According to a survey, more than half of the Gen Z workforce is on the verge of quitting their job, while another report said just about a fifth of the US workforce is engaged in their work

As the leader of the human resource function at a young and upcoming start-up, I felt a bit uneasy when I first heard of ‘Quiet Quitting’. Call it Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘Blink’ moment or my pathological animosity to the word quitting, but the unease was real. The most popular definition of the phrase is to do only what the job expects one to do and nothing more. I even found a more colourful definition that went like this: “…Quiet quitting is the art of not taking work too seriously….”

Before we get into the why and how (to tackle it as a job creator), we need to see if it is as bad as it sounds. The answer can be both yes and no if we grab the nuances behind it. Most people who are on notice period tend to get into the ‘quiet quitting mode’, which is understandable, though hard to accept because they continue to draw the same pay till the last day at work. It is like between jobs while on the job. As a break from overworking and letting the mind and body relax a bit, it is a healthy, life-affirming act of self-love. So in that sense, quiet quitting can be a good thing if it is only temporary.

But recent studies have shown that the problem is deeper and more severe than one would assume. According to a survey, more than half of the Gen Z workforce is on the verge of quitting their job, while another report said just about a fifth of the US workforce is engaged in their work. These are two different ways to express quiet quitting, but the fundamental reason is the same.

The role of the Covid-19 pandemic in this is entirely plausible. Seeing millions die in such a short period due to a virus that infects indiscriminately, killing so many dreams and aspirations, can trigger despondency in the youth. Further, this phenomenon of quiet quitting should not come as a big surprise considering how the spending patterns of this age group are also indicative of this want to lead a relatively non-committal life – hailing a cab instead of owning a car, rented home over buying one, delivered food instead cooking at home etc.

While taking it easy for a short period can be good, both for the employee and the employer, it is definitely not good for anyone if prolonged indefinitely. The challenge may be universal, but the reasons at an individual level can vary widely. So, to offer a sweeping one-size-fits-all solution will be both disingenuous and pretentious, to say the least.

In my view, one of the main reasons for quiet quitting is the absence of purpose at work. In jobs that are particularly repetitive in nature, like code writing, the challenge at work can be very short-lived. Not seeing the big picture is the problem here. For example, in our organization, we never miss an opportunity to remind each other that we are solving a vast skill-gap challenge in India. And seeing how it positively impacts so many young careers makes it a thrilling journey in itself. I don’t wish to sound sanctimonious, but working without a larger purpose in sight cannot be healthy in the long run.

For an organisation to be sincere about tackling the quiet quitting challenge at a fundamental level, understanding Simon Sinek’s famous ‘Golden Circle’ is an excellent place to start. The ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ and ‘how’ we do, is paramount to building great organisations run by people who will not quit without a fight.

As for HR folks and their corner office bosses, it is better to share the purpose at the start of an employee’s journey and see if they will fit in. It is definitely more challenging, but it cannot be as hard as dealing with quiet quitters! Hiring only for basic skills without looking for ‘purpose fit’ is particularly a big problem for big employers like IT.

Articulating the purpose can be done in many ways, using formal and informal communication tools like regular town hall meetings or senior leadership spending quality time with individual employees or very small groups.

Trends like quite quitting are symptoms of more significant problems within organisations, with some even saying it is just an old problem with a new name that has gone viral due to social media. It is said to disconnect younger employees due to specific generational challenges like ‘instant gratification’ etc. While this may or may not be entirely accurate, the value in creating a more impactful workplace through well-articulated common purposes or shared goals is ageless. That, for sure, is not a fad.

(The article has been penned done by Akshay Raje, Head of People and Culture, Scaler and InterviewBit exclusively for BW People publication)