Quiet Quitting: Biggest resignation that took over 2022

ll through the fag end of 2022, “Quiet quitting” has taken center stage. Coined by corporate recruiter Bryan Creely, the term “Quiet Quitting” went viral when Zaid Khan, a software engineer from New York posted a TikTok video.Quiet quitting simply means not outdoing oneself at the workplace yet tactfully keeping the position intact. Going above and beyond the job description is a big no. One does the bare minimum of what the role requires him/her to do.

According to the Gallup polling institution, it is expected that around 50% of full-time or part-time employees in America over the age of 18 would be quiet quits.It was discovered that work engagement dipped for the first time in over a decade. People working hybrid and work-from-home have a better engagement at work when compared to those on-site. “The state of global workplace 2022” report on gallup.com states that disengagement at the workplace costs the global economy about $7.8 trillion.

Quiet quitting doesn’t mean you’re quitting your job in the literal sense, but you’re taking a step back in order to protect yourself from a potential burnout. Basically, coasting! According to psychologists, quiet quitting is a way to save oneself from sinking into depression and anxiety. Reports suggest that globally only 15% of the employees are engaged at work and the remaining 85% of them are quiet quitting.

Speaking of workload and disengagement at work, it is worth looking at the statistics presented by Deloitte Global 2022, Gen Z and millennial survey: 46% of Gen Zs and 45% of millennials feel burned out due to the intensity/demands of their working environments.

Around 44% of Gen Zs and 43% of millennials said many people have recently left their organization due to workload pressure. Around 75% percent of Gen Zs and 76% of millennials prefer remote or hybrid working patterns. Associate professor, Anthony Klotz of the UCL school of business in London coined the term “The Great Resignation” which gained rapid momentum in 2021. To be precise, great resignation meant that people in the job market would no longer accept roles that would demand long hours and pay less.

Thereby, disrupting their precious work-life balance. This phenomenon resulted in employees resigning in flocks. “There is no such thing as work-life balance”, said the successful hustle culture-driven entrepreneurs, but most people think otherwise.

To a quiet quitter, the day ends the moment he/she punches out. No work-related calls or texts will be entertained because they believe it’s high time for them to get their stress levels down. Why ruin a wonderful week off with burdensome lackadaisical work?
Contrary to the popular belief that the IT sector has the highest number of quiet quits, India’s government and defense sectors bore the brunt of quiet quitting at a rate of 12%, which is way more than other sectors scrutinized in the country.

The ‘Leadership and the war for talent’ report by Slack, which entails responses from 2000 Indian Knowledge workers stated, 54% of the people from various sectors in India feel burned out. The report also noted that companies can reduce the risk of quite quitting by 96% through effective communication between leaders and employees.

Stress, lack of communication between senior leaders and employees, poor leadership, lack of employee motivation, failure to recognize the employee’s efforts at the workplace, long hours, and low pay result in employees either resigning from the job or following the new-found path of quiet quitting.

Considered to be the next big phase of the great resignation, quite quitting is catching up rapidly in the ever-changing landscape of the competitive corporate world. Will the market leaders rectify the rigid outdated system of work culture? If yes, it’d be a great segue into 2023!