tools to be more efficient, and resist the urge to communicate about business issues when workers are off the clock.
- Are employees reporting or exhibiting signs of stress, anxiety, depression, and/or burnout? Just because your workers aren’t utilizing mental health or wellness benefits or services doesn’t mean they’re not hurting. You need to be vigilant and create a culture where people feel free to talk about their feelings and seek help.
- Do remote workers feel like they’re never off the clock? It’s too easy to work evenings and weekends when the computer is right there and emails and texts are coming in. Encourage people not to work when they are off the clock. Make this an acceptable, healthy behavior and not something to be penalized or criticized.
