Increasingly, employees are being characterised as doing the bare minimum, in a trend dubbed ‘quiet quitting’ that has bubbled up in the wake of huge disruptions to how and where people work.
The viral phenomenon, popularised by TikTok creator Zaid Khan, claims that while people are still performing their assigned tasks at work, they are rarely going above and beyond for reasons such as to avoid burnout or to prioritise their mental wellbeing.
It represents a stark shift away from the so-called 'hustle culture' that previously embodied success at work. Notably, the phrase is broad, and evidence is largely anecdotal.
But since the pandemic, we’ve heard reports that employees have become increasingly disengaged.
According to JLL's Workforce Preferences Barometer , one-third of employees feel disenchanted by the changes to post-pandemic office life, while nearly a quarter of employees would consider leaving their jobs if they no longer feel recognised by the company.
The new trend piles pressure on companies to solve problems that arose from the pandemic, which upended traditional work routines and altered employees’ expectations of the office.
So, what should employers be doing to combat quiet quitting and truly engage with their employees again?
Listening to employees
Every office, company and country is markedly different when it comes to office design, so research will be needed to understand what employees want from their office space, in terms of its function and how they interact with it.
Listening to employees’ preferences to know which aspect of the office to tackle is paramount.
For instance, one of the most under-delivered aspects of the office experience according to employees is the quality of acoustics, JLL data shows.
The lack of sound privacy and excessive noise levels, especially in open areas and hot-desking workstations, are affecting the workplace experience for some. This is particularly important during the transition back from home working, where employees could control their own environment.
This transition back to the amplified office will take some getting used to, alongside the changing nature of office life.
Redesigning the office
The quiet quitting phenomenon comes at a time when companies have been actively stepping up efforts to enhance the workplace experience through office activation, technology and design.
Many companies are counting on a return to the office to reverse the quiet quitting trend. For that to happen, however, changes that make the office more conducive - such as the choice of workspaces, office acoustics, and a stronger focus on wellness initiatives - are seen as key.
That’s because according to JLL's Hybrid Work Decoded report, there is now a significant gap between the expectations of hybrid workers and the workplace experience currently delivered to them.
In response, up to 56% of organisations are already planning to refit or redesign their office space in the next 12 months, according to senior HR professionals surveyed by JLL.
Wellness in the workplace
Beyond office design, wellbeing initiatives are also a key area where employees want to feel more supported by their employers, according to those surveyed by JLL's report. With the quiet quitting phenomenon gaining steam, every well-being initiative contributes to the reversal of the trend.
The increase in demand and expectation around wellness amenities shows that office design isn’t the sole factor that addresses quiet quitting.
Employees are now expecting more from employers regarding wellness initiatives as new needs, overhanging from pandemic home-working conditions, must be met. Yet, still an absence of wellness solutions remains.
Possible solutions to address the lack of wellbeing initiatives include offering free mental health assessments or incorporating therapeutic spaces and biophilia to support the wellness experience in the office.
It is crucial now more than ever to monitor human behaviour, human interaction and how employees feel. All are equally essential in elevating the workplace experience, bringing employees back to the office, and ultimately reversing quiet quitting.
Alasdair Humphery is head of Scotland at commercial property firm JLL
