Quiet Quitting/Firing and the Morale Issue it Causes

While the term “quiet quitting” may be a relatively new buzzword, the concept has been around for a long time. In the world of employment, quitting and firing are common occurrences. However, there are two types of these actions that can have a significant impact on hiring, recruiting, and retention: quiet quitting and quiet firing.

Quiet quitting is when an employee resigns from their job without making any noise or drawing attention to themselves. This can happen for various reasons, such as dissatisfaction with the job, a desire for a change in career, or personal reasons. Quiet quitting can have a significant impact on hiring and recruiting because it can lead to a lack of communication between the employer and the employee.

Reasons why employers are struggling to identify it.

This lack of understanding can make it difficult for employers to improve their hiring and recruiting strategies, as they may not know what led to the quiet quitting. Additionally, if an employer does not recognize the reasons why an employee may have quietly quit, they may struggle to retain their current employees. Retention is essential in any organization, and understanding why employees leave is key to improving retention rates. Employers should strive to create a work environment that encourages open communication, allowing employees to voice their concerns before they quietly quit.

Quiet quitting can have a significant impact on the morale of other employees in an organization. When an employee quietly quits, their departure can create a sense of uncertainty and unease among their colleagues. This can be particularly true if the employee was well-liked and respected within the organization.

The departure of a well-liked colleague can lead to feelings of sadness, loss, and even anger among the remaining employees. This can create a sense of disconnection and mistrust among the remaining employees, particularly if they feel like they were not given a clear explanation for the employee’s departure.

The Toxic Work Environment

In some cases, quiet quitting can also create a sense of fear and anxiety among the remaining employees. They may worry that their own jobs are in jeopardy, particularly if they were not aware that the quietly quitting employee was unhappy in their role. This can create a toxic work environment, where employees are afraid to speak up or voice their concerns for fear of being quietly fired.

To mitigate the impact of quiet quitting on morale, employers should strive to create a culture of open communication and transparency. This means providing regular feedback to employees, addressing any concerns or issues that are brought to their attention, and being clear about the reasons for any departures. Employers should also consider conducting exit interviews with quietly quitting employees, to gain insight into any issues or concerns that may have led to their departure.

By creating a culture of transparency and open communication, employers can help to build trust among their employees, and reduce the impact of quiet quitting on morale. Employees who feel heard and

valued are more likely to be engaged and productive in their work, which can ultimately benefit the organization as a whole.

What about Quiet Firing?

Quiet firing, on the other hand, is when an employer terminates an employee without informing the rest of the staff. This can happen for various reasons, such as poor performance, inappropriate behavior, or a lack of fit with the company culture. Quiet firing can have a significant impact on hiring and recruiting, as well as retention.

When an employer quietly fires an employee, the rest of the staff may not know why the termination occurred. This lack of transparency can lead to confusion and mistrust within the organization, making it difficult for employers to retain their current employees. Additionally, if the reasons for the quiet firing are not communicated to potential candidates during the hiring process, it can lead to a lack of trust in the organization and impact recruitment efforts.

To mitigate the impact of quiet quitting and quiet firing, employers should strive to create a culture of transparency and open communication. Employers should encourage employees to speak up if they have any concerns or issues with their job and should make sure that all employees are aware of the reasons for any terminations. Additionally, employers should conduct exit interviews with employees who quietly quit to gain insight into any concerns or issues that may have led to the resignation.

Key Takeaways

In conclusion, quiet quitting and quiet firing can have a significant impact on hiring, recruiting, and retention. Employers should strive to create a culture of transparency and open communication to mitigate the impact of these actions. By understanding the reasons why employees may quietly quit or be quietly fired, employers can improve their hiring and recruiting strategies, as well as increase employee retention rates.

Steve Edwards
CEO – Premier Virtual
Podcast Host – Weeding Through The BS
Steve@premiervirtual.com
Premier Virtual – South Florida Business Journal #6 Ranked Top Place to Work – Small Business Category

Will Employees Return & What’s Behind Quiet Quitting?

The Great Resignation – Will Employees be Returning to the Office?

One of the key questions being asked in the business world today is “Will employees be returning to the office?” According to a recent Gallup poll, the majority of office workers across the US want to return to their jobs . . .  some of the time anyway.  The primary reasons for a partial return include collaborating and socializing with their co-workers as well as making important decisions alongside them.  However, this is only a part of the scenario as there is another side to this that many are neglecting to talk about.

Interestingly enough, some employees preferred the remote working life over returning to the office.  Many were upset because of how much they had enjoyed it and couldn’t figure out why, after nearly 2 years of working at home, they would have to return to the workplace.  Furthermore, individuals who were anxious about returning to their offices didn’t find the same situation that they left behind when they were forced to start working remotely.

Why Isn’t the Return to Office Life Working Out?

There are several reasons that the return back to the office place isn’t working.  For one, bosses and employees have different regarding how their offices should be used.  After two years of living with the pandemic and working remotely from home, individuals have developed their expectations as to how their time should be spent.  Unfortunately, as increasing numbers of individuals are returning to the workplace, their ability to focus, level of satisfaction on the job, and stress levels have deteriorated.

The Other Side of the Equation

With the onset of the pandemic, many office employees started working remotely from home.  In a sense, it was the beginning of a new era in the jobs sector.  Unfortunately, many of those remote workers opted not to return to their former employers and have sought employment elsewhere, thereby leaving holes to fill at their former workplace.  As an employer in these circumstances, you have to be concerned about replenishing your workforce and bringing your daily operations back up to speed.

What’s Behind ‘Quiet Quitting’

Returning to the office is one thing, but returning to the former level of effort and the ‘above and beyond’ mentality is something all together different.

This new work ethic is based upon a priority to life-balance and that work is not the end all, be all that it was once was seen as. It’s not something that a person declares or can be labeled as, but what everyone can agree on is that the term doesn’t mean that an employee has quit, but rather that they are setting boundaries at work and refusing to go above and beyond in completing their duties.

That seems healthy, and productive, but it’s not the same as the person who was just doing the bare minimum to keep the job. As we see in this article from CBS news:

“People see ‘quiet’ and ‘quitting’ and they think it’s about quitting, but really what quiet quitting means is someone who has decided, ‘I want to prioritize my well-being overall and things outside of work’,” Elise Freedman, senior client partner at consulting firm Korn Ferry, told CBS MoneyWatch.

But, she added, “This is different from someone who is disengaged.” Instead, it’s about doing what is required of them, without volunteering for an ambitious project, agreeing to work at nights and weekends, or otherwise going the extra mile in ways that Americans are traditionally encouraged to as a way to demonstrate their worth to an employer.

If you travel the world, it seems to me that America is simply growing up. The rat race had it’s time and place and now side hustles and self preservation have replaced it. If you’re going to ‘go all out’ it’s going to be for yourself and on your terms, otherwise I’ll do the best I can. Who knows, if we keep down this path, the afternoon siesta might be the next culture piece we adopt in America.


Premier Virtual has the answer – our online hiring platform or virtual recruitment platform.  These virtual event platforms and accompanying virtual job fair software were designed to look and feel as though you were attending a real live in-person career fair without all of the costs and hassles that would normally be involved.  To learn more about our products, call us today at (561) 717-9717.

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