11 Effective Strategies to Handle ‘Quiet Quitting’ in Your Workplace

In today’s fast-paced and competitive work environment, retaining employees has become increasingly challenging. One growing phenomenon that has added to this challenge is the concept of “quiet quitting” — employees who have disengaged from their work but are still physically present in the workplace.

Companies often struggle to identify and address this issue, which can lead to decreased productivity, increased turnover and a negative work environment. Below, a panel of Rolling Stone Culture Council members offer some practical advice for reengaging and motivating employees who may be quietly quitting, along with strategies for preventing this phenomenon from happening in the first place.

Create a Recognition Program

Acknowledging and appreciating your employees is essential for boosting morale and driving organizational success. A few words of gratitude are always appreciated; however, establishing a comprehensive employee recognition program can be far more beneficial for recognizing hard working staff. Acknowledging hard work shouldn’t be overlooked; motivated employees make for better business! – Sidon Farris, c4n2, LLC

Set Up a One-on-One Meeting

Schedule a meeting with the employee to discuss their concerns and listen to their feedback. It’s important to be open and receptive to their perspective and to try to understand any underlying issues that may be causing their demotivation. Make sure there is a progression plan in place for them so that they see a future in the company. – Jonathan Kleeman, Restaurant Story

Find Out What Drives Each Employee

Generally speaking, if an employee’s efforts are dwindling, it’s typically due to a lack of organizational culture to motivate growth and career expansion, or a lack of personal growth or recognition in their role. Get to know your employees on a deeper level. What motivates them? What is their driving force? It’s not always money or titles, and if you miss the key motivator, you’ll have a quiet quitter. – Amanda Dorenberg, COMMB

Work on the Company Culture

Working on company culture, team building and overall happiness and engagement in the workplace is the best place to begin. Is it really a case of someone wanting to quit and change careers or is there a conversation to be had that can strengthen relationships at work and improve communication? – Karina Michel Feld, Tallulah Films

Define the Root Cause

To reengage and motivate employees, it’s important to identify the root cause of the problem (e.g. lack of direction, support or recognition). Open communication, necessary tools and resources and opportunities for growth can also help. Recognition and positive work culture are important for motivation. Regular feedback and support help employees stay on track and improve. – Cody Jefferson, Embrace The Lion

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Build Deeper Connections

It is important to connect with your employees to engage in authentic and empathetic communication. People want to feel heard and seen. When the working relationship is too transactional, a breakdown occurs. If you have rising stars on your team, develop actionable steps and set realistic goals that will ensure that they are giving their best and are being recognized for their contribution. – Marla Matime, The MAR.M Agency LLC

Decide if You’re Part of the Problem

Ask yourself why and if you could be the problem. Employees don’t “quiet quit” because it’s an internet trend — it happens when they feel devalued, disrespected, discarded and unseen. The best defense is building an open, tolerant, respectful workplace and genuinely fostering strong personal relationships. Employees are people first, staff second. Remember that. – Cate Rubenstein

Ask the Right Questions

Ask them. Keep in mind, they may not know. I usually say, “I’m going to ask you something and I’d like you to give me the first thing that comes to mind. You can change your answer later — there is no right or wrong. Right now, if you could choose a new job title, what would it be?” Usually, that answer gets another one. For example, if they say “communications director,” I would ask what type, where and why. This is an eye-opening experience. – Susan Johnston, New Media Film Festival®

Break the Ice

Have one-on-one conversations with people on your team and establish that you think there are some opportunities to improve company engagement and want to get their take on what’s broken. In my experience, breaking the ice lets the other person know that you aren’t happy either and also reinforces the confidence that they can help make things better. – Brad Canario, Auxly

Offer Employees Tools for Success

It is important to provide your employees with the tools they need to succeed. For example, if you have an employee who is struggling with the workload, you might offer training to help them improve their skills. If you have an employee who feels like they are not doing their best, you could offer a more challenging project in order to refresh their mind and help show them that they can do it. – Kristin Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC

Set Goals and a Timeline for Improvement

Every manager has three to four performance interviews and one assessment interview with their employees each year. Here, they should be talking about culture, DNA and performance. Give the employee three to six months to get on par with the performance and culture benchmark. It’s up or out. – Igor Beuker, Igor Beuker