Shh, Younger Workers Quitting
A new survey quantifies how workers are becoming less inclined to work hard at their job.
Key details
At least 50% of U.S. workers say they’re “quiet quitting” and possibly more than that, according to a Gallup survey.
Quiet quitting is when workers do the bare minimum for their job. A person shows up, does what is expected, and leaves. Quiet quitters do not go above and beyond for their job.
This idea causes problems because most workers only show up to get their job done and leave, but most jobs do require more effort.
Why it’s news
“This is a problem because most jobs today require some level of extra effort to collaborate with coworkers and meet customer needs,” Gallup’s workplace management chief scientist Jim Harter writes.
U.S. employee engagement began to quickly decline in the second half of 2021. It took another step backward during the second quarter of 2022, with the proportion of engaged workers remaining at 32% but the proportion of actively disengaged increasing to 18%, according to the survey.
Most employees who are not engaged are already seeking another job. The decline in engagement can be mostly linked back to clarity of expectations, learning and growing opportunities, not feeling cared about, and no connection to the mission of the organization.
Backing up a bit
The pandemic put many people’s priorities into place, especially younger people. The Gallup survey finds a big decline among remote Gen Z and younger millennials.
This trend of quiet quitting has been popular within the younger generations because they are putting more distance between themselves and their work.
Since the pandemic, younger workers have expressed not feeling as cared about in their work. Unlike older generations, they do not feel an attachment to their work and are more inclined to leave.
Kevin O’Leary, an investor and star of ABC’s Shark Tank has said that quiet quitting is a really bad idea, and something that should not be condoned.
“People that go beyond to try to solve problems for the organization, their teams, their managers, their bosses, those are the ones that succeed in life,” O’Leary says.
Surprising statistics
- The percentage of engaged employees under the age of 35 dropped by 6% from 2019 to 2022
- Younger workers saying someone in the workforce actively cares about them has dropped by 10%
- Fully remote or young hybrid workers agreeing that someone encourages their development has dropped by 12%
