I kept largely quiet during the height of the so-called “quiet quitting” trend. (I am an introvert but that wasn’t why I was so quiet.) Personally, I never liked the term. For one, it’s so negative. Two, it’s misleading. And three, we know that many people have been coasting since the dawn of work.
Quiet quitting felt like just another buzzwordy trend that kept HR leaders up at night...only because they had to think about how to explain what it meant, what it didn’t mean, and how to change that mindset to people inside and outside their organization. It created a bit of distrust in employees, and anxiety within managers on how to address this potential new trend.
Watch Now: Finding a Cure for Quiet Quitting [Free Webinar]
Nine out of 10 employees say they are generally “energized,” “committed,” or at least “content” at work.
I fundamentally believe that people want to work. They want to do great work, too! In fact, we can prove it: Nine out of 10 employees say they are generally “energized,” “committed,” or at least “content” at work. Check out this breakdown of how 3,400 employees—ranging from entry level to senior leaders—across 10 countries responded when the UKG Workforce Institute asked them to self-identify into one of five buckets:
- 23% say “I’m energized” – I genuinely enjoy my work and am passionate about my career. I care a lot about my company, my co-workers, and/or our customers. I’m inspired to always go above and beyond without being asked.
- 37% say “I’m committed” – I like my work and care about my career. I often put in additional (i.e., discretionary) effort to make sure I do a good job for my company, support my team, and/or serve our customers. I’m happy to go above and beyond at work when needed.
- 29% say “I’m content” – I like my job and do it well, yet I’ve set boundaries between work and life. When my work day is done, I typically disconnect and/or go home, and then come back to work ready the next day. If my boss asks me specifically to do something extra, I will.
- 7% say “I’m coasting” – I do my job, collect a paycheck, and go home. I do the bare minimum to keep my job, and rarely put in extra effort beyond what’s in my job description.
- 4% say “I’m checked out” – I dislike my work. I have had it with my job. If I had the choice, I would quit tomorrow. I don’t want to work at all.
By my math, that’s a mere 11% of people who could qualify as “quiet quitters.” Maybe it’s just that last 4%, in fact.
So why write this blog now, months after the quiet quitting trend went silent?
We dug into the data a bit more and found that engagement at work and good mental health go hand in hand. Of those people who say they are “energized” at work, 80% also report good/excellent mental health. On the flip side, of those employees who say they are “checked out,” only 20% reported good/excellent mental health.
And who is the main driver of mental health in people’s lives? Their manager.
The difference-maker in an employee’s passion for work is whether or not they have a leader who provides clear and compassionate feedback, offers flexibility, cares about the person, leads with authenticity, and strives to enable work-life balance. That last bit is quite crucial, as those who admit they lack balance are almost 3x more likely to identify as “coasting” or “checked out.” (We all know that we have ‘sprints’ at work when people put in longer hours, but managers should be aware of the overall ‘marathon’ of work.)
We all know that we have ‘sprints’ at work when people put in longer hours, but managers should be aware of the overall ‘marathon’ of work.
This data underscores the significant influence that leaders, managers, and our jobs overall have on people’s mental health. We have to lean in with our managers, helping them with their responsibility to create engaging work cultures and help people find purpose at work.
So how do we make (or become) better leaders? In today’s world I believe that starts with moving away from the ‘transformational leader’ persona that’s been a model for decades and begin focusing on the ‘agile leader.’
An agile leader is realistic, inclusive, pragmatic, calm, and goes with the flow of reality. These are all attributes that will better serve the mental health of their people (and themselves, by the way). Above all, agile leaders possess a growth mindset and understand the power of “yet”— as in, “We haven’t done that yet.”
For more on what agile leaders say and do that transformational leaders don’t, check out this recent article I wrote on LinkedIn. Apologies in advance for ‘The Price Is Right’ jingle earworm!
Remember: People want to work, they want to have purpose, and they want to feel appreciated. Investing in your people managers to provide the training and resources they need to be strong, agile leaders is how to ensure employees find their purpose—and deliver results—at your organization.
